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Old 05-28-2018, 06:21 PM   #1
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Bumper came un-welded/off while driving down the highway. Anyone ever heard of this ha

Hi. Has anyone else had problems with their bumper coming off ? I had one bike on a rack and a spare tire. I have seen lots of people hauling a lot more. Not sure if I need a while new bumper or that one can be welded back on ? Click image for larger version

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Old 05-28-2018, 06:26 PM   #2
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Based on the pictures, you will need a new bumper. It appears the weld didn't fail; the metal of the bumper did and tore a large patch of metal out of the side of the tube.
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Old 05-28-2018, 06:32 PM   #3
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Many if not most trailers are not designed to have any extra weight on the back. It can damage the bumper like yours or damage the frame.

Lots of posts on this, search for more details.
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Old 05-28-2018, 09:19 PM   #4
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You cannot put a bike rack on a stock 4" bumper. There are a number of ways to beef it up and do it right.

See here for a number of different methods:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...oo-107358.html
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Old 05-28-2018, 09:20 PM   #5
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Thank you
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Old 05-28-2018, 10:14 PM   #6
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Loose the bike rack. If you need to carry bikes put them in the tow vehicle, on a front trailer frame mount over the propane tanks or a 2" receiver attached to the frame of the trailer. Square bumpers will not carry bikes.
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Old 05-28-2018, 11:03 PM   #7
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Unfortunately you did something that is usually advised against, unless you weld and brace the bumper to the frame.

Your Rockwood is an ultraLIGHT. Meaning it has an ultralight frame.
The rear bumper is made of thin metal with weak welds.

There are literally thousands of threads/posts about this, on the Forum.
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Old 05-29-2018, 02:42 PM   #8
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Not uncommon with even a lightweight bike and bike rack. This type bumper is for looks and pass the DOT laws for bumpers. The repeated up/down bouncing of bike rack causes the lightweight sheet metal they use with spot welds and cheap fasteners, they eventually rust and wear out. I know several people who had it happen with just bike racks and another with a rack that holds a cooler. Luckiest guy ever... his bumper and cooler fell off just as he backed into camp. We just stood there.
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Old 05-29-2018, 02:44 PM   #9
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A good bumper and metal shop can look at your rig and tell you where the weak points are and how to properly attack any add on, if your rig gross weight and tongue weight can handle it safely. One guy took his new rig straight to a welding shop to have a new bumper system fabricated and attached to the frame.
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Old 05-29-2018, 02:50 PM   #10
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Safety Struts would have prevented it from falling completely off, but nothing would prevent it from tearing off.

You've got to attach that bike rack directly to the frame. I'm sorry that happened.
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Old 05-29-2018, 03:38 PM   #11
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Be VERY thankful that it didn't come off completely, while traveling down an interstate at 60+mph.
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Old 05-29-2018, 05:33 PM   #12
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It happened to me on my trail bay fifth wheel, noticed sparks from the rear of the rv while on the freeway at night. I was able to unload the items off the bumper and force it up to get home. We then welded up the torn metal and reinforced it. It was bent too much to use as sewer hose storage but could handle the bike rack
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Old 05-29-2018, 05:34 PM   #13
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What does a bike weigh? 20lbs? W/rack 30.....guess better not put my beer cooler back there.
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Old 05-29-2018, 06:02 PM   #14
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Been there, done that!

As pointed out by several others, the OEM bumper isn't really strong enough to qualify as a bumper, but is a handy place to store your dump hose...

Since the damage is done, and metal fatigue appears to be the cause, I would suggest having a new bumper fabricated out of 4x4 inch square tubing with 0.083 inch wall thickness. This is available pretty much in every area, although you may have to look a bit. Surely your local welding shop will be able to get it quickly, and might even have it in stock. This size would weigh about 4-1/2 pounds per foot. I would suggest you ask the welder to advise you on the best option for your particular case. It would usually be a safe bet that he or she won't do or suggest anything he thinks will fail!

Also recommend giving a good coat of oil based rust proofing enamel.
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Old 05-29-2018, 06:07 PM   #15
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Replaced mine with a 4"x4"x3/16" square tube and the attachment locations reinforced. never a problem after that.
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Old 05-29-2018, 06:19 PM   #16
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Quote:
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What does a bike weigh? 20lbs? W/rack 30.....guess better not put my beer cooler back there.
Youd be surprised how much regular bikes weigh.
Average adult bikes will weigh 40-50lbs. Such as Walmart bikes.

Only adult bikes that weigh 20lbs, are expensive road bikes.
Even $2000+ Mtn bikes weigh close to 25lbs.
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Old 05-29-2018, 06:59 PM   #17
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My TT came with the spare tire on the bumper tube. If you bump the top of tire with the heel of your hand you can see the bumper tube twist. It doesn't take much. Just imagine what happens while going down the road.
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Old 05-29-2018, 08:35 PM   #18
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3/16" That would be a bit over 75 pounds. Now THAT is a bumper! I actually used 11 gage on the one I did, which is right close to 1/8", and thought it was possibly overkill. Never a problem in 9 years.
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Old 05-29-2018, 08:41 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bikendan View Post
Youd be surprised how much regular bikes weigh.
Average adult bikes will weigh 40-50lbs. Such as Walmart bikes.

Only adult bikes that weigh 20lbs, are expensive road bikes.
Even $2000+ Mtn bikes weigh close to 25lbs.
Yes and then add the lever effect of the bikes on the carrier down to the hitch and que disaster.
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Old 05-29-2018, 08:48 PM   #20
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Yes and then add the lever effect of the bikes on the carrier down to the hitch and que disaster.
Yep, many don't understand how the physics work.
Bikes are held out and away from the bumper. The weight of the bikes bouncing causes the rack to pull down and back on the bumper.

It can be done safely but not without modifications.

Personally, my bikes were expensive and I refuse to put them on the back of my TT.
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