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Old 06-16-2019, 08:07 PM   #1
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Name: Anne
Trailer: Casita
Virginia
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Looking for advice We won how to carry bicycles

We have a 2018 Casita 17' that we are towing with a 2017 Toyota Highlander SUV. We would like to bring our (low budget hybrid) bikes along on our next trip which will be lengthy. After all these posts about tongue weight and balance, I am wondering if it's better to mount the bikes on the front with the propane containers, on the back, or put them on the car roof somehow? The car roof seems like the best weight distribution option but I'm not sure how that would affect aerodynamics or how we could hold them there. I have not tried but I'm not sure we could wedge them into the trailer.

How do others who are not towing with a pickup truck bring their bikes?
Thanks for your advice!
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Old 06-16-2019, 09:25 PM   #2
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We carried our two bikes on the back using a 2" receiver. For us, it balanced the trailer almost perfectly at 10% ready to camp, meaning propane, some fresh water, etc.

The biggest issue is the back of the trailer has emphasized movement while traveling so we were very careful making sure they were secure. Also, they got pretty grimy from road tar and dirt,
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Old 06-16-2019, 09:56 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amieVA View Post
We have a 2018 Casita 17' that we are towing with a 2017 Toyota Highlander SUV. We would like to bring our (low budget hybrid) bikes along on our next trip which will be lengthy. After all these posts about tongue weight and balance, I am wondering if it's better to mount the bikes on the front with the propane containers, on the back, or put them on the car roof somehow? The car roof seems like the best weight distribution option but I'm not sure how that would affect aerodynamics or how we could hold them there. I have not tried but I'm not sure we could wedge them into the trailer.

How do others who are not towing with a pickup truck bring their bikes?
Thanks for your advice!
Tongue mount is not only better against sway, it is far better on the bikes. I carry mine on front and have for 14 years. Bike racks on the back of a trailer are really rough on bikes.
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Old 06-17-2019, 07:11 AM   #4
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Name: Tony
Trailer: Scamp
New York
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Front Mount Bike Rack

Floyd,

Your front mount bike rack is awesome!

I would like to do the same.

How did you do it and what did use?

I tried doing a search but there is just to much to sort through.

Tony
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Old 06-17-2019, 08:11 AM   #5
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Montana
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How heavy are the hybrid bikes? It matters when you're talking about adding tongue weight.

The tow vehicle is always a good choice. Not the only choice, but always a good one. Especially if you want to drive somewhere without the trailer, but with the bikes.

That's a nice setup, Floyd. I should look into something similar. Is that custom-welded?
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Old 06-17-2019, 08:46 AM   #6
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Name: bill
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Rack will weigh as much or more than the two hybrids. Figure 30 # each for two decent hybrids, maybe 35 # for the Walmart stuff.

Myself, roof rack on the tow vehicle for the win. There are an endless number of roof rack companies out there. It also allows you to take your bikes with you when you DON'T have the trailer with you. Even when camping, sometimes you want to take the bikes to a multiuse trail or whatever.

+10 on racks on the back of a trailer. The racks really take a beating. And check with the rack manufacturer first. Many hitch car racks are NOT rated to be mounted on the back of an RV or trailer. I believe Thule for example does not make a single rack that they recommend for RVs and trailers.


I have mounted two roof rack rails on top of my tonneau cover. I picked them up at a bicycle co op cheap, as an incomplete rack missing hardware, etc, has minimal value.

To those into bikes, two pretty special bikes in this picture. A titanium Litespeed and a steel Eddy Merckx.

IMG_7820 by wrk101, on Flickr
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Old 06-17-2019, 09:09 AM   #7
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Name: Karen
Trailer: Big Foot
Michigan
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We had our manufacturer build extra support for adding our bikes to the rear bumper of our travel trailer and welding a 2" hitch for us. Then we purchased the Premium RV rack that Yakima sells specifically for RVs. I would not suggest adding a standard bike rack to a standard trailer bumper. The other suggestions above about weight distribution are important.
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Old 06-17-2019, 09:35 AM   #8
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I guess...what's a hybrid? Are we talking electric? Or by hybrid you mean a cross between road and dirt?
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Old 06-17-2019, 09:55 AM   #9
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Name: sven
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FL
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Front trailer hitch

Put them onthe front of your SUV. Google front trailer hitch (your vehicle and year).
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Old 06-17-2019, 10:48 AM   #10
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What brand is your bike rack? (The red one)
Thanks
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Old 06-17-2019, 11:42 AM   #11
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Name: Tom and Joy
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Santa Rosa, California
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Yesterday I read that Hollywood Racks does not approve of any of their racks being used on a towed vehicle. I wrote and asked them why, and just this morning got this response (talk about timing!):


