Bicycle rack recommendations

[leftybj]

Been camping several years in a travel trailer. Upgraded to a Montana 3160rl 5'er last fall. Wife wants a bike and I was looking for a high quality rack for the rear bumper. Do I need to reinforce the bumper to guard against flexing while going down the road? Thanks in advance for any info.

[Hammerboy]

I also did the pin box method about a dozen years ago on my last fifth wheel, had four bikes on it. Worked ok, not not the best solution as it takes the full brunt of bugs and rain. I always pulled ahead a little and stood on the tailgate while my wife would hand me the bikes. Rear bumper is probably the most convenient but you know the risks there.

Thinking outside the bike rack box here:

Another idea I got off this forum is to put them inside the truck. My wife and I can easily fit both in the back of the cab with the rear seat folded up and the front wheels off. Of course this only works when its just the wife and I. My kids are older now and have jobs, school and college so they only go with us occasionally.

I can also fit a couple of bike in front of the hitch in the back of the truck with the front wheels off.

I can fit them in the basement and the front compartment too as well and inside the door.

I like the idea of them out of the elements if possible.

Dan

[rhagfo]

leftybj wrote:
Thanks for the info. I really like the pin box mount. Can you buy that or did you have it made. I do have an 8' bed so there would be no problems there. Thanks again.

I got some 4"X 6"X 1/4" angle iron and a 12" long 2" reciver tube (should have even 18") . I leveled the 5er and marked a level line and cut on that line. I did the cutting, but fab shop could also do it.

[leftybj]

Thanks for the info. I really like the pin box mount. Can you buy that or did you have it made. I do have an 8' bed so there would be no problems there. Thanks again.

[rhagfo]

alexleblanc wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

colliehauler wrote:

phillyg wrote:
I asked on delivery and was told the Monrana square bumper would support a bike rack. Forest River told me "no" for the Wildcat and a sticker on the bumper stated the warranty was void if anything was attached to it. I compared both bumpers and concluded the Montana's was better built. I installed a bolt-on receiver and a Thule bike rack. Two bikes with no issues.

Will the dealer pay you for the bikes if the bumper fails?

I don't understand with a 5er why more don't use a pinbox mount. So it is a bit more work to get the bikes to the rack, but they naturally bounce less, are in your view, and don't add to the length of the rig.

Most likely does not have an 8ft bed, I know I couldn't mount it on my pin box for that reason, not enough room.

I think you might be surprised, yes I have a long bed, but I could put a 4 bike rack in and still clear the cab.

Bikes are narrower than the nose cap, and you might be surprised.

[alexleblanc]

rhagfo wrote:

colliehauler wrote:

phillyg wrote:
I asked on delivery and was told the Monrana square bumper would support a bike rack. Forest River told me "no" for the Wildcat and a sticker on the bumper stated the warranty was void if anything was attached to it. I compared both bumpers and concluded the Montana's was better built. I installed a bolt-on receiver and a Thule bike rack. Two bikes with no issues.

Will the dealer pay you for the bikes if the bumper fails?

I don't understand with a 5er why more don't use a pinbox mount. So it is a bit more work to get the bikes to the rack, but they naturally bounce less, are in your view, and don't add to the length of the rig.

Most likely does not have an 8ft bed, I know I couldn't mount it on my pin box for that reason, not enough room.

[rhagfo]

colliehauler wrote:

phillyg wrote:
I asked on delivery and was told the Monrana square bumper would support a bike rack. Forest River told me "no" for the Wildcat and a sticker on the bumper stated the warranty was void if anything was attached to it. I compared both bumpers and concluded the Montana's was better built. I installed a bolt-on receiver and a Thule bike rack. Two bikes with no issues.

Will the dealer pay you for the bikes if the bumper fails?

I don't understand with a 5er why more don't use a pinbox mount. So it is a bit more work to get the bikes to the rack, but they naturally bounce less, are in your view, and don't add to the length of the rig.

