Wolf Pup 4-bike rack; front or rear?

[jesus_man]

Hello! First post!

We have ordered a 17JG Black Label and will be taking possession sometime next Spring. I am trying to be proactive in trying to research the modifications we want to make.

We would like to carry 4-bikes with us occasionally. I have settled on the platform style, but I am trying to decide if in front of the trailer, over the propane is a good location or if off the back bumper is better. My thought was at the back it will get all the nastiness that swirls back there should there be inclement weather or dusty roads. So I am leaning towards the front. But that comes with extra costs.

I might also ask for experience on budget friendly racks that fit into a 2" receiver. That would allow me to use it in other vehicles too!

Thanks!

[graman]

If you're going to upgrade to dual tanks and/or dual batteries, you might want to consider the rear - our 16FQ is pretty tongue heavy (504 lbs factory label - without mods) when loaded. I don't think the back of the trailer will see a whole lot more dust/dirt than the front to be honest. At least on the back you'll avoid the bug splatters
We've got the fold down rack on the back, and while we haven't brought bikes with us yet, I'd be curious the cost of a receiver mount vs the rack mount kits as well.

[jesus_man]

We do plan to upgrade to dual propane at least. Perhaps if we get the chance to do some more remote camping, a dual battery setup will be on the list too.

Anyway, if on the front of the trailer, here is a contraption I would use:

But it says it's rated for a 2-bike setup and a max of 100lbs.

But that is significantly more expensive than this:


Tongue weight isn't an issue for me as my other trailer puts 1000lbs on my F-350.

What prompted all this is we took a rented camper to a place that was 6 miles on a dusty dirt road and the back was absolutely caked in powdery dirt. And if we ever end up in a state with good public land, we will likely be doing some more remote camping and the conditions would be the same. That dirt would cause all sorts of problems with bikes. While the front of the trailer had some, it was significantly less than the rear.

Thank you for your input!

[Leob52]

I just added one in the back. I think it is cheaper. The bumper stands 200lbs. The spare is 32.

[jesus_man]

Just to update this, I did purchase the Arvika 4-bike system to install this on the front of the trailer. With the bouncing, the rear sees significant stresses, especially on a 4-bike system.

This system (with optional accessories) will:
-sit high enough to clear propane tank(s) and I hope enough to remove a cover
- be high enough to clear the bed of the truck in a jack-knife situation.
- Can be installed on the rear of the truck (perhaps an extension is required to add 4th bike?
- Isn't cheap, but seems to be very high quality.

I am excited to put it to use next spring!

[jchristo13]

Hi

I have a 2019 Wolf Pup 18TO with rear cargo carrier. I have two individual bike racks bolted on the rear cargo carrier. Each bike rack folds flat when not in use- so I can travel with the cargo rack up when there are no bikes. One rack is a Yakima Raptor I got off of ebay and the other is a swagman Upright Roof rack I modified for my wife's Biria bike- which doesn't have a top tube. It's arms are not very strong, so I have a support bar from the trailer's rear wall that holds the bike. If dirt is a problem, there are bicycle covers. I travelled 4000 miles with this arrangement with no problems.

I mention this because one solution is to put two bikes on the cargo rack in back using a similar arrangement as mine and two more bikes in front using a bike bunk. I didn't want to use the bike bunk as it puts the bikes pretty high off the ground and it would have been too high for me.

Another possibility is a roof rack for your Ford.

Jim

[jesus_man]

Jim,

That is a good idea separating the bikes. That could work for others. The issue then becomes what do I use when I just want to take the family riding locally? I needed a one-size-fits-all solution.

[Boomerweps]

Originally Posted by jesus_man

Jim,

That is a good idea separating the bikes. That could work for others. The issue then becomes what do I use when I just want to take the family riding locally? I needed a one-size-fits-all solution.

Truck, right? You can alway add an over tailgate padded bike carrier when not towing AND the receiver mount bike carrier.
Have you seen where some have made front fork holders or frames that fit in the RV dinette seats for bicycles?
Do not confuse the factory rack weight ratings with the bumper. Most bumpers are thin sheet metal barely welded to the frame. The factory rack on my Wolf Pup has mounts that clamp to the frame and barely rests on the bumper.

[jchristo13]

Hi

If you want to carry 4 bikes for local rides, one way is to buy a separate 4 bike carrier rack that uses your rear hitch receiver when you're not towing your trailer. Yakima, Curt, Thule, Swagman and some others all have products that will address your situation. I use such a solution - I have a Curt rack that holds 3 bikes which I use for local rides. It clamps onto my rear hitch. I do not use it when I am towing the trailer, but I carry the Curt with me in case I'm camping with the trailer and I want to do a local ride where I have to drive to the start point. I hope this gives you another idea. It a solvable problem.

Jim

[jesus_man]

Jim,

The Arvika kit I bought does what I needed. I simply updated the thread on post #5 so that it may help someone else in the future.

Boomerweps - truck yes, but I am too particular to hang something like that over my tailgate and hope it doesn't rub thru my paint. The other issue is the depth of the top of my tailgate is very wide, which may prevent some of the bikes from even straddling it.



In theory, I am happy with the Arvika solution, but I won't really know until I put it into practice this spring.

[Boomerweps]

I bought some bike storage fork clamps of EBay. Was looking at mounting them to a board, taking the front wheels off and carrying bikes in the truck bed. Unfortunately my bike front wheel is the bolt on style ;( My short bed 5.5’ doesn’t work with wheels on.
Going to research the roof carriers mounted to the TT rear rack. This fall I cut off the spare tire welded mount from the rack, it’s riding under the front bed.

[jesus_man]

You can adapt your bolt-on style wheels to quick release if that is what you were going for.