Bumper bike rack-- function or fashion?

[Dean_Reynolds]

Hey Friends,

I am thinking about adding a bike rack to the rear of my 24' TT to get my truck bed back. Already have a spare tire back there on the back bumper. (Bumper is continuously welded -- not spot weld-- to the rigs frame rail. )

For what it is worth, we spend a lot of time boondocking on rougher roads... or traveling at highway speeds on 2 lane back roads, with pot holes.

I hear a lot about the bounce/torque on the rear of the trailer because of leverage. There are lots of rumors of cheaper racks destroying the bike rack, the bumper, or even loosing the bikes (and the danger to others on the highway smashing into a 70mph-40# chuck of steel and rubber).

So what actual experience do you all have with solutions that work, with out compromising structural integrity? Have you found better luck with something that mounts to the tire, or separate from the tire on the bumper? And on the bumper- the hanger type that might go into a hitch or the tray type like the Swagman RV Bumper Rack 2?

Thanks for giving actual experience, rather than speculations. Much appreciated in advance!!

Dean

 

[SpencerPJ]

I hang 2 bikes off my bumper on a 2012 Travel Trailer. I think the build quality and strength was built greater back then. I don't think I would do it today, I'd likely buy a rack that mounts on front tongue.

 

[Bzerull]

I have used a bumper rack with success for many years. But, to overcome the bikes from bouncing, with only the wheels secured to the bike rack, i use an additional strap on the top part of the bike frame and secure that to the rear ladder. That secures the bikes much better and eliminates most of the bounce. The biggest fear with them behind the motorhome, you can’t see them while driving.

 

[Kirk]

So what actual experience do you all have with solutions that work, with out compromising structural integrity?

My only experience with a bike rack on a trailer bumper did cause a weld to crack.

 

[Dean_Reynolds]

My only experience with a bike rack on a trailer bumper did cause a weld to crack.

Kirk, this is great info. Would you do anything differently with the type of rack or, would you just avoid it altogether?

 

[Kirk]

or, would you just avoid it altogether?

That would depend on the bumper involved and what that bumper was made of. Most of the box type bumpers that are for hose storage are rather flimsy and some of the others are too. When I had that one repaired by a local welder, he added a steel strap around the outside of the box at both frame rails just to make sure that it never happened again. With the next RV we changed to a class A and had those for the remainder of the time that we used a bike rack and with those that bike rack was a hitch mounted one on the back of the vehicle that we towed. When we downsized and went back to a travel trailer, the wife had stopped riding her bike so I had only one to carry and kept it in the truck bed.

 

[Moho81]

I have the typical thin walled bumper. My first step was to add four angle brackets and weld them in place for extra support between the frame and the bumper. Do not trust the factory welds as mine where crap and already cracking from the weight of the factory mounted spare tire alone.

This worked for a trip or two but eventually the bumper started to crush where the bike rack hitch was attached. My plan was to replace the bumper with a thicker walled piece of tube steel but pinched for time I needed to come up with a solution for an upcoming trip. What was suppose to be a temporary solution is still in place and going strong for a couple of years now.

The temporary solution was taking a 4"x4" pressure treated wood post and sliding it inside the bumper. It was the prefect size and was a very snug fit as I needed to use a sledge hammer to get it all the way. Now with the bumper packed solid with wood it can no long get crushed.

Oh and I carry 4 bikes on that rack and some of our trips are 3-4 hours away from home.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

My BIL had a rack on the back of his Jayco TT and after just a couple of trips using it he gave the thing away because the bikes banged around and scratched up the back of his new TT.