Ideas for bike rack placement

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by benchmarks

Did i misunderstand the trailer type? I do not know how to attach pics. It just asks for a url. Dunno, help?

The OP has a V-nose TT, not a traditional flat front TT.
You quoted his post telling you that.

[Keith_Schumaker]

Originally Posted by benchmarks

Did i misunderstand the trailer type? I do not know how to attach pics. It just asks for a url. Dunno, help?

Here is my rig, the nose is boxed out over the a frame up front. That's why I was surprised when you said you put one there.

[shadows4]

You said the bikes block your lights. Is there a way to lower the rack or the bikes? I have ours on the front of the truck, I don't think they block the head lights but then we don't hardly ever tow at night. I have seen bike racks made for the roof of the cab, that would be an option. Good luck.

[Eddy-g]

My problem is that my 5er spare is mounted to my rear bumper thus eliminating a bike rack in the 2in receiver at the rear. Don't want to put my spare in my truck bed as I already have enough camping equipment there. Generator, tote box and the such.

[Keith_Schumaker]

Originally Posted by Eddy-g

My problem is that my 5er spare is mounted to my rear bumper thus eliminating a bike rack in the 2in receiver at the rear. Don't want to put my spare in my truck bed as I already have enough camping equipment there. Generator, tote box and the such.

The bike racks typically start further out than the spare, when I had mine on the back I only had to move the tire over a little bit on the bumper and everything worked minus for the bikes bouncing all to heck.

[markb422]

I installed a 2" receiver to the frame of the trailer. I also added a couple of strap brackets up about half way on the back wall of the trailer. After loading the bikes (up to 4 of them) I attached nylon straps to the top of the bike rack and the brackets in a 'X'. Our trailer had cabinets on the inside of the back wall so I could hide the fasteners on the inside.

[Ron045]

You could install a BAL hide a spare underneath. I had to do that to get the bikes on back.

[Tundra 2014]

There is a company that makes a rack that mounts bike rack on a duplex 2" receiver hitch. Put bikes up high and protected. It does block rear view. Works well for lighter bikes, but there is not enough space w/ my V-front trailer.
A friend has a Thule rack that clamps to his bed rails. The great feature on this is when not in use, vertical rails drop down to just slightly above his bed rails. It is very secure and stable w/ locking keyed fork locks. It can also be used to carry kayaks. It also allows going thru the car wash w/o removing rack.
I tried the front hitch on my last truck, never liked having to look thru them driving and bikes were covered w/ bugs. Also, had to find something to chain it to when we left camp w/ truck.

[Tundra 2014]

OOPS! Scratch the tongue mount idea. When you posted the picture, you have a similar trailer to mine, Flagstaff 27.5 VLS. I currently have a Trac Rack- bolts to the underside of the bed rails and has a grooved ladder style rack that goes across bed w/ yakima bike racks attached. The drawback is it puts the bikes up high and has to be taken off if going thru the car wash or to park in the garage-30 minutes. It also makes noise at highway speed. We also use it for our kayaks. It is all aluminum, mine is 10 years old and very stable. They make a newer version w/ tracks, where you can mount a tool box on it and slide the back rack up to the cab when not in use. Rack is rated to hold 1000 lbs, really overkill for bikes. I got extra SS bolts and ground down 1 side of the heads to custom mount kayak saddles and bike mounts to rack. I think the Thule bed mount rack is the best solution I have seen, not cheap.

[rockfordroo]

Keith - benchmarks doesn't have a V-nose, he's got a Flagstaff Micro Lite.

[Tundra 2014]

OP pic shows V-front, quote is from someone else.

[changing it up a bit]

Just thought I would chime in on your quest for how others secure their bikes. This problem is one that I fought for two years and 20000 miles. I believe that i have found the solution. So far after 2 thousand miles, and several bad roads the bikes ride great and no more worries about them falling off as they did once in the past. This is how I haul my bikes;
1.) Thule classic 2 place bike rack mounted on a 2" class II receiver.
2.) In addition to the bike racks securing method, I additionally place an axle strap across the cross bar of the bike secured to the bike racks cross bar by a rubber torsion strap, connected to a u-bolt that I attached to the bike rack. This stabilizes bikes side to side movement.
If this sounds like it might be something you are interested in you can message me and I will send pics of the rack with the bikes secured.

[B-Rave98]

https://www.facebook.com/rvkayakracks/

[BG19]

Originally Posted by Keith_Schumaker

I keep going over in my head ways to keep my bikes safe while towing and I am looking for advice. Previously I had a hitch on the back of my trailer but being 35' long you would be amazed at how much the bikes bounce back there. Currently I have them on the front of my f350 which isn't too bad except in the dark as they block "some" of my headlights. I don't want to put them in my bed as my trailer does not have much storage so the bed of my truck is already filled when we go on long trips. I was thinking about building my own headache rack that the side rails run the length of my bed and weld a 2 inch receiver tube about 3" above the bed cover and put my rack in there. I don't think height will be an issue, I will still be lower than a 5th wheel. Does anyone have any insight before I buy a couple hundred dollars worth of steel and spend a weekend welding. Are there any other ideas I can try before I go this route?

