Passport Bumper - Spot Welded? Strong Enough for Bike Rack?

I do quite a bit of welding and fabrication. I would strongly recommend that you do not proceed with this project unless you take your RV to a qualified welder and have them examine and reinforce your current bumper to handle the stress and strain of the bike rack.

Licensed welders are insured, and are aware that they have to build it so that it can withstand the weight and torque.

Do it right, do it once.

Another fool and bikes will soon be parted.

From personal experience, it doesn't matter if it is welded, not many bumpers are made of heavy enough material from the factory.

Measure the thickness if the bumper material, if it does not measure at LEAST 1/8" walls your bumper WILL rip away from the welds..

Most standard bumpers are LESS than 1/16" wall thickness which will not support a bike rack loaded with bikes for long.

I was lucky to find mine had started ripping when I got to my camping spot, I used a bumper rack for only two trips and the second trip is when I discovered how cheap the RV bumpers are.

Put your bikes in the trailer, in the back of your vehicle, on the front of the vehicle, or get a tongue bike rack. Do ANYTHING other than using a RV bumper..

With spot welding you will see a series of small dimples where it looks as if the metal was melted whereas a welded bumper will have a bead that goes from the two pieces of metal and probably the full length where the two meet.

Spot weld

http://steeltubeinstitute.org/hss/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/05/weld-photo.jpg

Spot welded is exactly that, its welded in spots. If the weld is in little splotches, or drops of weld ... spotty, its spot welded. Continuous welding would be one un ending string of weld from end to end of whatever the two pieces are thats welded together.