[colliehauler]

phillyg wrote:
I asked on delivery and was told the Monrana square bumper would support a bike rack. Forest River told me "no" for the Wildcat and a sticker on the bumper stated the warranty was void if anything was attached to it. I compared both bumpers and concluded the Montana's was better built. I installed a bolt-on receiver and a Thule bike rack. Two bikes with no issues.

Will the dealer pay you for the bikes if the bumper fails?

[akin2camp]

I installed a receiver to the front of my truck and installed a Swagman XC2 Platform Bike Rack to it. Works great.

[alexleblanc]

Thomas/NH wrote:

alexleblanc wrote:
I went down this road last summer, installed a very rugged hitch setup. Mounted a Swagman rack on the back of our unit and both it and the bikes sustained damage on the first trip out. Mind you its a somewhat rough road, but still lesson learned. Bikes racks take a beating on the back of an RV.

So, you were driving through Pennsylvania were you? Honestly, I can't see how roads could get much worse... And this is from a native Vermonter. I just got back from a trip down south 4800 miles and Pennsylvania roads were so bad I had to pull over to see if my tires were still on the rims.

in that picture, i was in NY state but yes i pulled through PA on that trip and the roads were pretty rough!

[Thomas_NH]

alexleblanc wrote:
I went down this road last summer, installed a very rugged hitch setup. Mounted a Swagman rack on the back of our unit and both it and the bikes sustained damage on the first trip out. Mind you its a somewhat rough road, but still lesson learned. Bikes racks take a beating on the back of an RV.

So, you were driving through Pennsylvania were you? Honestly, I can't see how roads could get much worse... And this is from a native Vermonter. I just got back from a trip down south 4800 miles and Pennsylvania roads were so bad I had to pull over to see if my tires were still on the rims.

[alexleblanc]

I went down this road last summer, installed a very rugged hitch setup. Mounted a Swagman rack on the back of our unit and both it and the bikes sustained damage on the first trip out. Mind you its a somewhat rough road, but still lesson learned. Bikes racks take a beating on the back of an RV.

I now run a Thule roof rack on my truck with 100% success. Nothing moves or rattles or causes me grief.

[rhagfo]

Dennis M M wrote:
This is not where I bought it, but we have carried two bikes back and forth across the country on the back of the fiver for a 5 or 6 years with no issues using this Swagman rack

Works great and we use it anytime we want to haul the bikes on the Jeep as well.

I have that same bike rack with the 1-1/4" mount, but Sawgman doesn't recommend for RV's because of the 1-1/4" bar. That said mounted on the pinbox it gets far less bouncing that it would off of the rear of a car or SUV.

[Thomas_NH]

Dennis M M wrote:
This is not where I bought it, but we have carried two bikes back and forth across the country on the back of the fiver for a 5 or 6 years with no issues using this Swagman rack

Works great and we use it anytime we want to haul the bikes on the Jeep as well.

I use this model as well... Think about a typical bike rack, then think about the forces you can put on something with 5' lever and jumping up and down on it. With this Swagman design the weight and lever force is greatly reduced. Plus the pin is actually a bolt that bind the rack to the hitch.

Just for grins, whenever I walk by a vehicles with bikes on them I wiggle the rack to see how much movement there is. Try it the next time you see one... mine is rock solid.

BTW: I have a bolt-on frame receiver hitch too.

[phillyg]

I asked on delivery and was told the Monrana square bumper would support a bike rack. Forest River told me "no" for the Wildcat and a sticker on the bumper stated the warranty was void if anything was attached to it. I compared both bumpers and concluded the Montana's was better built. I installed a bolt-on receiver and a Thule bike rack. Two bikes with no issues.

[Halmfamily]

leggy wrote:
Mounted ours on the front of the truck with a Curt hitch and swagman rack which the pin actually screws in which takes virtually all movement away. Very easy to load bikes and very little sight issues.

X2.