Bike racks on rear of 13' Scamp

[Richard Davis]

I know this topic has been discussed in detail before. A search of the topic has been very informative and helpful. Still, though, I'm stuck! I purchased a 13' Scamp this Spring, with carefully selected options, one of which was a 2" receiver for a bike rack. Today, as I was about to purchase the rack, various knowledgeable sources have completely freaked me out! I now understand that not only is there the proportional weight distribution issue as far as sway goes, but that because a trailer has no significant suspension (unlike a car) and because the hitch receiver on a trailer is much farther away from the wheel than on a car, the bounce of a trailer could make a loaded bike rack unexpectedly snap (some day?) if I hit a significant bump on the hiway. That could be disastrous for anyone behind.
We phoned the Scamp people, and they cautioned about putting any more than 50 lbs (rack and bikes) on the back. (I'm still wondering why they didn't mention this last winter when the order was put together, since not many combinations of 2 bikes and a rack weigh in under 50 lbs, but....)
So I've looked at options like putting a rack over the propane tanks, and another involving a second receiver that rises up from the extended hitch bar. This site has been great for these ideas. But because my rear door (Toyota 4Runner) swings up, I would not be able to access the back of the tow vehicle until the 2 bikes (and perhaps the rack?) were off. That doesn't work for me, especially on an extended road trip, since my dog stays in a kennel that is accessed by this rear door.
Okay. That was the long-winded wind up. Here's the question: Some folks on the forum seem to carry bikes on their fiberglass trailers on a rear-mounted rack anyway. What has your experience been? Have you followed this practice for years and for tens of thousands of miles with no problem whatsoever? Is it POSSIBLY overly cautious to not just stick a bike rack into the Scamp-mounted 2" receiver, attach 65 lbs worth of bikes, and get on with life AS I HAD INTENDED THIS MORNING!!! ARRGGH!!! Richard

[curtis c]

hmmm. i would just try to limit the amount of movement the rack moves in the hitch. get one of those fancy little clamp deals to limit movement. Maybe add a tie down strap that straps the top of the bikes to the trailer to limit horizontal movement. also get a nice bike rack. Another idea would be a bike mount in the front? of the 4 runner. I've seen trucks with them. The 50 lbs that scamp allows may be a liability issue.

[floyd]

I know this topic has been discussed in detail before. A search of the topic has been very informative and helpful. Still, though, I'm stuck! I purchased a 13' Scamp this Spring, with carefully selected options, one of which was a 2" receiver for a bike rack. Today, as I was about to purchase the rack, various knowledgeable sources have completely freaked me out! I now understand that not only is there the proportional weight distribution issue as far as sway goes, but that because a trailer has no significant suspension (unlike a car) and because the hitch receiver on a trailer is much farther away from the wheel than on a car, the bounce of a trailer could make a loaded bike rack unexpectedly snap (some day?) if I hit a significant bump on the hiway. That could be disastrous for anyone behind.
We phoned the Scamp people, and they cautioned about putting any more than 50 lbs (rack and bikes) on the back. (I'm still wondering why they didn't mention this last winter when the order was put together, since not many combinations of 2 bikes and a rack weigh in under 50 lbs, but....)
So I've looked at options like putting a rack over the propane tanks, and another involving a second receiver that rises up from the extended hitch bar. This site has been great for these ideas. But because my rear door (Toyota 4Runner) swings up, I would not be able to access the back of the tow vehicle until the 2 bikes (and perhaps the rack?) were off. That doesn't work for me, especially on an extended road trip, since my dog stays in a kennel that is accessed by this rear door.
Okay. That was the long-winded wind up. Here's the question: Some folks on the forum seem to carry bikes on their fiberglass trailers on a rear-mounted rack anyway. What has your experience been? Have you followed this practice for years and for tens of thousands of miles with no problem whatsoever? Is it POSSIBLY overly cautious to not just stick a bike rack into the Scamp-mounted 2" receiver, attach 65 lbs worth of bikes, and get on with life AS I HAD INTENDED THIS MORNING!!! ARRGGH!!! Richard

Here is my design for a front rack on a 13 Scamp it leaves plenty of room for the hatch on my Escape.[ notice the truck is at about an 80 degree turn] the clearance for the hatch is ample when straight.....

