using a cargo carriers on my travel trailer

I found out just how bad of an idea it was B4 learning about this site.. I put a 4 bike holder on a bumper mount bike rack of my 1997 Wilderness TT..

Going south on RT13 in DE, I looked in my rear view mirror to see a rack with 3 bikes skirting across the highway into the medium.

I told my wife, look some poor sap lost their bikes.. I was lucky they did not hit anything, or anyone. I stopped and had to toss everything into the bed of the truck and inside the camper... what a mess :S

PS - I had 1 adult and 2 kids bikes on there at the time

IMHO.......... If you look at the "bumper" on your TT, you will see that at best it will store your stinky slinky, and not much more. The static load on the very thin tube is one thing but the forces generated by a 200/300 pound lever bouncing up and down will be much more. I think that most here will agree that it's not a good idea.

I carried my spare tire that way for a year or so, but the load was vertical and didn't bounce around as would a relatively heavy basket extending a couple of feet behind the trailer.

You see them on the road, but given enough time, they will probably fail. Maybe at the next railway crossing or the frost heave that snuck up on you. Not to mention the transition from the street to a steep driveway where the basket scrapes the ground because of the extended overhang. Lots of scenarios.

If you go to a welding shop, they can attach a hitch directly to the frame, and you can mount the basket on that.

If you search the forum you'll find dozens (if not hundreds) of posts on this topic. It's universally a terrible idea and a great way to leave your bumper and anything on the carrier skidding down the road with people behind you trying to avoid it. Have a hitch receiver welded or bolted to the frame.

Rob

The back bumper of most travel trailers is not meant to have anything attached to it. It is designed to hold the sewer hose and not much else. It you want to put something heavier back there, you need to reinforce it with welded supports and/or encase it with stronger metal along with stronger mounting to the frame of the trailer. You would probably be best off putting a regular 2" receiver welded to the trailer frame on the back of the trailer rather than use the bumper to mount something.

Also keep in mind the removal of tongue weight if you carry something heavy back there. Most travel trailers have a long rear overhang which makes the addition of of weight that far behind the axles troublesome for many trailers. You are risking sway problems because of that lost weight.

Hope this helps you out in your decision making.:)
Barney