bike rack on back of Casita - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-24-2011, 03:50 PM   #1
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Name: Kathy
Trailer: Casita Spirit Delux 17 ft.
Maryland
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Question bike rack on back of Casita

We have a 17ft Casita Spirit. We would like to carry 2 bikes on the back. The RV shop said we couldn't install a bike rack on a fiberglass trailer.
Anyone have any experience with this? We pull the Casita with a Toyota Sienna van.
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Old 07-24-2011, 04:38 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KathyEllicottCity View Post
We have a 17ft Casita Spirit. We would like to carry 2 bikes on the back. The RV shop said we couldn't install a bike rack on a fiberglass trailer.
Anyone have any experience with this? We pull the Casita with a Toyota Sienna van.
I have installed receivers on Scamps several times,and Scamp offers them as an option, The frame is made of steel afterall!
If you do put a receiver on your Casita, just be sure and add an extra crossmember to the frame and attach the receiver to both the bumper and the new crossmember., Just attaching to the bumper allows too much flex.
I can't see why fiberglass would have any bearing on the choice.
Personally I think the back of a trailer is too abusive of a spot to carry bikes.... so make sure the receiver is attached securely.
Here's where we carry ours...
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Old 07-24-2011, 05:56 PM   #3
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I would recommend that before you have a receiver welded to your trailer you have the frame and axle inspected so you are sure everything is in good condition. The extra bouncing on the rear of my trailer contributed to the tongue breaking on my trailer.
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Old 07-25-2011, 12:10 AM   #4
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You mean like this?

We had a receiver welded on to accept our bike rack. It's welded to the bumper and to the first cross member on the frame. It's been solid for years. We've enjoyed three trips across the US and back, countless bike races and weekend trips with no problems.

The irony of this photo...the carbon fiber bike on the rack costs more than what we originally paid for our '72 Trail Mite!

Vic
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Old 07-25-2011, 05:44 AM   #5
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And, remember adding weight to the back is going to change the tongue weight. Compensate for that....
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Old 07-25-2011, 10:14 AM   #6
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Our family is huge into biking and I decided to put the bikes on top of my tug vehicle. The added weight on the back was a problem for my 16 ft scamp. You could counter that with weight up front but then the trailer would teeter totter. The racks on the tongue would be another great option, I choose not to because that would get in the way of my tugs rear hatch opening.
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Old 07-27-2011, 09:14 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Matthew A View Post
Our family is huge into biking and I decided to put the bikes on top of my tug vehicle. The added weight on the back was a problem for my 16 ft scamp. You could counter that with weight up front but then the trailer would teeter totter. The racks on the tongue would be another great option, I choose not to because that would get in the way of my tugs rear hatch opening.
Actually my bike rack on the tongue, does not interfere with the hatch on my Escape. Note...First photo is with my Ranger attached, and it is at full left turn when the picture was taken.

The advantage of a receiver on the back of the trailer is that it can be moved to the TV when leaving the trailer at basecamp.
When we want to transport bikes and leave the trailer, we must remember to bring a receiver rack along.
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Old 07-28-2011, 07:47 AM   #8
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http://www.princessauto.com/trailer/...3-bike-carrier

here is a link to a bike carrier that uses your receiver hitch and still allows you to pull a trailer. Now this will add to your tongue weight as well but it allows you not to need an additional carrier as long as your reach on the trailer is long enough to allow turning and not hit the bikes. Hope this helps.
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Old 07-28-2011, 07:59 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by fidgetboy View Post
http://www.princessauto.com/trailer/...3-bike-carrier

here is a link to a bike carrier that uses your receiver hitch and still allows you to pull a trailer. Now this will add to your tongue weight as well but it allows you not to need an additional carrier as long as your reach on the trailer is long enough to allow turning and not hit the bikes. Hope this helps.
However this reduces your capacity of your hitch.
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Old 07-28-2011, 12:57 PM   #10
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etrailer has something similar, but still has a decent tongue/towing capacity....