Tom, Any trailer or trailered vehicle (including 5th wheel type) has a slight side to side motion that's very low frequency (1 to 1-1/2 times per second) that fatigues the steel from which the racks are manufactured. The fatigue first happens at a molecular level, but eventually (several thousands of cycles later) a visible crack will appear. Once the crack has formed, it will enlarge, finally to the point where the rack drops off the vehicle and the rack (and bikes) impact the roadway. This is also a dangerous situation for whoever may be following the trailer on the highway. We have seen 100+ incidents where the consumers/end user has not taken this advice and suffered disastrous results. We've even had phone calls from consumers who said they read that advice (do not use on a trailer) and ignored it, only to discover a tragic end result. So, please don't do it. If you are pulling a trailer you may want to consider having a receiver hitch installed on the front of your tow vehicle (kind of like what you see on city buses). Then you could safely mount our Sport Rider for E-bike rack to the front. Thank you, Jen Dickson / Hollywood Racks
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Old 06-17-2019, 12:24 PM   #12
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Thanks for the kind words.
Both racks pictured are my design and I welded them.
(I guess that's custom).
The rack on my 13Scamp for two bikes weighs less than one road bike.
Way less than the average hybrid or mountain bike.
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Old 06-17-2019, 01:39 PM   #13
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Being able to weld (and weld well) is a great skill...
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Old 06-17-2019, 08:23 PM   #14
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Name: Anne
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Great advice!

Thanks for the helpful responses. It seems like a tow vehicle rack might be the simplest option for this summer. I have always wanted to take a welding class though....
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Old 06-17-2019, 08:53 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sUNSHINE33 View Post
What brand is your bike rack? (The red one)
Thanks
Not sure what you mean?
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Old 06-17-2019, 11:44 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasBalmer View Post
Yesterday I read that Hollywood Racks does not approve of any of their racks being used on a towed vehicle. I wrote and asked them why, and just this morning got this response (talk about timing!):


Tom, Any trailer or trailered vehicle (including 5th wheel type) has a slight side to side motion that's very low frequency (1 to 1-1/2 times per second) that fatigues the steel from which the racks are manufactured. The fatigue first happens at a molecular level, but eventually (several thousands of cycles later) a visible crack will appear. Once the crack has formed, it will enlarge, finally to the point where the rack drops off the vehicle and the rack (and bikes) impact the roadway. This is also a dangerous situation for whoever may be following the trailer on the highway. We have seen 100+ incidents where the consumers/end user has not taken this advice and suffered disastrous results. We've even had phone calls from consumers who said they read that advice (do not use on a trailer) and ignored it, only to discover a tragic end result. So, please don't do it. If you are pulling a trailer you may want to consider having a receiver hitch installed on the front of your tow vehicle (kind of like what you see on city buses). Then you could safely mount our Sport Rider for E-bike rack to the front. Thank you, Jen Dickson / Hollywood Racks
I'm a licensed Professional Engineer (Mechanical) in Oregon. This reply means that the manufacturer is not capable of performing a proper weld on their product. There is no mention of stress factors or stress concentration : Von Mises Stress - Continuum Mechanics

Nor does it really cover fatigue failure well:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...VvKqFsCZdONrh5
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Don't drill holes, try custom storage you design: https://RVWidgetWorks.com
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Old 06-18-2019, 06:20 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amieVA View Post
Thanks for the helpful responses. It seems like a tow vehicle rack might be the simplest option for this summer. I have always wanted to take a welding class though....
Don’t forget to factor in the cost of a welder. Handy to have, but not inexpensive!
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Old 06-18-2019, 06:38 AM   #18
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Don’t forget to factor in the cost of a welder. Handy to have, but not inexpensive!
Take a class at a local community college, and you may well be able to make the rack as your class project. Having an instructor alongside... priceless!

A number of years ago my mother wanted to reupholster her motorhome. She sews, but did not have the HD machine nor the specialized knowledge to do it on her own. She signed up at a community college, and the instructor guided her through the process over a couple of semesters. She did both front seats, a swivel chair, dinette, and over-cab bunk. The results were as good or better than a professional job at a fraction of the cost.
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Old 06-18-2019, 06:42 AM   #19
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Looking for advice We won how to carry bicycles

OTOH, there are ready-made solutions. An over-tank tray rack could become the base for a tray-type bicycle rack, or there are tongue racks just for bicycles. Google “trailer tongue rack” or “trailer tongue bike rack..”

My solution is not for everyone, but you can’t beat it for simplicity, security and weight distribution. The “rack” is our 10x10 canopy.
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Old 06-18-2019, 12:46 PM   #20
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Your solution looks like it would be adapt perfectly for my boler Jon. Thanks for the pic!
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