My very own 'broken bumper' story...why didn't I listen?

[trailernovice]

First things first....I'm not posting this to antagonize the 'haters' but in hopes of bringing further light to the issue

Despite the warnings all over this forum, I mounted a bike rack to the trailer 4"x4" square tube bumper...it's the cheap 'two bicycle' rack that surrounds the spare tire...I've used this bike rack since 2010, on four different trailers, with no problems...

I convinced myself that the real issue wasn't the weight itself, but the torqueing action of the bikes levering up and down independently of the movement of the trailer...to alleviate this, I web-strapped the upper bar of the bike rack to the trailer itself...figured I had it licked

You see where this story is going....

Rolling along the interstate last Sunday, I get startled people passing mean who are all pointing at me and mouthing the word 'BIKES'...so I pull over...

What do I see? (drum roll please).....

The bumper has failed...however, not in the usual 'the welds snapped' way...instead, the metal of the bumper peeled open from the inside top at each side of each frame rail to about 2 inches down the back side...the bumper was still on the trailer, but now (because the back side tore open) at an angle where the bikes were on the ground...

The whole bumper could have snapped off, sending bikes and steel tumbling down the highway...wreaking who knows how much carnage behind me for anyone who ran it over

Clearly, the immediate cause was the bike rack....upon looking, however, the bumper was rusting from the inside out--undoubtedly from storing a wet, nasty sewer hose in it...weakened structure could have been partially to blame

Takeways
1.) Despite my own inflated sense of smarts, turns out I DON'T know everything
2.) Should have heeded warnings of those with more knowledge and experience
3.) Even if convenient, better to find an alternative to the bumper for sewer-hose storage
4.) Just because you've got away with a dangerous practice for a long time doesn't mean it won't come up and bite at some point

[ajriding]

Most trailer bumpers are junk.
I know this is not a "for sale" site, but I do have a bumper off a motorhome that is of heavier gauge steel and would be able to hold any amt of bikes you want to mount to it.
If you are in Ga and want to pick up one it is off a Ford chasis, but you could do a little welding to mate it to any trailer frame...
I am not trying to sell it, but if it will help your endevors then contact me

[deltabravo]

QCMan wrote:
I must add in that the inside of the "bumper" is not painted more than a few inches from each end. If that.

Most I've seen aren't painted at all when installed on an RV. I painted mine using a very short paint roller. It worked really good.

[Edd505]

Lwiddis wrote:
An example of why I don’t follow RVs with rear bumper mounted bike racks.

Get behind a car hauler and watch the loaded vehicles, another I won't drive behind.

[MikeDupont]

Terryallan wrote:

MikeDupont wrote:
Thanks for posting that. Note made to always air out the bumper after using and storing sewer hose in it.

bumper end caps should have holes in them to allow it to dry inside, But just about any metal will rust after 8 or 9 years.

Quicker drying is much better. Running down the road no doubt helps a lot too (with holes in the caps). But the less humidity you have in an environment, the slower steel will rust. I always try to stack the odds in my favor. (and we do the beach a lot where Humidity Rules 😉 ).

+1 on using vinyl fence posts. I did that on my last TT and plan on doing it to the next one we will buy shortly if they ever go back to making a model i like.

[dodge_guy]

I had my bike rack mounted to the bumper with a clamp on receiver. However I also used a set bolt to take out the play in the Exocet opening, and also had it ratchet strapped to the rear wall with angle steel behind the bunks for support. In 13 years and many thousands of miles the rack never bounced or swayed. I had a rear view camera that I could keep an eye on them. I wouldn’t do it unless the rack was tight with the trailer and properly supported!

[BurbMan]

I cut the bumper off, used 2 1/2" angle iron bolted to the frame and made a frame to hold the storage box. I then re-attached the OEM bumper to the back of the frame, added recessed tail lights, and PVC sewer hose storage behind the storage box. Worked great to store the generator, leveling blocks, hoses, cords, etc.

Looking at the pics, I forgot to take one after I added the sewer hose storage...

[rhagfo]

Better yet for bikes, are the new “A” frame mounts that carry the bikes over the propane tanks and batteries.

[Thermoguy]

I think the only safe - or semi safe way to have bikes on the back of a trailer is with a frame mounted hitch. However, the bike rack also has to be a solid (non articulating) kind of bike rack. I think the bike racks designed for the back of an SUV with a hinge will break after bouncing on the back of any trailer. I have a Yakima rack that is designed for trailers and have a very solid reinforced elbow to prevent that hinge from being the week spot.

[Desert_Captain]

Lwiddis wrote:
An example of why I don’t follow RVs with rear bumper mounted bike racks.

Now consider all of the folks who hang a generator off the rear of their RV...:S

Like the man said, you can't fix stupid.

:R

[MFL]

Nice pics, nice hose storage compartment! Well done Russ!

Jerry

[rhagfo]

trailernovice wrote:
First things first....I'm not posting this to antagonize the 'haters' but in hopes of bringing further light to the issue

.................

Takeways
1.) Despite my own inflated sense of smarts, turns out I DON'T know everything
2.) Should have heeded warnings of those with more knowledge and experience
3.) Even if convenient, better to find an alternative to the bumper for sewer-hose storage
4.) Just because you've got away with a dangerous practice for a long time doesn't mean it won't come up and bite at some point

The best fix to the sewer hose storage issue is 5" vinyl fence post. I got mine at Lowes it is 8' in length. I can get (2) 10' lengths of hose, a clear 45 degree elbow, and the 90 degree sewer connection elbow inside.

[TomG2]

trailernovice wrote:
...snip....it's the cheap 'two bicycle' rack that surrounds the spare tire.......snip....

So, you had both the spare tire and bicycles hanging off the rear bumper? Double your pleasure. I throw the spare in the back of my truck when I have my bicycle on the trailer bumper.

[SDcampowneroper]

mild steel bumpers and frames are X 45-52 tensile strength ) steel. Weld metal is minimun X 70.. the trouble is in the weld quality and full penetration of the parent metal, the temparature shock and HAZ ( heat affected zone)that causes hardening in that zone. Hard impacts in the HAZ zone can cause fracture where in other places a flex or bend. might only happen .

I have fixed a few. None were intended to carry a load

[Nv_Guy]

Aside from the interior rust issue, a good part of this argument is because bumper quality varies wildly. Some bumpers are just better metal & heavier gauge- This is why sometimes it works, sometimes not.
End result, unless one knows the gauge /quality/ condition of their bumper don't depend on it to support a load.