Valley Trailer Hitch Ball mount with 2" Receiver for Bike Racks or Cargo Carriers Valley Ball Mounts V75090
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Old 07-28-2011, 01:25 PM   #11
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Is it possible to put a useful bie rack on the front. In the front it would put the weight where it'e needed.

Norm
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Old 07-28-2011, 09:02 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by honda03842 View Post
Is it possible to put a useful bie rack on the front. In the front it would put the weight where it'e needed.

Norm
Take a look at post #2, It works great and is rock stable.
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Old 07-28-2011, 09:44 PM   #13
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Question Which front?

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Originally Posted by honda03842 View Post
Is it possible to put a useful bike rack on the front.
Front of the Trailer? or Front of the Tow Vehicle?
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Old 07-29-2011, 04:21 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson View Post
Front of the Trailer? or Front of the Tow Vehicle?

Sorry, Tow Vehicle,

Norm
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Old 07-29-2011, 08:54 AM   #15
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You can add a receiver hitch to the front of some vehicles, depends on the make and model. From what I saw when I researched this it is mostly for American vehicles. It works great as long as bugs on the bike are not a problem for you. A friend of mine transports his dirt bike on a rack that slides into a front receiver hitch of his suburban and it works great.
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Old 07-31-2011, 02:37 PM   #16
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Question

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Originally Posted by floyd View Post
I have installed receivers on Scamps several times,and Scamp offers them as an option, The frame is made of steel afterall!
If you do put a receiver on your Casita, just be sure and add an extra crossmember to the frame and attach the receiver to both the bumper and the new crossmember., Just attaching to the bumper allows too much flex.
I can't see why fiberglass would have any bearing on the choice.
Personally I think the back of a trailer is too abusive of a spot to carry bikes.... so make sure the receiver is attached securely.
Here's where we carry ours...
We like the look of your tongue carrier. Is it custom or did you buy it?
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Old 07-31-2011, 04:30 PM   #17
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I got this one off craigslist, my uhaul had a hitch in the rear and it clears my window AC install and my rear mounted spare tire, I didn't notice any difference or problem when towing with it loaded with 3 bikes or without it

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Old 08-01-2011, 09:05 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by Biggie View Post
We like the look of your tongue carrier. Is it custom or did you buy it?
Thanks for the kind words...
I guess you'd say it is "custom built"....
I built it from a pair of legs off of an old box fan and some angle iron from a discarded bed frame. The rails on top which hold the bikes are factory built for roof rack application, purchased from JC Whitney.
It would be easy to fabricate the base from thinwall and angle iron,or just angle iron or you could build a tongue box and mount the bikes above it.
Two important keys to max clearance and function...
1] The top half of the Scamp tapers away toward the top, so the rack should be high enough so that the inside bike's handlebars will clear the curvature.
2] The racks should be attached facing opposite directions, to allow handlebar over seat clearance at each end for more compact mounting.
These two things allow space for full TV articulation.
This rack is rock stable, and easy to use and easy to secure.
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Old 08-01-2011, 09:39 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by John_M View Post
etrailer has something similar, but still has a decent tongue/towing capacity....

Valley Trailer Hitch Ball mount with 2" Receiver for Bike Racks or Cargo Carriers Valley Ball Mounts V75090
Has anyone used that? I already have a hitch rack for my bike, so if that worked well, it would be an awesome option for me. The alternative for us would be to store the bikes inside the camper while we're towing (I don't want to add a receiver to the bumper of the camper).
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Old 08-02-2011, 07:13 AM   #20
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Dan, a friend of mine has one of those - thats how I knew about it. There are a few things to know about it though.. He had to get a different bike rack than the one he already had because the original stuck out far enough that he was worried it would hit the jack on the tongue of his trailer. He also had to get a couple of those hitch pins that stop rattles because the thing was driving him nuts going down the road. Once he did those two things he was in love with it because as soon as they got to a campsite the kids got their bike right away and all was right with the world... Also - don't forget that the bike rack and bikes add to the tongue weight.
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