Bike rack on bumper?

Gdetrailer wrote:


I leave you bike on bumper people to your own demise, hopefully I will never have to deal with your bad choice and stupidity when you do eventually lose those bikes.

Folks buy marginal tow vehicles and trailers and then want to hang junk anywhere from the front of a truck all the way to behind the rear of the trailer. In the past, I have suggested folding bikes, bed caps and custom racks. Never have any of these ideas been used because they want a certain important look or style even though the vehicles aren’t capable to do it right. You are correct, give it up and allow considerable distance from all trailers when on the highway.

jfkmk wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:

A lot of posts about bumpers and bike racks are based on nothing more than repetitive internet forum hearsay, and the best are the ones that use the picture previously posted which has been posted over and over and over in bike rack bumper threads for 10 years.

Mine is based on personal experience. Darn near lost two bikes off the back of a class c when the thin-walled bumper started tearing itself from the supports. I'm not a welder, so I wasn't about to try to beef it up, so I relied on other methods to carry my bikes.

Folks like Mr Cramden seem to feel that your and mine plus many others EXPERIENCES which have had issues with bumper mounted bicycles does not mean squat and that we made it up as part of a conspiracy..

I have fought and fought the battle trying to prevent others from making the same mistake and yet folks like Mr Cramden seem to have much more "credibility" towards the idea that it is perfectly safe..

Because of the uphill battle I have pretty much given up on trying to persuade folks to do the right thing and not bother with hauling bicycles on the RV bumper..

Folks, if you WANT to be stupid, then go ahead and be stupid, I cannot convince stupidity into being smart and making a better choice...

I leave you bike on bumper people to your own demise, hopefully I will never have to deal with your bad choice and stupidity when you do eventually lose those bikes.

Ralph Cramden wrote:

A lot of posts about bumpers and bike racks are based on nothing more than repetitive internet forum hearsay, and the best are the ones that use the picture previously posted which has been posted over and over and over in bike rack bumper threads for 10 years.

Mine is based on personal experience. Darn near lost two bikes off the back of a class c when the thin-walled bumper started tearing itself from the supports. I'm not a welder, so I wasn't about to try to beef it up, so I relied on other methods to carry my bikes.

drsteve wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:
Trailer bumper and frame fear mongering......thats entertainment.

What? From the guy who says Lippert builds their frames from recycled beer cans and gorilla tape?

You got it, and I stand by it. I am not about to crawl under my 2017 Rockwood to get pictures of what I did to reinforce its Lippert frame the first week we brought it home before it ever seen its first campground. The previous Keystone had a Lippert frame but I did not have to reinforce anything, Keystone chose to use an 8" high frame as opposed to 5-1/2" high frame that Rockwood uses, despite the Roo being longer and heavier.

A lot of posts about bumpers and bike racks are based on nothing more than repetitive internet forum hearsay, and the best are the ones that use the picture previously posted which has been posted over and over and over in bike rack bumper threads for 10 years.

Post pictures of a mod that can hold a bike rack and then some, and instantly you're now going to twist the trailer frame in half. Reinforce the main frame and now the A frame is going to bend. Reinforce the A frame and the drawbar will twist. Get a heavier drawbar and the hitch will rip from the tow vehicle. Reinforce the hitch and you'll bend the frame on the tow vehicle. All over a couple of 30 lb bikes and a 20 lb rack on the back of the trailer.

Someone must be passing out free memberships in the fraternal order of bumper police.

Ralph Cramden wrote:
Trailer bumper and frame fear mongering......thats entertainment.

What? From the guy who says Lippert builds their frames from recycled beer cans and gorilla tape?

Ralph Cramden wrote:


Trailer bumper and frame fear mongering......thats entertainment.

there are none so blind as those that will not see

blind

Lynnmor wrote:
Some may think that the frame is some kind of mighty structure and only those things attached need to be improved. Here is a photo of what might happen several feet in front of the load even though only a spare tire was carried on the bumper: Bent frame

So a bumper mounted spare tire caused the frame in your picture to buckle? Or did you use the word "might" literally? Lots of things might happen. If a spare tire on a bumper is going to bend up your frame, just imagine what whacking a 4" inch deep pothole at 70 mph is going to do to it? It might rip the entire rig in half. Imagine what jack knifing into a site while scrubbing the tires might do to it? It might twist it into a pretzel.

Trailer bumper and frame fear mongering......thats entertainment.

Some may think that the frame is some kind of mighty structure and only those things attached need to be improved. Here is a photo of what might happen several feet in front of the load even though only a spare tire was carried on the bumper: Bent frame

Gdetrailer wrote:


Personally, unless you are well versed with RV structures and or an structural engineer, folks REALLY should consider the non DIY approach rather than your DIY Eye bolt approach and buy the tongue mounted rack or hitch adapter..

Eye bolts? I don't know about those but you certainly do not need P.E. after your name LOL. Wanna haul a couple of full coolers, bikes, a tote tank, whatever? And that is a 14 gauge 4X4 tube in these pictures.

The last picture of the Roo is mostly stock other than adding some 2X2 angle gussets and a 3X3 piece of 1/4" plate each side at the bumper mounting. It usually has two full RTIC 65 coolers on the platform.

Gdetrailer wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
I wouldnt say its rednecky, rather well thought out. Like I stated its been on the trailer for 10 years no issues. And I have a rear view camera that lets me watch the bikes as well as the road. You can't just drill through the walls without knowing where things are. I do things once. The right way!

Hmm.. OK, don't like "rednecky", then perhaps

Frankensteinish?

Honestly, if I was in the used RV market and saw a trailer with big bolts sticking out of the walls that were never supposed to be there and were never part of the factory build I would be RUNNING as fast as I could away from that trailer.

While I applaud your creativity in trying to find a solution, I don't think it is one for everyone. Requires really finding a "stud" in that wall that is wide enough to accommodate the diameter of said bolt.. RV walls are made with 1x2s and actual size is 3/4 x 1 1/2 IF you are lucky..

That means a 1/4" inch bolt would give you only 1/4" on each side IF you were able to 100% accurately hit that stud in the direct middle AND the stud was straight and plumb AND you also drill it square and plumb..

A long shot at best..

Then you would have to use additional bracing on the inside of the wall like a small steel plate or a huge washer to spread out some of the force.. Failure to do that will result in snapping the wall stud like a twig when you hit a hard bump in the road or tighten the straps too tight (I HAVE hit bumps hard enough to RIP the bathroom mirror right off the wall in the rear of my trailer).

Personally, unless you are well versed with RV structures and or an structural engineer, folks REALLY should consider the non DIY approach rather than your DIY Eye bolt approach and buy the tongue mounted rack or hitch adapter..

It WILL be money well worth spent and you will not harm your trailer or other motorists!

Actually I do have a steel piece of angle iron on the inside bunk stud to distribute the load. And on the outside I have an aluminum plate that the eye bolt goes through. My design looks better than some stuff RV manuf design and put on a trailer. You would be hard pressed to tell if mine came that way or not. Either way, I don’t care if you approve of it or not. It works as I designed it too and it has been put to the test on many rough roads!