Bike mount setup

captaingeek · 03-22-2021, 07:43 PM

Hi all, check it out. What do you think of it setup?

SmackIt · 03-23-2021, 12:01 AM

Thoughts...

#1 Forest River shouldn't be encouraging people to overload the rear with that spare tire hanging off the rack like that.

#2 Your mount on the front fork is going to rip out eventually. That ebike is going to put too much stress on the floor of the rack. You need to get a piece of steel and run the entire width of the rear rack.

I have the same rear rack on my Surveyor. Pulled the spare off and mounted it up front. Bought some tire holders, ditched the washers, and mounted them with steel.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VUXP1S

dalford · 03-23-2021, 12:23 AM

^^ plus that spare will drag the first angled entrance you enter .move that spare.

Remove the bike battery, will save you some weight.

Add safety struts to your bumper... https://www.mount-n-lock.com/

SmackIt · 03-23-2021, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalford

Add safety struts to your bumper... https://www.mount-n-lock.com/

I don't think those are necessary with this type of rack. It's not mounted to the bumper, it's actually mounted to the frame. I think Forest River sort of got that part of this right.

dalford · 03-23-2021, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmackIt

I don't think those are necessary with this type of rack. It's not mounted to the bumper, it's actually mounted to the frame. I think Forest River sort of got that part of this right.

I guess so but it looks like it gets support by resting on the bumper. The hinge for laying it down is actually beyond the bumper. Hard to tell from the pics.

But your right of it is not using the bumper for support it does not need safety struts...

Germanrazor · 03-23-2021, 06:57 AM

I would remove that tire and store either in a under compartment or in your tow vehicle. I know they make things for loading bikes on these but I am not a fan of them since the steel gauge they use is, well, not the heaviest of gauge to make me confident in them.

I bought a Swagman truck bed system and load my bikes there. Very secure and I can see my bikes and not wonder did that sucker fall off.....nothing like getting to your location and find your bike ripped away....LOL

{Tpc} · 03-23-2021, 07:16 AM

Do they make a bike rack that attaches to that tray? I have one as well and would like to put bikes on it (2). I’ll toss the spare in the back of the truck.

captaingeek · 03-23-2021, 07:16 AM

Thanks! Smack it, do you have a link to the spare tire mount you used?

hobienick · 03-23-2021, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by {Tpc}

Do they make a bike rack that attaches to that tray? I have one as well and would like to put bikes on it (2). I’ll toss the spare in the back of the truck.

Consider using a Thule, Yakima, ect. brand bike rack that attaches to the traditional roof rack bars. You should be able to attach those directly to the grating with a square bar underneath for the racks to attach too.

BehindBars · 03-23-2021, 07:32 AM

My observation: The front fork mount needs a piece of steel running across the rack below the mesh, bolted to the rack frame, rather than a small block of wood. Or just move the front mount to the edge of the rack and bolt it through the rack frame. I can’t tell from the photo how the rear wheel of the bike is secured.

phillyg · 03-23-2021, 08:56 AM

The whole thing looks sketchy because I can't tell if it's only held on to the bumper, or is structurally tied to the frame under the trailer. Some bumpers are not capable of carrying anything extra, and some mfgrs. won't warranty failures in that case.

007matman · 03-23-2021, 10:42 AM

Wouldn't be me. As others have said, the tire for sure needs to go.

Do you have a truck?. Can you put them in the bed? I made a rack inexpensively with those mounts and it's great for my truck bed.

Much safer. Bikes are expensive and if something happened you may not know about it until you're 100 miles away.

captaingeek · 03-23-2021, 10:48 AM

The rack came with the trailer and is rated for 250lbs (not including the tire).

I've place a 2x4 within the frame of the rack and am mounting the axle mount onto it. That 2x4 is mounted to the rack from the underside. Will post some pics.

007matman · 03-24-2021, 08:04 AM

Couple of summers ago I was headed north on the interstate just outside Paducah when I came across what looked like two high-end road bikes on the side of the road still attached to a bike rack. There was some mangled up metal present as well as a couple of orange tie downs. The bikes looked to be Carbon Fiber.. I know bikes and they were probably worth at least 2-3k each (if not more). Both had basically been broken in half, wheels mangled beyond repair.

A couple hundred feet up the road there was a Hyundai parked with it's flashers on and people milling about. The front end of the car was badly damaged. Looked like the driver was able to stop safely and there were phones out so I kept moving.

Probably 5 minutes passed and then I saw a trailer and truck on the side of the road.. the bumper hanging off the rear and a couple of orange tie downs attached to it.

I told myself then and there it isn't worth it to put them on the back of the camper.. ever. Do as you wish. Stuff can be repaired or replaced. People can't.

captaingeek · 03-24-2021, 09:18 AM

Fyi this a factory installed folding storage tray that's welded to the frame.

Skip12 · 03-24-2021, 09:37 AM

Two things:
The rear wheel needs to be secured. It it doesn't move, there will be a lot less stress on the front. I use those reusable twist tie on mine and it works great.

I would consider adding ratchet strap to the front over the handle bars. That will definitely give you eliminate a single point of failure on the front and may reduce stress on the front mechanism you built. Then if you go that far, why not throw a strap over the seat post and to hold the back in place.

{Tpc} · 03-24-2021, 09:39 AM

Nice thing about having the camera on the back so I can see what’s happening as I go down the road. Adding some safety struts might not be a terrible idea either.

I would put them in the truck but with a hard sided bed cover It’s not ideal. I’d have to have that all the way up resting against the cab, and logging a lot of miles like that probably isn’t what it’s intended for.

Germanrazor · 03-24-2021, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captaingeek

The rack came with the trailer and is rated for 250lbs (not including the tire).

I've place a 2x4 within the frame of the rack and am mounting the axle mount onto it. That 2x4 is mounted to the rack from the underside. Will post some pics.

Unless they changed the spec’s mine is rated 200 lbs and that does not include the spare. The spare is 40 lbs so that leaves 160 on mine.

Germanrazor · 03-24-2021, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 007matman

Wouldn't be me. As others have said, the tire for sure needs to go.

Do you have a truck?. Can you put them in the bed? I made a rack inexpensively with those mounts and it's great for my truck bed.

Much safer. Bikes are expensive and if something happened you may not know about it until you're 100 miles away.

Yippers.....my Trek Madone full carbon with all the bells and whistles and high end components I upgraded to.....from a shop if on the sales floor would cost you around $6K. Maybe a tad more as I have Italian Favero Assioma power meter pedals too! Heck, I am afraid to spec my bike out today to see what I have in it. But cycling to me is not a hobby or just for kicks! Addiction and competition to say the least. And the picture here is not but half the upgrades......geeeez, one day I will stop, well, probably not!

**Flybob** · 03-24-2021, 12:14 PM

You don't say what RV you have but if it is an ultra lite with manufactured frame There is no way I would do that. The leverage of that tire way out there is putting a lot of stress on the frame.

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