I’m in my shop trying to work out the simplest way to carry our bikes on the road with our 5th wheel. Our rig doesn’t have a rear receiver, so installing one or beefing up the rear “bumper” are the options back there. Short bed, and I can’t see any chance of carrying them in the back of the truck. Looking into a front mounted receiver for a rack on the front. My concern is a low mount might cause ground clearance issues, and a high mount requires cutting the air dam. While looking at the truck with tape measure in hand, it seems like the tow hooks are the perfect place to mount a rack. I could modify two 2” receivers to bolt on where the hooks go and then modify a a rack to mount to those. No permanent changes to the truck and no clearance issues. Seems so obvious I’m surprised google only gives vague references to such a product maybe having been available in the past. Any thoughts?

I also looked at the receiver front mt at e-trailer. It looked solid, but yes, you have to cut out the air dam, which just looked cr@ppy to me. I don't know why no one has a ready made receiver to replace the tow hooks, but I think it is a great idea, if you are capable of fabricating your own design. Many 250s had the heavier springs up front (snow plow pkg, or HD service suspension), so the front axle may have lots of extra capacity, especially with the 6.2 gas.Jerry

I saw a mod at a campground a while back that kinda fits with your question. The owner replaced the front tow hooks with receivers, then modified a hitch with 2" stingers to fit. It was a super simple system needing nothing but a couple of receiver pins to attach. The hitch could easily be modified to include a bike rack or simply modify the bike rack itself.

“Seems so obvious I’m surprised google only gives vague references to such a product“A quality bike on the front of a TV or the rear of a TT or 5er I have yet to see.

I have a front hitch receiver that was made by Bodiak purchased back in 2015. I don't think they are in business any longer, but it seems like a welding shop should be able to fabricate one. It wraps over top of the hooks and a plate is bolted underneath sandwiching the hooks. Here are two pictures of it.

We use a Curt front mount hitch with a Swagman XC bike rack works great. Ours sits under the air dam so we did lose some ground clearance. I install a small skid plate when the bike rack is not on the truck.

Front mount bike rack using tow hooks? | Good Sam Community

mobeewan
Explorer
Feb 03, 2019
I wanted a cooler rack for the front of an Isuzu Trooper I used to own. I took some measurements at the two points where the bumper mounted to the frame and had a shop cut 2 L brackets out of some 1/4 inch steel plate and drill the holes needed to use the existing bumper bolt locations using a sketch that I provided.

I purchased some 1-1/4 square tubing, 2 1-1/4 receiver sockets, 1/2 inch hitch pins and longer bolts to replace the original bumper mounting bolts. I already had some 2 x 2 angle and expanded sheet metal. I helped and a friend welded up everything for me. Later when I bought a small TT I had a spotting hitch made that I could pin into the 2 sockets to make moving the trailer around easier.

The only problem that I occasionally had was if I didn't pull or push the cooler rack or hitch evenly it would bind. I didn't want to use grease so I used a rubber mallet I kept behind the front seat to tap on it to get them sliding again.

What I did sounds like what you're thinking about with the hooks.
Hammerboy
Explorer
Feb 03, 2019
About 15 years ago with the last fifth wheel we had we did the pin box method and it was I think the best solution at the time as we put 3 bikes and a tag along on it and never had issues with the cab. It wasn't the most convenient place but it worked.

Now that it's just the wife and I most of the time we just remove the front tires and put them in the back with the back seat folded up, this also keeps it safe and dry.

Dan
Puddles
Explorer
Feb 03, 2019
rhagfo wrote:
jkwilson wrote:
rhagfo wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
While any good welding shop should be able to fabricate a rack that attaches at the tow hook location...

Another option is to mount it to the trailer pin box. It's plenty strong enough and typically won't conflict with the truck cab.

X2 to the pin box mount, no added length and bikes are where you can see them.

I can't picture how you could do a pinbox mount that didn't add length or restrict turning.

Well technically you do add length to your 5er, BUT it is over the truck bed. I doesn't interfere with turn radius, I have a LB, but have had post from SB owners that have four bike racks without issue.

I used some angle iron and a 2" receiver and had it welded up. The last picture shows the amount of cab clearance I have.

X2
hornet28
Explorer
Feb 01, 2019
I built this for my truck

Click For Full-Size Image.
westend
Explorer
Nov 06, 2018
That tow hook utilization sounds about perfect. Post up a pic or two when you have it fab'ed up.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Nov 06, 2018
jkwilson wrote:
rhagfo wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
While any good welding shop should be able to fabricate a rack that attaches at the tow hook location...

Another option is to mount it to the trailer pin box. It's plenty strong enough and typically won't conflict with the truck cab.

X2 to the pin box mount, no added length and bikes are where you can see them.

I can't picture how you could do a pinbox mount that didn't add length or restrict turning.

Well technically you do add length to your 5er, BUT it is over the truck bed. I doesn't interfere with turn radius, I have a LB, but have had post from SB owners that have four bike racks without issue.

I used some angle iron and a 2" receiver and had it welded up. The last picture shows the amount of cab clearance I have.
owenssailor
Explorer
Nov 06, 2018
I have front receivers on my last 3 trucks. The first 2 the air dam had to be cut. No big deal since the receiver was not coming off. The 2017 just has the air dam pushed up a bit. Clearance has not been a problem. Each one simply bolted on to the tow hooks. The tow hooks were reinstalled as well.
Campinfan
Explorer III
Nov 06, 2018
I added one to the front of my truck. I got it from AutoAnything. I did not have to cut the air dam and it has plenty of clearance. I could have flipped it over and cut the dam but I did not want to do that.
jkwilson
Explorer III
Nov 05, 2018
rhagfo wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
While any good welding shop should be able to fabricate a rack that attaches at the tow hook location...

Another option is to mount it to the trailer pin box. It's plenty strong enough and typically won't conflict with the truck cab.

X2 to the pin box mount, no added length and bikes are where you can see them.

I can't picture how you could do a pinbox mount that didn't add length or restrict turning.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Nov 05, 2018
valhalla360 wrote:
While any good welding shop should be able to fabricate a rack that attaches at the tow hook location...

Another option is to mount it to the trailer pin box. It's plenty strong enough and typically won't conflict with the truck cab.

X2 to the pin box mount, no added length and bikes are where you can see them.