rear bumper pulling away from frame

I had 3 bikes on my front hitch including a $3k cannodale jekyll last labor day. Ride home diaper change fiasco had me on a 50mph disaster waiting to happen. Kissed that American made cannondale goodbye.

Nothing like digging up an old thread..

I think Sea Gypsy is asking about the post with the FRONT OF VEHICLE bike rack.

For that you simply need a hitch receiver installed on the front of the vehicle. Not sure if Uhaul will do that, all you can do is ask them.

If they don't then seek out a welder/mechanic who can.

Then you can use any hitch type bike rack.

Not all trailer frames are of equal quality. A high dollar Airstream won't take extra weight on the back of the frame. Some of them won't take extra weight on the inside. An Avion has a much stronger frame than an Airstream and it would still depend on how much weight you put back there and how it was attached. You are almost always better off putting the weight on the tongue if you can.

The rear of a trailer is not a good place to haul anything… it’s not just the bumper… the chassis and the suspension are no more designed for it than the bumper is, and IMHO the back wall was never designed to carry a load of any kind…

The most common ill-advised advise given here is I do it all the time with no trouble…

I should also have asked where to find the rack??

I need to do this for my bikes!! Do you know if Uhaul can install this?

I put my bike rack on the front of the tow vehicle. I installed a front hitch receiver.

At most the standard square tube TT bumper is only 1/16 inch thick. Most trailer frame rails are 6 inch tall I beams that have a 1/8 inch thick vertical web and flanges at the top and bottom that are between 1/16 inch and 3/64 inch thick. These I beams are light thin gage and not standard structural thickness as used in commercial steel construction.

I'd see a weld shop ($80.00 per hr) and get a professional weld job w/some 3" angle (L). Besy of luck...

Gdetrailer wrote:

Bucky Badger wrote:

noonoo11 wrote:
2011 outback 301bq,,,,bicycle rack on read bumper. got home from a 6 hr trip and notice bicycles leaning. Turns out bumper pulling away from frame. Bicycles will ride in bed of pick up.....anyone else have this problem. I see people with bicycles all the time on the back. Having it welded.....

Well this is no surprise...It's been said many times it's not a good idea, but people just keep doing it.:S

Yep, I have had too many arguments with folks on this forum who INSIST that it perfectly fine to haul bikes, generators, motor cycles, golf carts and more off a standard RV "bumper" because they themselves have never had theirs fail..

I am done arguing with the know it all's about it.

To the folks who INSIST it is fine... When giving your advice that it is fine to use the bumper to carry stuff, are you WILLING to take the rap for other failed bumpers?

You see, when you lose part or all of your load you CAN be fined in most states for not properly securing your load. Not only that Your bad advice can potentially harm other motorists trying to dodge the flying pieces scattered along the road.

I will simply state that I have also had my bumper fail, I can never, ever recommend attaching directly to ANY RV bumper. When someone steps up and says "BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT" it is in your best interest to HEED their advice..It is BEST to find other ways to haul extra stuff.

I seen it happen with a golf cart being hauled on a swivel wheel trailer attached to the bumper of a fiver.

within 1000 miles the bumper was almost completely ripped off the trailer, almost lost the cart.

The flimsy bumper was removed and a 4x4 steel tube was welded and gusseted in place.

If you keep wondering why your rubber sewer hose caps keep popping out its because of the torque on the tube, literally the bumper is flexing up and down.

Dodge Guy, I like your set up, the extra cross ties keep the bikes from bouncing around, which is the major reason for bumper failure.

And all bumpers are not created equally.

Thanks!