Spare Tire mount fail

[runner421]

Hey all - I have the standard 4-inch square camper bumper with a bumper mounted spare.
Decided to try a spare-mounted bike rack: Surco BT300 Spare Tire Rack. Some of you will say bad idea. I have to agree.
The spare tire mount failed. But-I think the weight of the bikes sped up the fail process. The spare mount is a thin gauge metal and actually split, and not along the welds. SO-check your spare tire mount every time you check the tire pressure in the spare.
I'm trying a new bike rack: Swagman 2-Bike RV Bumper Rack. I like the bike rack better. I seems to hold the bikes but wasn't designed to mount around/over the spare. Actually requires removing the spare. I modified the spare tire mount to raise the spare and the bikes actually lean into the spare for a little more stability.
Next - checked and reinforced the metal welds for the bumper to the camper frame.
Will post after road testing!

 

[jerkar]

My spare tire mount failed just holding the tire. I drove through the rush hour traffic in Chicago yesterday. Pulled into a CG 20 miles out of the city.
Noticed the top bracket broken. Tire just hanging by the bottom bracket.
What would have happened if that fell off on I 90 going through Chicago during rush hour traffic, If this caused an accident, who would be sued Fun Finder????
Check your spare tire brackets often,

 

[Travels with Yoly]

Our previous trailer had the standard 4 inch square bumper also. It was welded to two struts that came rearward off the frame. They look something like a 1 x 2 inch box section and the manufacturer warns not to mount anything to the bumper that exceeds the maximum rating of 150 lbs. Our Swagman three bike rack with two bikes on it weighs exactly 90 lbs. By the time we got to Washington from Georgia, I noticed the bikes and rack leaing away from the vertical rear of the trailer and the accessory receiver that the bike rack was mounted to was now pointing down instead of being parrallel to the ground. A quick inspection revealed that the bumper material was collapsing in on itself due to the exaggerated loads produced from the cantilevered design over rough roads. From what I've seen, travel trailer bumpers are all inadequate for almost anything and should be gusseted before ever attaching anything.

 

[M&M3]

bike rack

We have a Swagman 2 bike bumper mount set up also. Our 210WBS had a 1'" receiver hitch on it for a bike rack when we bought it, which had a bad pendulum action when a bike rack was attached. We made an adapter bracket that between the bumper and the receiver hitch. With 2 point mounting, most of the back and forth pendulum action is eliminated, but it still has some side to side rock. We have not used the set up a lot as I am still not sure that a bike rack on the back of a camper is a good idea for a long trip. I was under a previous camper while an assistant wiggled led the bikes, and the frame flexed clear up to the spring shackles. I haven't tried this with the 210WBS, but probably should to see what happens.

 

[Dakota 1120]

The previous posters found a bike rack on the rear bumper doesn't work.

Why not toss the bikes in the bed of the pickup tow vehicle. :idea:

 

[Travels with Yoly]

Since the bikes are so light it wouldn't take much material in making a small wooden framework with uprights to capture both wheels. I plan on making one for the two bikes. It will have a handle in the front center and can be pulled out like a drawer, resting on the hitch like a ramp making placement and removal of the bikes easy. There's still plenty of room for the additional gear we normally carry such as lawn chair recliners etc.