I have to quote the best movie of all time to find some humor in all this. So, we just got back from a nice vacation to Gatlinburg and on the way home we had our only problem. I did all the right things..
1. Reinforced bumper.. check
2. Reinforced hitch and welded to the reinforced bumper.. check
3. plenty of strong tie downs.. check
4. CHEAP bike rack (CHECK!?)
I was so worried about the bumper and all was looking good, BUT, the rack failed and snapped off while on a bridge in Tennessee. Had no idea as no one was around. We got gas not too far down the road (10 miles) and and saw the bad news. We turned around, back tracked and saw them. But, they were on the bridge so I could not pull up to them so I stopped about 2 miles ahead and walked. By the time I got around the corner, some jackass was putting the entire set up in his truck, as I ran up to him, about 200 yards away, he took off. Left the rack.. "and thats all I have to say about that"
Luckily they were not $1000 bikes.. 1 disney princess bike, one really cool bike for my 9 year old and 2 walmart mountain bikes..
A Life lesson I told my son, you get what you pay for.
2013 Keystone, Laredo.. 291, Outdoor kitchen (my camping man cave)
I had a fairly strong rack fail and drag the road years ago with two bikes on it (rear of a popup). Luckily the damage was limited to a handlebar grip and a tire since someone told us at a stoplight. It had just failed at some RR tracks a hundred feet before that. I don't think any of the racks are rated/recommended for RV bumpers due to the higher shocks encountered as compared to vehicle suspension.
Bruce and Donna
2007 Forest River Wildwood 27RLSS
2003 GMC Sierra 1500 Z71 towing package
Putnam XDR hitch
Equalizer WD with 1k bars
Tekonsha Prodigy brake control
TPUC wrote: Sorry to hear that. I hope it was an out of state person who took the bikes.
Sorry, it was not.. But, we loved everything about TN and will go back. We stayed at Jellystone campground, great site and great people. So much to do in the area of gatlinburg and pigeon forge, we have to go back.
If so, we went there last year and I didn't want to leave.....
Yes, site 47. No one wanted to leave. The kids were in the stream morning and night. We met many families and we all stayed up at night talking and drinking! Good times.
If you had ever been behind a Tt when it hits a RR track, or bridge, and seen the bilks bounce. you would know why it broke. They seem to jump about a foot. I saw it yesterday. That is why, Our bikes ride in the truck bed.
Terryallan wrote: If you had ever been behind a Tt when it hits a RR track, or bridge, and seen the bilks bounce. you would know why it broke. They seem to jump about a foot. I saw it yesterday. That is why, Our bikes ride in the truck bed.
No option for that one..
BUt, I will be looking into the rack for the front of the TT or for the roof of our expedition
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