Bicycle carriers

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

Just passed one the other day.......
Was driving alone so no video arggggg.
I WILL get one on video !

Same thing last Friday. Wish I had my DW with to snap a pic of a panel van towing a Rockwood Roo with THREE kid bikes on the back of the Roo carried by a bumper-mounted bike rack. He also had his spare tire still attached to the bumper.

If those kids' bikes were like my kids' bikes, they each weighed 30lbs or more. I can only guess the total static weight on that bumper was close to 175-200lbs. And, they stuck out 4 feet from the back of the trailer. The dynamic weight (dk if that's the right term) caused by the movement of those bikes had to be significantly higher.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Triguy

Same thing last Friday. Wish I had my DW with to snap a pic of a panel van towing a Rockwood Roo with THREE kid bikes on the back of the Roo carried by a bumper-mounted bike rack. He also had his spare tire still attached to the bumper.

If those kids' bikes were like my kids' bikes, they each weighed 30lbs or more. I can only guess the total static weight on that bumper was close to 175-200lbs. And, they stuck out 4 feet from the back of the trailer. The dynamic weight (dk if that's the right term) caused by the movement of those bikes had to be significantly higher.

And if you follow him far enough at a safe distance, you can stop and pickup 3 bikes and a bumper and sell them for scrap.

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by dunnnc

And if you follow him far enough at a safe distance, you can stop and pickup 3 bikes and a bumper and sell them for scrap.

Bonus!

[Campster]

Here is how I roll with our bikes..

[Quadzilla]

Forest River Forums - Quadzilla's Album: RV Mods - Picture

[Herk7769]

We tried everything from a "spare tire" carrier to what I finally wound up with (riding on the front of the truck).

When my bumper caps fell off on day two I realized the bikes could not ride in the bike rack on the bumper. It was twisting the square bumper so much it worked the rubber caps out. The bikes lived in the camper the rest of that winter trip to the Keys.

I tried beefing up the bumper and mounted a Curt 4 inch bumper hitch and a different bike rack. The replacement bumper caps lasted to Key West before they finally worked almost out. The bikes came home inside the camper again.

Our last trip to the Keys, I went with the front mounted receiver and the bikes were fine up there. I kept the bumper hitch on and when we stopped I moved the rack to the camper so it was not in the way when we went to the store or to the restaurant.

The rack went back on the front when we moved out.

[Berkshireba]

The sv model I hope to order soon with the diamond package includes a "fold down bike rack". I don't know where it mounts or what it looks like but maybe it could be a retrofit?

[Rsgtivr6]

Originally Posted by Berkshireba

The sv model I hope to order soon with the diamond package includes a "fold down bike rack". I don't know where it mounts or what it looks like but maybe it could be a retrofit?

If it's anything like mine, it is a 250lb capacity square steel and wire bottom rack that folds down on the back. Had 3 bikes on ours for a 3k mile trip with no issues. Seems pretty solid. It mounts on the frame with small rubber bumpers that rest on the TT bumper. They are just there to give it a little extra support. Most of the weight is on the frame behind the bumper welds. No cracking or stress on the welds after the trip, but I did have some of the inching out of the bumper caps, like herk said ,as we went. I figured it was just the wind tugging at them since it does it with the rack up and unloaded as well. Just tapped them in quick at fill ups since they never got further than half way out.

[1Texan]

I just bought a bike this weekend while on a camping trip. I had previously looked at how I would mount the bike when purchased. I mounted it simular to Quadzilla except I fastened the bike mount to the end seat, left the table in normal transport mode, and fastened with screws some velcro strapping tape to the center seat and velcro'd the back tire in place. Never moved on my 100 mile trip home. Total cost of $22.15 for fork mount, $2.49 for velcro. Totally much cheaper than the cost of hitch, welding, and bike rack and so much more secure. By the way, when I'm home or at the camp site, the plywood just flips over so the mount is underneith the seat the the cushion is put back to normal. In travel mode, the cushions ride on the bed


Rod

[Mark and Linda]

Two years ago the UPS man delivered two of these to the house, one was my Christmas Present from my DW. When we got these we were using our van to pull our PUP. These fit in the back of the van with no problems. Now we have the tt, I just fold them up and set them in the back of the truck, one bungee secures them. If we needed to, we could put them in our tt by folding the handle bars. Just another solution if you want a bike and need the space.

Adventurer Folding Cruiser Bike - Intersource Enterprises D09-1014 - Folding Bikes - Camping World

[ironj]

4 bikes , a little giant ladder, fire wood , and a fish fryer setup....all tucked in bed nicely!

[MtnGuy]

Here was my solution:

[eluwak]

Originally Posted by Mark and Linda

Two years ago the UPS man delivered two of these to the house, one was my Christmas Present from my DW. When we got these we were using our van to pull our PUP. These fit in the back of the van with no problems. Now we have the tt, I just fold them up and set them in the back of the truck, one bungee secures them. If we needed to, we could put them in our tt by folding the handle bars. Just another solution if you want a bike and need the space.

