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Old 03-22-2012, 11:19 PM   #1
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Hitch Mounted Bike Racks on Travel Trailer

Our bikes took a beating on the back of our Surveyor SP240 last fall. We used a standard Yakima rack in a welded frame mounted receiver. I now plan to go to a tray type of rack. Any suggestions on a very stable rack? I am thinking of a Yakima Hold Up.
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Old 03-23-2012, 07:03 AM   #2
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Do a search about bikes on the back of a trailer......there are many threads on that. The general consensus is to keep bikes off of the back of a trailer.
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Old 03-23-2012, 08:36 AM   #3
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Heed mtnguys advice and leave the bike off the back with ANY rack
been there done that and never doing it again!
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Old 03-23-2012, 09:14 AM   #4
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There are better alternatives for most trailers and certainly for the SP-240 which is a lightweight.

The only trailers and 5ers that are capable of storing off the back are the ones with heavier frames and bumpers and, even then, the bouncing will beat up the bikes (as you found).

Transport them in the trailer, in the bed of your TV if its a pickup, Yakima or Thule roof racks, or hitch mounted to the front of your truck.
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Old 03-24-2012, 01:27 PM   #5
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I put mine on the back (4). I have the rack strapped to the back of the trailer using ratchet straps and eyebolts mounted through the studs in the wall. this makes the bike rack part of the trailer and provides no movement. they have been this way since 07 and everything is still good. if you just let the bikes and rack bounce around back there, yes the results are not pleasant! I have a rear view camera and I can keep an eye on them and they don`t move.
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Old 03-24-2012, 01:41 PM   #6
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I'd have a hard time drilling holes in my $40,000 camper, but then again, it is just a camper!
So you ran the bolts right through the wall and put nuts on the inside of the camper? I wonder how I would even find the studs in mine?
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Old 03-27-2012, 12:51 PM   #7
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Yes I did. it wasn`t too hard seeing as how the factory drills into it after it`s built. On my trailer one of the bunks runs the length of the back wall. I just picked up the panel that supports the mattress and found the vertical stud. then I drilled through the bunk stud and vertical wall stud (2 eyebolts), very strong! I have hung on it and nothing moves (200 lbs). don`e properly bikes on the rear are perfectly fine. just hanging them off the bumper with no type of support will result in loss of bikes and/or a wreck behind you! I`ll get some pics posted up tonite.
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Old 03-28-2012, 03:45 PM   #8
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I put 3 bikes on a rack off the bumper. The bikes are ok, but the handlebars put holes into the back of the fiberglass. Glad I don't have a metal skin.
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Old 03-28-2012, 03:47 PM   #9
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Anyone considered stabilizing the top of the bike rack from the ladder?
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Old 03-28-2012, 04:44 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wneise View Post
Anyone considered stabilizing the top of the bike rack from the ladder?
yes until it pulls your ladder off the back of it to and not all campers have a ladder
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Old 03-29-2012, 09:01 AM   #11
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Thanks for insights

Many thanks for the suggestions and insights. To be clear the receiver hitch is welded to the frame of the trailer. Very strong. That part was not the problem. The problem we experienced was the up and down motion which caused the bikes to move somewhat and for mine to override my wife's which scored up her handle bar shifter. Also the Yakama rack's components loosened up during our 2,500 mile trip last fall which made the movement worse. Tightening them was helped a great deal.

Although I have carried bikes on the roof, our issue is that we often tote 17' sea kayaks with us. So they are on the roof of our Chevy Suburban thus no bikes up there. I will likely try the Yakima Hold Up rack as my web research suggests that it is the most robust and secure of the tray racks I have seen. After some local testing if needed I will consider additional ties to the trailer as needed. Anyone have any experience with tray racks?
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Old 03-29-2012, 09:20 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowman53 View Post
To be clear the receiver hitch is welded to the frame of the trailer. Very strong. That part was not the problem. The problem we experienced was the up and down motion which caused the bikes to move somewhat and for mine to override my wife's which scored up her handle bar shifter.
The problem is not how the bike rack is attached to the bumper, but how the bumper is attached to the trailer frame. Rugged Brown had the welds break between the bumper and the trailer frame from just carrying his spare tire, although I think he said he had carried bikes on the bumper previously. There are some pictures floating around of that weld tear, and I will see if I can find those.
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Old 03-29-2012, 09:23 AM   #13
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Check out post #7 & 8 here: http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ack-21076.html
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Old 03-29-2012, 09:35 AM   #14
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Snowman,
I have the Yakima Holdup plus 2 that can carry 4 bikes. We use it to travel to races and also with our kids' bikes. The nice thing about this hitch is that it supports almost any type of bike and almost any size. It won't do recumbents, though.




The hitch with two bikes (the plus two part bolts on and off) is very sturdy and I highly recommend it. The plus 2 extends out from the truck quite a bit. I have it on right now as we are on vacation and am always a little surprised just how far back this thing goes. Even with four bikes, there is very little bounce.

I have only used it hitched to our truck; not the trailer so I can't address that through experience.

Whether two or four bikes, though, the rack has carried our bikes many thousands of miles over the last 4 years. The hitch bolt screws in providing a secure attachment to the receiver and helping to minimize bounce.

You can attached a lock to the bolt. This protects the hitch from walking away although the bike rack is HEAVY so I don't really worry about it. There is also a long cable lock you can buy to secure the bikes to the rack to keep the bikes from walking away.

Speaking about the weight. One person can attach the 2 bike rack but two are really needed if you add the plus 2 attachment. Its both weighty and very bulky set up for 4 bikes.

I check and tighten all the all bolts before every trip and I recommend you add two battery powered red LED lights for viability.
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Old 03-30-2012, 09:24 AM   #15
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Very helpful. I will start with the two bike set up and then go from there. We typically travel as a couple as the kids are grown and the three of them share the old Coleman pop-up. I am encouraged by the stability of the Hold Up. If at all possible would like to carry kayaks and bikes on our trips and would rather not have to choose. Thanks again.
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Old 03-30-2012, 01:11 PM   #16
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There are bike racks that mount over the propane tanks. A much better idea then having 200lbs bouncing around at the back to the trailer. I know some people have had their bikes on the back for several years, but as stated the trailers are light weight and not made to have anything hanging off the back. The bikes might not bounce on the back of a truck but they will be bouncing at the back of the trailer. Good luck with your hitch. When I purchased my TT the dealer refused to add a hitch to the frame. He informed me that the TT was not built to have a hitch on the back. He said that if the frame did not crack there was a possibility that the side wall could crack at the corners of the slide out. Have fun and stay safe.
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Old 03-30-2012, 01:21 PM   #17
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Bikes and Kayaks

A propane tank-region bike rack is promising. Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into it. Will hold off on the Yakima Hold Up for now as I know the rack is heavy and then there are the bikes to add. I admit that with the ultra light trailer I have been sensitive to the amount of weight we add, especially to the rear.
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Old 03-30-2012, 01:39 PM   #18
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I toured the Forest River Flagstaff/Rockwood factory a few weeks ago and asked the question to the warranty supervisor about adding a hitch to the back of the trailer by welding it to the frame for the purpose of a bike rack. He responded that he would not recommend that at all. It would void the frame warranty for the trailer and you may end up getting cracks in your fiberglass or the frame could bend due to the bouncing of the bikes. His comments were referring to the lightweight TT and 5th wheels. The frame is just not designed for that amount of weight with bouncing.

Just some more "food for thought".
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