[Richard Davis]

hmmm. i would just try to limit the amount of movement the rack moves in the hitch. get one of those fancy little clamp deals to limit movement. Maybe add a tie down strap that straps the top of the bikes to the trailer to limit horizontal movement. also get a nice bike rack. Another idea would be a bike mount in the front? of the 4 runner. I've seen trucks with them. The 50 lbs that scamp allows may be a liability issue.

Thanks for this. You've helped me think about rigging some security features so that IF the bike rack snaps off (that seems to be the concern of the manufacturers, even very good ones), the disaster will be my own, and not become a problem for whoever else is on the highway at the time. Knowing I'm not putting other people at risk makes the decision to use the Scamp-installed bike rack receiver a lot less weighty! I'm also going to see what's available for front loading racks. Years ago I had a cheap front rack on a Landcruiser and hated it. But perhaps there are decent racks out there? If so, that would solve a lot of problems. Thanks again for your thoughts. Richard

[Richard Davis]

Here is my design for a front rack on a 13 Scamp it leaves plenty of room for the hatch on my Escape.[ notice the truck is at about an 80 degree turn] the clearance for the hatch is ample when straight.....

This looks great! I know there's a company in Quebec that makes a similar rack that goes above the propane tanks. But when I take measurements of the width of two bikes, distance from receiver/bumper of the tow vehicle to where the bikes would extend, and measure the swing of the door, I just can't see it happening. But if it works for you, I'll go back to the drawing board! I would imagine our Scamp dimensions are pretty similar (although I have a large window behind a chip guard that would be covered by the bikes), and I'll see if I can look more closely at an Escape's rear door. What year is yours?
Did you build your rack out of what had originally been a rack for carrying bikes on a roof?
Thanks very much for sharing your experience! Richard

[floyd]

This looks great! I know there's a company in Quebec that makes a similar rack that goes above the propane tanks. But when I take measurements of the width of two bikes, distance from receiver/bumper of the tow vehicle to where the bikes would extend, and measure the swing of the door, I just can't see it happening. But if it works for you, I'll go back to the drawing board! I would imagine our Scamp dimensions are pretty similar (although I have a large window behind a chip guard that would be covered by the bikes), and I'll see if I can look more closely at an Escape's rear door. What year is yours?
Did you build your rack out of what had originally been a rack for carrying bikes on a roof?
Thanks very much for sharing your experience! Richard

A couple of points
The handlebars are even with the top of the side roof , the bikes are mounted facing opposite directions.
The inner bike is always mounted with the inside pedal in the up position. the wheel trays are mounted at belly band height with the rearward edge slightly aft of the front edge of the sewer hose tube which would make your stone guard irrelevant. This all makes the impossible--possible by taking advantage of the distict slope of the top half shell of the Scamp.
From the belly band straight forward to the forward side of the front tray is only 12".
don't forget that two bikes facing opposite directions overlap enough that their quick relase hubs actually overlap, and the inner pedals actually extend beyond each other's frame.[in the voids.]
I did build my rack out of what was two new rack trays for carrying bikes on a roof, and an old box fan frame and angle iron from old bed frames.
Also the placement of the rack places the handlebars above the arc of the rear hatch opening. My Treks have been secure and rock solid on this rack for about 5 years now.
OH! I forgot! My Escape is a 2008 , but this design has left plenty of room for my 2006 Escape and my Ranger tailgate, these are all I've towed with.

Hope this helps . If you would like more pictures or discussion feel free to E-mail me.
Regards; Floyd