Bike Rack...

Chirpz · 06-28-2016, 11:41 PM

So my old RV had a sturdy bumper with a receiver hitch mounted on it. It was easy to attach a hefty bike rake and carry up to 4 bikes.

How am I going to attach a bike rack to my 189FBR. It has a spare tire on the back and I noticed today that it is mounted with bolts that go all the way through to the inside where blind nuts are hidden with a flat panel behind the toilet.

Any recommendations? Has anyone attached a bumper and receiver hitch to one of these?

**LJAZ** · 06-29-2016, 07:55 AM

You would likely have to significantly reinforce the bumper for it to be adequate to hold a bike rack. Especially if you're planning on carrying 4 bikes. I wouldn't recommend the spare tire either.

You might try one of these: https://www.strombergcarlson.com/car...-model-cc-275/

Chirpz · 06-29-2016, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJAZ

You would likely have to significantly reinforce the bumper for it to be adequate to hold a bike rack. Especially if you're planning on carrying 4 bikes. I wouldn't recommend the spare tire either.

You might try one of these: https://www.strombergcarlson.com/car...-model-cc-275/

Thanks for the link to this.... I"ll check it out. It does look like a better idea. We don't carry 4 any more but have in the past... now its just two....but our current carrier is heavy duty and will pack 4 pretty easy. It is nice to have the option when grand kids are around.

twinster2 · 06-29-2016, 11:08 AM

That is bit pricey ($264) considering it states "bike rack not included".

For that money, I would go with a rear mounted trailer hitch for etrailer. Something like this:

http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-RV_H...00_lbs_TW.aspx

gwhiz · 06-29-2016, 04:42 PM

I would not recommend the spare tire. I did this years ago (albeit completely different manufacturer) and after a long road trip the tire came away from the rear of the trailer (and bike rack, bikes and all) and shredded the bikes. There are ones that can be mounted on the front of the trailer if tongue weight is not an issue for you. Personally, ours are carried inside the unit while travelling and then only on the back of the RV (curt bumper mount with hitch rack). Its a bit of a pain trying to keep them dry before hitting the road, but a small sacrifice to get them home in one piece.

**LJAZ** · 06-30-2016, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinster2

That is bit pricey ($264) considering it states "bike rack not included".

For that money, I would go with a rear mounted trailer hitch for etrailer. Something like this:

Frame Mount 31 - 46 Inch Wide Frame RV Hitch | etrailer.com

Like most things camping related you can find it cheaper if you shop around. Etrailer also carries the bike bunk for $199.

But the frame mounted trailer hitch is a nice idea. Could mount a cargo carrier in that as well.

jbfunfinder · 06-30-2016, 10:05 AM

Just wanted to put in a little encouragement to use the search feature on the FF Forum. If you enter "Bike Rack" you will find much collected wisdom from forum members regarding the topic. For what it is worth, we had a class 3, 2" receiver welded to the frame by the dealer before taking delivery when our TT was new. Don't know whether true or false...some have written that adding such a hitch voids the warranty. (Not that the waranty on a trailer is worth all that much anyway

BigMikeFF · 07-04-2016, 08:03 AM

I've also been planning to use a bike rack on the rear bumper, but have heard many "horror stories" of the problems with poor attachment of the bumpers. So I've decided to give these brackets a try. I have just installed them, shifted the factory spare tire mount over, and installed a bolt-on receiver hitch. I do think these brackets are worth it, even for the peace of mind with just the spare tire hanging off the bumper.

https://www.mount-n-lock.com/mnl-car...bumper-failure