The truck is a 2018 F350 CCSB and the trailer is a 2018 flagstaff 30wtbsv, if anyone has any good Ideas let me know.

Keith, we have use a Yakima roof rack for years atop our F350. They rack is reliable and fairly easy to use and easy to remove with a 2' high bench or step ladder (both the bars and the bikes). My 5th wheel is 13'4" high. The bikes come in under that height. We're very pleased using them. And actually they're wide & strong enough where we have had both the bikes & 2 kayaks up there when we drove to Key West. A great solution for us. Good luck. bg

[Keith_Schumaker]

Originally Posted by BG19

Keith, we have use a Yakima roof rack for years atop our F350. They rack is reliable and fairly easy to use and easy to remove with a 2' high bench or step ladder (both the bars and the bikes). My 5th wheel is 13'4" high. The bikes come in under that height. We're very pleased using them. And actually they're wide & strong enough where we have had both the bikes & 2 kayaks up there when we drove to Key West. A great solution for us. Good luck. bgAttachment 206792

With the high racks they are a bit much for me. I bring our bikes for day trips out of the campsite so I end up loading and unloading them 3-4 times a day. That's why I sort of want to mount my 2" receiver rack up high so they are there for travel with the trailer on but I can mount them lower in the rear hitch for the day to day rides out on the trails. Our trip coming up is about 45 minutes out of Acadia national Park so we will be loading our bikes up to head there every morning. If it was only 2 bikes I think on top of the bed or truck may work but I think it would be a pain with the 3rd one trying to reach the center of the truck as these new f350 SRW's are high.

[wanglermi]

Originally Posted by Keith_Schumaker

I keep going over in my head ways to keep my bikes safe while towing and I am looking for advice. Previously I had a hitch on the back of my trailer but being 35' long you would be amazed at how much the bikes bounce back there. Currently I have them on the front of my f350 which isn't too bad except in the dark as they block "some" of my headlights. I don't want to put them in my bed as my trailer does not have much storage so the bed of my truck is already filled when we go on long trips. I was thinking about building my own headache rack that the side rails run the length of my bed and weld a 2 inch receiver tube about 3" above the bed cover and put my rack in there. I don't think height will be an issue, I will still be lower than a 5th wheel. Does anyone have any insight before I buy a couple hundred dollars worth of steel and spend a weekend welding. Are there any other ideas I can try before I go this route?

The truck is a 2018 F350 CCSB and the trailer is a 2018 flagstaff 30wtbsv, if anyone has any good Ideas let me know.

I have a 2012 V-Lite. I've tried different bike racks on the bumper. A lot of movement. Then I put bike rack on my ladder. Didn't like the feeling with bikes hanging from the ladder.. What if ladder pulled away? Now I put them in the living room. I strap them too our Big Lot reclining chairs. No more problem

[RUTROAD]

Originally Posted by Keith_Schumaker

I keep going over in my head ways to keep my bikes safe while towing and I am looking for advice. Previously I had a hitch on the back of my trailer but being 35' long you would be amazed at how much the bikes bounce back there. Currently I have them on the front of my f350 which isn't too bad except in the dark as they block "some" of my headlights. I don't want to put them in my bed as my trailer does not have much storage so the bed of my truck is already filled when we go on long trips. I was thinking about building my own headache rack that the side rails run the length of my bed and weld a 2 inch receiver tube about 3" above the bed cover and put my rack in there. I don't think height will be an issue, I will still be lower than a 5th wheel. Does anyone have any insight before I buy a couple hundred dollars worth of steel and spend a weekend welding. Are there any other ideas I can try before I go this route?

The truck is a 2018 F350 CCSB and the trailer is a 2018 flagstaff 30wtbsv, if anyone has any good Ideas let me know.

We used bike rack on spare tire and now we use rack on ladder. Both work well

[benchmarks]

Originally Posted by BG19

Keith, we have use a Yakima roof rack for years atop our F350. They rack is reliable and fairly easy to use and easy to remove with a 2' high bench or step ladder (both the bars and the bikes). My 5th wheel is 13'4" high. The bikes come in under that height. We're very pleased using them. And actually they're wide & strong enough where we have had both the bikes & 2 kayaks up there when we drove to Key West. A great solution for us. Good luck. bgAttachment 206792

Lesson learned. This set up is awesome. Thanks for posting.

[BG19]

Originally Posted by benchmarks

Lesson learned. This set up is awesome. Thanks for posting.

Very thoughtful. Thx for the nice comment.

[Rick Gentry]

We bought a Curtis clamp hitch rack that attaches by clamping on to the hitch ball receiver that inserts in the tow vehicle. There are you tube videos demonstrating how it works. It is a bit awkward and No I need to be careful and clamping it on to the hitch and removing it. It cost about $65 at Walmart and about $80 at u-haul. It's a bit awkward to use for carrying our tandem bicycle. But it works.