rear bumper pulling away from frame

So my bike rack setup is no good? like I said, unless you make the bike rack as one with the trailer it will fail! my setup makes the bike rack a solid part of the trailer with no bounce. I have a rear view camera and I can watch the bikes as well as the road while I travel. I can tell you they do not bounce, even on bumpy roads. If people knew what kind of forces were exerted 2 feet behind the bumper of a long TT especially when the axles are 10-12 feet forward of the bumper they would not put bikes back there without some sort of support system!

Even my DW menetioned that the spare tire needs renforcing,and we have a Northwood frame.

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.

My 2012 Outback has a receiver on the back of the trailer under the bumper. Were the bikes in the receiver or on the actual bumper?

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

It is a bumper, a bumper that can hold a sewer hose, but a bumper none the less.
It won't stop anything much bigger then a loaded shopping cart, but then again grill guards bend pretty easily too.

When is a bumper not really a bumper but just for show? LOL! It would probably help (but only a little) if they made it out of plastic. Someone would still try to bolt something to it but at least we'd know were the blame would lie.

You are falsely thinking that is a bumper. ,in fact it is a sewer hose carrier, and nothing more. Anybody that places anything on it is simply looking formproblemsmssooner or later

2 bikes

Not uncommon. don't mount bike racks on the rear bumper. 100 lb. of bicycles carried two or three feet behind the bumper acts like a very effective lever to remove the bumper.