Yeldarb
Omaha, Nebraska
Senior Member
Joined: 03/07/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
 Offline
|
LAdams wrote:or carry them on the front of your TV via a front mount hitch - that's what I do...
Les
Thats exactly what I do too, absolutely LOVE IT...
Brad('67) and Valerie('68) Clements
Alyssa('95)
Sam and Toby
2008 Cherokee Grey Wolf 28BH
2005 Ford F350 DRW Crew Cab 6.8L V10
Omaha, Nebraska
Camping Nights in 2008 - 31
Camping Nights in 2009 - 36
Our Camping Adventures
|
alpenliter
Olympia WA
Senior Member
Joined: 04/10/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
I thought my bumper was solid enough but I took it to a hitch shop just to make sure. We crawled under there and Ernie showed me where the torque points were and how the flexing would eventually break the weld. These guys know their trade and have seen it all. I suggest getting their opinion and expertise.
2004 F-450 CC, DRW 6.0 Classy Chassis Upgrade
1997 33' Alpenlite St. Andrews
Lifetime Good Sam Member #39644174
Escapees SKP#89882
Alpenlite Travel Club #5955
Vietnam Vet '67-'68
Extreme Makeover...RV Style! Click here. New photos added 2/5/09
|
smkettner
Southern California
Senior Member
Joined: 03/21/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
|
DanKirk wrote:Lobo2 wrote:It does appear that only a couple inches of the tt's 'I' beam frame are welded to the bumper while the two inch square tubing is supporting the majority of it.
True, but the square tubing is welded directly to the frame, so isn't it about the same thing?
The reinforced section appears to be at the bottom. The top that will be under tension looks weak. Bottom is less critical because it will be mostly compression force.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
|
DanKirk
NorCal
Full Member
Joined: 08/10/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Yeldarb wrote:LAdams wrote:or carry them on the front of your TV via a front mount hitch - that's what I do...
Les
Thats exactly what I do too, absolutely LOVE IT...
Don't the bikes get filthy from bugs and road gunk?
2008 Wilderness 240RKS
2008 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab Cummins Turbo Diesel
|
JConatser
Smyrna, Tennessee, USA
Senior Member
Joined: 05/04/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
JJBIRISH wrote:... it will hold the weight… it is the bouncing and twisting that causes them to break...
Exactly... which is why don't do it. No way. You'll be sorry if you do.
Ameri-Lite 24RB
1997 Chevy 1500 Ext Cab, 5.7L
Equal-i-zer Hitch
|
|
|
okraman
White Hall, AR, USA
Full Member
Joined: 08/20/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
I carry my bikes in the bed of the TV. I fixed a Yakima King Cobra bike rack up to ride in the bed of the TV.
2004 GMC 2500HD EC 6.0L 4.10 4X4
'05 Jayco Eagle 298 BHS
16' Nova Craft Prospector Canoe
|
jstjatalt2
Michigan
New Member
Joined: 09/01/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
We had a Thule Roof Mount rack from our last TV (Durango) that we have placed in the truck bed to carry our three bikes. It is not bolted down or anything, we just removed the towers and it fits snugly between the wheel wells in the bed. We then put the front wheel of the 4th bike over the cross bar of the rack and strap it down. So far so good!
|
Gman22
Burlington, Ontario
Senior Member
Joined: 07/03/2008
View Profile
|
Weight limitations for bumpers I beleive are based on dead loads ON the bumper. Something like strapping your waste water tote on the bumper is a good example towards the "100 lb. limit." Bikes extended out via a rack is not vertical load ON the bumper rather create rotational forces (torque) around the bumper. Of course these forces increase over every bump in the road.
Most bumper mount racks state "for continuous weld bumpers ONLY". My bumper is a spot welded bumper as are many others in the RV industry these days so no good for racks.
I'm looking at an RV hitch welded or bolted to the frame rails at the rear of the trailer thereby providing a standard 2" rec'r. Then just picking up a Hitch Rack for RV Use.
Good luck.
2009 KZ Spree 324BHS (LX)
2003 Ford Expedition 5.4L V8, 3.73
Hensley Arrow HD, McKesh, Prodigy, Champion
|
dodge guy
Bartlett IL
Senior Member
Joined: 03/23/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
here is what I did. this is my response to a previous topic on bike racks! As long as the bike rack is properly secured so that it doesn`t bounce while going down the road you should be OK. even with a hitch mounted to the rear frame you will still need to secure the rack so that it is rigid. I mounted a bolt on 2" reciever to my rear bumper and added 2 stainless steel eye bolts through the rear wall (through both the wall studs and bunk supports). this allows me to use ratchet straps (criss-crossed) to secure and support the bikes. I also added a set bolt in the reciever to take out any vertical movement. this allows me to tighten down the rack and then cinch the ratchet straps. my bike rack is very solidly mounted with no movement or bounce when I`m on the road! I have a rear view camera mounted on the rear of the TT and can keep an eye on the bikes. before my mods to keep the rack secure I could see how much the bikes would bounce. Here are some pics!
In this pic I didn`t install the set bolt yet, but it goes in from the top and presses down against the reciever draw bar. I also use a small ratcheting tie down from the rear frame rail, under the bumper, over the drawbar and back under to the frame rail. In many miles of towing I have not had any issues. I didn`t want the bikes on the front. not because of any cooling issues, but because I didn`t want bugs splattered al over my bikes. I believe they do make a rack that fits the X`s roof rack rails, but I really didn`t feel like lifting 4 bikes up on the roof! I feel my design is good for mounting the bikes on the rear of the TT. I moved the spare up to the front A-frame to help offset some of the weight from the 4 bikes on the rear.
Unfortunately your bumper doesn`t look as though it is welded solidly or completely to the frame! I`de do some more reinforcing before I added anymore weight to the bumper!
Good luck!
Wife Kim 
Son Brandon 8yrs
Daughter Marissa 7yrs
Dog Shadow 
07 Cherokee 32B
02 Excursion 4X4 V-10 4.30 gear, Hellwig sway bar
Reese HP dualcam,Prodigy brake controller.
A bad day of camping is
better than a good day at work!
|
roaminaround
Bend, OR
Full Member
Joined: 04/28/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
We mount our 2 bikes and rack on the bumper on a receiver type hitch thats bolted on the bumper. Then we use a ratcheting tie down to tighten the rack vertically to the ladder. This takes much of the load off the bumper and eliminates sway. 2 1/2 years and a few thousand miles and no problems at all.
2006 Nash 25S
2000 Ford F150 7700
2006 Fish Rite 18' Yamaha 115 and T8
|
|
|