Adventurer Folding Cruiser Bike - Intersource Enterprises D09-1014 - Folding Bikes - Camping World

For a while my folks used thier Bike Fridays (Bike Friday - Custom folding and travel bicycles hand-crafted in Oregon). They came in a suitcase that you can use as a trailer. When in the case you can chuck them anywhere in the car or trailer.

[welove2drive]

I went this route. 2" box tubing through both frame rails and welded in place.
Center receiver tube welded to the 2" box tubing and then a plate welded to the rear face of the bumper for a little extra support. Went with the Swagman bike rack. Also added a loop on the front face of the 2" box tubing for a place to attach a strap. Works very well and is very stable.

[2306Rick]

hi folks,
i've been reading thru the threads on bike-racks and see lots of different opinions out there... i've been convinced that i should return my bolt on bumper receiver, however other than a couple vague comments like "i'd never do this" i've not heard any convincing argument on why a dual receiver like this: 4-Inch Dual Hitch Receiver - Roadmaster Inc 077-4 - Hitches & Hitch Bars - Camping World wouldn't work.
it's got a certified towing capacity of 10,000 lbs which is plenty (even loaded my 2306 is a max of 5,000lbs)
it's got a max tongue weight of 400 lbs - this gives me about 150lbs
it's a 2" receiver, so i just plug in my WD 2" receiver and use WD like i would if it's attached directly to the truck
ok - i might need longer chains and/or longer cord to plug it into the truck, but other than that, should i be concerned?

reasons why other commonly referred to solutions wouldn't work for us..
* we're a family of 4, so 4 bikes and i know regardless of how careful we would eventually scratch up the inside of the TT, not to mention the dirt the bikes would track in
* we have the truck bed, but sometimes we camp with a bunch of people and we end up bringing a load of firewood or other stuff for different people
* my wife has concerns about all the bug guts on the bikes if we add a hitch to the front of the truck for a front carrier (anybody who has one of these could chime in and comment how real this concerns is?)
* if this works, this $130 solution looks much easier on the pocket book than some $1K mount-on-the-tongue bike rack solution

thanks in advance for your helpful responses.

[Triathletedave]

I still swear by the old mountain bikers' trick of loading the bikes over the tailgate of the truck using a simple tailgate cover to protect the tailgate and the bikes. On our last trip we carried 4 bikes and had room for a full sized kennel for the dog in the back. As a bonus, you can lock the bikes into the box for security, and you're always ready for a cycling excursion after dropping off the trailer.

[cbvp]

I mounted this Thule Rack to the rear bumper of my Cherokee. Inspected the rear bumper and rewelded what I thought were weak spots. Everything went well for a season and a half. Then the bumper was ripping loose from the frame next to the weld





Here' s the added reinforcements.


1 1/2" X 3" steel tubing is welded in between frame rails against an existing cross member



Then two pieces of tubing were welded 12" left and right from center between bumper and cross beam. At the same time I added reinforcing at the bumper/frame connection and welded it all together.

C.B.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by cbvp

I mounted this Thule Rack to the rear bumper of my Cherokee. Inspected the rear bumper and rewelded what I thought were weak spots. Everything went well for a season and a half. Then the bumper was ripping loose from the frame next to the weld

Here' s the added reinforcements.

1 1/2" X 3" steel tubing is welded in between frame rails against an existing cross member

Then two pieces of tubing were welded 12" left and right from center between bumper and cross beam. At the same time I added reinforcing at the bumper/frame connection and welded it all together.

C.B.

I hope it all works out for ya.

Turbs

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

I hope it all works out for ya.

Turbs

That is the truth.

[brokenaxle]

I had a close friend who owned a welding shop and one of his largest money makers was adding hitches for towing boats or bikes on 5th wheels and travel trailer. He used two pieces of 2" heavy gauge tubing welded between the frame rails about two feet apart then welded another piece to the rear of the trailer with a hitch receiver on it. He never had one come back because of failure and several rv dealer would send people to him for his service. In Mi. it's legal to tow a boat or other trailer behind a 5th wheel if you don't exceed a specified length. Also to do so you need a special licence I believe. but he did a lot of these on travel trailers also. He would also not hesitate to tell people if their frames weren't strong enough to do so. I would never attach a bike hitch to the back bumper. I have seen too many horror stories from such. A few weeks ago we followed a motorhome with bikes on a bike rack bouncing on the ground about ready to fall off. We tried to get his attention but he was off in space somewhere not looking in his rear view mirror. I know all three bikes on his rack had flat rims from hitting the ground. If he didn't loose them after he turned and went another direction that we weren't. The bumpers on these campers are more for looks than function they are just light gauge steel and usually the welds are questionable.