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canman4800
Southern Wisconsin
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Joined: 06/16/2005
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has anyone used a cargo carriers on the back bumper of their travel trailer? I'm curious how much stress it puts on the bumper.
"the worst day at the campgrounds is still better than the best day at work"
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BarneyS
S.E. Lower Michigan
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Joined: 10/16/2000
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The back bumper of most travel trailers is not meant to have anything attached to it. It is designed to hold the sewer hose and not much else. It you want to put something heavier back there, you need to reinforce it with welded supports and/or encase it with stronger metal along with stronger mounting to the frame of the trailer. You would probably be best off putting a regular 2" receiver welded to the trailer frame on the back of the trailer rather than use the bumper to mount something.
Also keep in mind the removal of tongue weight if you carry something heavy back there. Most travel trailers have a long rear overhang which makes the addition of of weight that far behind the axles troublesome for many trailers. You are risking sway problems because of that lost weight.
Hope this helps you out in your decision making.![[emoticon]](http://www.rv.net/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
Barney
* This post was
edited 02/16/23 07:52am by BarneyS *
2004 Sunnybrook Titan 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch (Sold)
Not towing now.
Former tow vehicles were 2016 Ram 2500 CTD, 2002 Ford F250, 7.3 PSD, 1997 Ram 2500 5.9 gas engine
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Second Chance
Wherever...
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Joined: 07/23/2013
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If you search the forum you'll find dozens (if not hundreds) of posts on this topic. It's universally a terrible idea and a great way to leave your bumper and anything on the carrier skidding down the road with people behind you trying to avoid it. Have a hitch receiver welded or bolted to the frame.
Rob
U.S. Army retired
2020 Solitude 310GK-R
MORryde IS, disc brakes, solar, DP windows
(Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
2012 F350 CC DRW Lariat 6.7
Full-time since 8/2015
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ssthrd
Vancouver Island
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Joined: 03/23/2016
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IMHO.......... If you look at the "bumper" on your TT, you will see that at best it will store your stinky slinky, and not much more. The static load on the very thin tube is one thing but the forces generated by a 200/300 pound lever bouncing up and down will be much more. I think that most here will agree that it's not a good idea.
I carried my spare tire that way for a year or so, but the load was vertical and didn't bounce around as would a relatively heavy basket extending a couple of feet behind the trailer.
You see them on the road, but given enough time, they will probably fail. Maybe at the next railway crossing or the frost heave that snuck up on you. Not to mention the transition from the street to a steep driveway where the basket scrapes the ground because of the extended overhang. Lots of scenarios.
If you go to a welding shop, they can attach a hitch directly to the frame, and you can mount the basket on that.
2014 Keystone Laredo 292RL
2013 Palomino Maverick 2902
2018 GMC 3500HD, 4x4, 6.5' box, SRW, Denali, Duramax, Andersen
DeeBee, JayBee, and Jed the Black Lab
The hurrier I go the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll)
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ford truck guy
Pennsylvania
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I found out just how bad of an idea it was B4 learning about this site.. I put a 4 bike holder on a bumper mount bike rack of my 1997 Wilderness TT..
Going south on RT13 in DE, I looked in my rear view mirror to see a rack with 3 bikes skirting across the highway into the medium.
I told my wife, look some poor sap lost their bikes.. I was lucky they did not hit anything, or anyone. I stopped and had to toss everything into the bed of the truck and inside the camper... what a mess ![[emoticon]](http://www.rv.net/sharedcontent/cfb/images/doh.gif "doh")
PS - I had 1 adult and 2 kids bikes on there at the time
Me-Her-the kids
2020 Ford F350 SD 6.7
2020 Redwood 3991RD Garnet
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MFL
Midwest
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^Funny story that, probably not at the time.
I often wonder how many spare tires, that are only fastened to the bumper are lost? Many RV trailers including my last three, have the spare fastened to bumper only.
Bikes or anything moveable and hanging off, much different than a spare though.
Jerry
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dennis1949
Decatur, Alabama
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Joined: 01/10/2005
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I use one for years. Just careful how much weight I put on it no problem
Dennis Carpenter
Decatur Alabama
2012 GMC 3/4 ton Z71 Diesel
2016 Forest River Blue Ridge. 3045 RL
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LITEPHIL
AZ
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It really can upset the handling and the added weight also pulls down on the trailer box too.
2022 Chevy Silverado RST Duramax NHT
1954 Chevy 3100 Carryall 4x4
2008 Salem T23FBL
04 FXDL Harley
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Boomerweps
Hills of PA
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There are a couple different thick J hook like RV bumper reinforcements available. These take the sewer hose storage tube welds out of the equation. No one has reported probs once those are installed.
However, best is to get a universal between the frame receiver hitch and have that welded on. Then you can carry a heavy load confidently, like a mid size generator.
Note: even the factory FR rear rack does not depend on the sewer hose storage tube, it clamps to the frame rails in front of that.
2019 Wolf Pup 16 BHS Limited, axle flipped
2019 F150 4x4 SCrew SB STX 5.0 3.55 factory tow package, 7000#GVWR, 1990 CC Tow mirrors, ITBC, SumoSprings,
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BackOfThePack
Fort Worth
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It’s a bad idea in all ways.
200# far from the axle centerline “weighs more” given tail-whip (centrifugal force). Shortens the already too-short amount of time to correct trailer sway (a few seconds in best conditions). That, alone, mitigates against it.
Second, it tends to either cover or obstruct trailer brake/turn/warning lights. From several angles. Again, this ALONE mitigates against it.
Third, backing is more difficult as this increases the amount of “trailer swing”. AND one can’t see the edge leading as one backs (I do this for a living: the joke about truck drivers is that they don’t pay us to drive them somewhere, they pay is TO BACK THEM as the vast majority of truck-caused property damage is while backing). Lose any idea you can avoid backing.
Fourth, and potentially the most serious, is related to number one in that one has lengthened the sail area against a crosswind.
Winds are the TT problem. “Vision” by operator and others is hampered. (We can find more).
To go camping means toss some clothes, food and beer into trailer. I believe you need to clean it out (100%) and start over in packing what you actually use. We all go thru the pains of adding too much and having to remove the “what if & just-in-case” stuff.
Make going camping simpler. If you do, you’ll go more often. (Bank on it)
.
2004 555 CTD QC LB NV-5600
1990 35’ Silver Streak
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