Putting the final touches on my preparation and I decided against buying a separate bike rack. Makes no sense to me with all the available space inside the trailer. Also I want nothing outside so we can park anywhere without anything to secure except for locking the doors.I'm thinking of adding a few hooks and using rope to secure them or simply get some old bed covers and wrap them before putting them on the lower bunk bed or u-dinette space. When we arrive they go outside possibly with a chain and lock during the night.Any other good ideas on how to secure them that is easy to do/undo and will protect the bikes from bouncing inside and damaging walls?Under the hard cover truck bed is going to hold my own bike and camping gear. Trailer storage is going to hold mostly clothing(under bed) and toys(outside doors).

I lay them on their sides with waterproof sheets between each layer. I use "Neat Sheet" brand sheets, but they don't seem to be made any longer.

I strap a full sized 26" bike to the front of the sleep sofa. It is standing up, with the front wheel removed, and peddles positioned so they are not crushing anything. Cinch the strap around the Bike and front of the sofa frame and pull it tight. Bike does not move. Actually have siamesed two bikes together in the fashion. Works for short trips within a days drive. For multiple day travels, I leave them strapped. But don't use the couch. Its a bit of a pain to be unstrapping them every day. So the kids can use the couch.

We lay our bikes on the queen side bed and they don't go anywhere.

With our slide in we still have lots of room on the floor for our adult size bikes. We wrap them in old Quilts and just lay them down. They don't move. We can still get by to the back washroom if necessary or the fridge.

I've always wondered why some kind of tiedowns aren't standard eqpt in RVs.

Securing kid's bike inside the trailer while rolling

shotgunner
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
We used to keep them inside, laying on the area where the lowered table is.
Now, we have the Mount-n-Lock heavy-duty bumper. With it, I have a cargo tray, the spare tire and the bike rack on the back. It is a replacement to the standard 4" thin-walled, badly-welded square tube bumper than came with the rig.
We went about 6,000 miles last summer with nary a problem. Kept the bikes (especially when wet and muddy) which made Mrs. Shotgunner very happy. :)
loulou57
Explorer
Jun 13, 2014
Our kids take a dining tent with them to put bikes etc in at night. It has tie down flaps on all 4 sides so is completely enclosed. We bought it and never used it. I wish I could remember where now. It also keeps the site tidy. When they are not playing with something it is kept in there. Also keeps the dew off chairs.
Campfire_Time
Explorer
Jun 13, 2014
Fastfwd75 wrote:

I'm new at this. Maybe the lock is not necessary.

Nope. Probably not. Its very rare in any campground for anyone to steal anything. Relax and have fun!
rcarpe06
Explorer
Jun 13, 2014
michigansandzilla wrote:
We put the boys bikes leaning up against the bunks in the bunk house with towels placed so they don't scratch anything. The bike with training wheels goes on the couch on top of the cheap queen blanket that came with the camper. The two adult bikes go wedged between the couch and the kitchen counters with strategically placed towels to keep them from moving. The tag along bike goes on top of the master bed with the dog crate.

Honestly, it's a mess of bikes and blankets and makes it difficult to even get to a snack when necessary. It's a PITA when it's been raining and if the tires are muddy, it's even more of a mess.
We are considering getting a rack mounted to the frame of the camper, but it will cost at least $400 for the welding alone. So for now, we deal with the mess and inconvenience.

I was thinking of welding a receiver to the frame under the rear bumper, but then I found this on the Forest River FAQ's:

Q-Can I install a hitch to the rear bumper or frame of my Forest River RV product?
The bumpers/frames of Forest River RV products were not designed to accommodate this type of accessory installation

http://www.forestriverinc.com/FAQ/default.aspx?src=rvcustserv

Since we have a 3/4 ton Suburban, I am considering buying 2 roof mounted racks for the adult bikes, and just throwing the little guy's bike in the back of the Suburban.
michigansandzil
Explorer
Jun 12, 2014
We put the boys bikes leaning up against the bunks in the bunk house with towels placed so they don't scratch anything. The bike with training wheels goes on the couch on top of the cheap queen blanket that came with the camper. The two adult bikes go wedged between the couch and the kitchen counters with strategically placed towels to keep them from moving. The tag along bike goes on top of the master bed with the dog crate.

Honestly, it's a mess of bikes and blankets and makes it difficult to even get to a snack when necessary. It's a PITA when it's been raining and if the tires are muddy, it's even more of a mess.
We are considering getting a rack mounted to the frame of the camper, but it will cost at least $400 for the welding alone. So for now, we deal with the mess and inconvenience.
Fastfwd75
Explorer
Jun 12, 2014
Campfire Time wrote:

I'm curious. Must be scary where you camp if you feel you have to lock them at night. In nearly 30 years of camping we have never locked our bikes.

I'm new at this. Maybe the lock is not necessary.
Campfire_Time
Explorer
Jun 12, 2014
We used to put our bikes in the trailer when we were towing with an SUV. Last trip with the old trailer stuff moved and scratched our fridge door. No more.

Now with a PU I put them in the bed. I made my own bike rack out of PVC for $30, strap them down with a ratcheting strap and run a cable and lock through them. Easy instructions here. It took me less than an hour to make this.

I'm curious. Must be scary where you camp if you feel you have to lock them at night. In nearly 30 years of camping we have never locked our bikes.
Fastfwd75
Explorer
Jun 12, 2014
ependydad wrote:
The coolest setup that I saw was an owner's mod to put bike mounts on the underside of his dinette seats:

That's a great idea but the kids bike have bolted non-standard front wheel skewers. Keeping it for the future when the kids and bikes grow up.
ependydad
Explorer
Jun 12, 2014
The coolest setup that I saw was an owner's mod to put bike mounts on the underside of his dinette seats:
TurnThePage
Explorer
Jun 12, 2014
I've always wondered why some kind of tiedowns aren't standard eqpt in RVs.