Front Frame Mounted Bike Carriers

[BeerBrewer]

For those of you who use a front frame mounted bike rack on you TT, like a Jack-It, Arvika, swagman, etc. I am wondering if any of you issues with the bikes hitting the back of your tow vehicle when making tight turns or backing into a spot.

The bumper on my GD Transcend trailer can't support a bike rack and neither can the ladder. So I'm considering purchasing one of the front frame mounted bike racks, even though they make be a PITA to load the bikes on. My RAM 2500 pickup has a leer cap on it and I'm worried that the bikes will hit the back of the leer cap when I'm making tight turns. It would also be helpful to know what type of hitch you use. We tow with Hensley Arrow and I know that adds a foot between the trailer and TV, but the linkage design of the hitch permits me to make very tight turns and front corner of the trailer gets real close to the truck. The next time we hitch up I'm going to measure how close they get.

[JBarca]

BeerBrewer wrote:
JBarca........ Your post was a huge, huge help and so was the other one where showed how you built your rack! Your design is one of the best that I've ever seen! I'm betting that those bikes don't move at all when you are driving. Mind if I copy it? The pics were great, especially the one where you are turned sharply. You've got plenty of clearance, even if you capped the truck. The next time we hitch up I'm going to make some hard turns, get out and take some measurements.

As for the question about using the ladder. There are a lot of posts on the Grand Design (https://www.mygrandrv.com/) of people having issues putting two or more bikes on the ladder and we've got at least two right now. Heck that ladder scares me, I don't use that ladder unless I absolutely have to. When I'm at home I always use my extension ladder to get on the roof. I'm 200 lbs and I'm so afraid of bending or loosening the ladder, denting the aluminum siding and/or causing a leak that try NOT to use it.

Hi Beer,

If you want to copy the bike mount I made for your personable use, go for it! I can remove the Swagmen rack from the stand and put it in the back of the truck if I ever wanted to for a day trip. While that was the plan, I have never had to do that yet. I do remove the rack to change the LP tanks, but the stand/frame stays in place. My LP cover allows me to lift the lid and open/close the tanks for use. The rack lives on the camper most all the time. And yes, that stand is solid as a rock.

I have seen the one post types that use the jack post mount, that to me seems a bit wiggly and the long leverage with the bikes up high on the 3 bolts of the jack is a lot of pull on those bolts. But, I never had one and I have seen them used, they may work. This one from LCI. LCI bike rack on Etrailer


Hanging bikes off a RV roof ladder on the back of the camper, ah, that is not for me. I'm with you on the RV in place ladders for getting up on the roof, I use my own separate ladder. I made a ladder carrier that is stores the ladder up under the camper frame between the main frame rails. The ladder stores up there so I have it with me all the time. It is one of the multi position ladders and folds up to about 3 1/2 ft long.

Let us know how you make out. Always good to see new ideas to store in the memory cells and pull it out some day if one ever needs it.

John

[BeerBrewer]

JBarca........ Your post was a huge, huge help and so was the other one where showed how you built your rack! Your design is one of the best that I've ever seen! I'm betting that those bikes don't move at all when you are driving. Mind if I copy it? The pics were great, especially the one where you are turned sharply. You've got plenty of clearance, even if you capped the truck. The next time we hitch up I'm going to make some hard turns, get out and take some measurements.

As for the question about using the ladder. There are a lot of posts on the Grand Design (https://www.mygrandrv.com/) of people having issues putting two or more bikes on the ladder and we've got at least two right now. Heck that ladder scares me, I don't use that ladder unless I absolutely have to. When I'm at home I always use my extension ladder to get on the roof. I'm 200 lbs and I'm so afraid of bending or loosening the ladder, denting the aluminum siding and/or causing a leak that try NOT to use it.

[afidel]

Interesting, I guess one advantage of the huge grill craze is it places the headlights higher and allows more air through, never had any issue with radiator temps with 4 bikes and the headlights are completely unobstructed (though I did buy the carrier specifically for how low it went, hence the clearance issues on very steep drives). Towed at 117F in NM, though that was with the 18' long 7' wide 10' high trailer, not the current one.

[Grit_dog]

Not saying it’s the best or most convenient solution but why do you say your ladder won’t support bikes?
How many bikes and how heavy? If the ladder will support my 220lbs of lard it will hold a couple bikes imo.

[JBarca]

This may help, or at least you can see it and how I managed it.

I made a TT front bike rack, well I made the stand and used a Swagemen bike rack.

This post has pics of it. http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23373273/gotomsg/23373376.cfm#23373376

Here are 3 of the pics, many more on the link.





Mine misses the truck bed, but I made the rack higher to allow this.


As FYI, I did the front mounted bike rack on the front of my 2500 Suburban. The bikes road great but it was not issue free. I had to alter the bike rack to not have the tires block the head lights as if not, getting stuck having to drive with lights on, was a major issue, the tires blew the light all over. I just lucked out. There is also a DOT lighting law about being able to see the turn signals on the vehicle from a certain angle. If the bikes block that angle, well you could get into an issue with a trooper if something happened. Here is my setup back then. We changed campers and trucks so the problem went away. If I would of kept it, I would of put aux turn signals on the front of the rack. See here https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/15863982/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1.cfm

Also, on a 2500 Suburban, only 2 adult bikes rack work to no create excess tranny heat. I had a camper bud with his 2500 burb and he had 4 bikes on the front, (2 adults, 2 kids) and he ended up in a pickle on a hot summer day. The truck overheated. He ended up taking them apart and putting then in the camper to get home.

Carrying bikes pending what you have to work with, is a problem. I have found the front of the TT is best for us. The truck can handle the extra loaded tongue weight and there are no towing issues. I tried the back of the TT, nope, that is not great either .

Good luck and hope this helps

John

[afidel]

Consider a front hitch for your tow vehicle, we've loved ours for the last 4 years and 32k miles. Only downsides have been scraping on very steep driveways (only while unhooked, these were steep enough we'd never try them with the trailer) and being 4' longer has made some sites too tight so we've had to remove the rack to fit.

[mr_andyj]

You can get a front rack for the Ram and put the bikes there.
You can loosen and turn the bike handlebar 90 degrees so the hand grip is not extending forwards, but rather sideways over the bike frame.
Nothing you can do about the physical bike rack touching the truck bumper.
You really just need to mount it up and try it, or put the trailer and truck in a jackknife situation and then pretend the bike is on a rack and see if it will work. Start there then get back to us.
You can put a hitch extension on, but this creates other concerns. That said, I had an 18 inch hitch extension for a 4,500 lb trailer behind my Ram when I had a TC. It worked fine, but not ideal.