oldschoolhdmike wrote:
i am not carrying bikes on the ladder. that is just asking for trouble if you ask me. those ladders in most cases are in there with 3/4 screws and can hold a static weight but the weight of bikes bouncing i can see just causing issues
Actually I am glad you mentioned that. Glad to hear someone thinking about safety on public highways. Carrying anything, we all must be careful. Cheap or old rusted bike racks aren't much better attached to a rusted receiver.
I agree, if not comfortable doing it, don't do it. If you modify anything on a motor vehicle operated on public highway, its your responsibility to make sure it's safe. Not only civilly but criminally as well. A worker's poorly secured ladder came off his trucks ladder rack on a Georgia highway causing a death to a following motorist and the truck driver was locked up for a felony, Criminal Negligent Homicide.
Some ladders won't allow a bird to perch :E. Some TT's that came into the shop had some issues with ladders but it was because they had rusted screws from water intrusion. If you pull out a screw and see rust, that's not a good sign. A TT bouncing, due to not having shocks, did cause some weak ladder issues.
It seems like people carrying on MH's and TC's have better results. I carried on my TC's ladders for 80,000 miles but I always maintained things and constantly checked how solid it was performing. We should all get in the habit of doing at least a visual check of our rigs every time we fuel up.
