Bike Rack Idea

[WildWG]

I really appreciate these forums; an incredible storehouse of very valuable information.

I am thinking of adding a bike rack to our NTU (new to us) 2619. It seems that if I move the spare tire to the outside as far as it can go and install a 2" receiver about half way between the spare tire and the opposite end of the rear bumper, I can mount a bike rack into the receiver. I'll most likely have to remove the bikes' front wheels and carry them elsewhere.

Do any of you see any problems with this, other than the rear end weight issue?

Since we bought our TM from a gentleman in a neighboring state, my state motor vehicle office won't register it without seeing it. This means that tomorrow, I will get another chance to practice "threading" the TM into our extremely narrow driveway entrance.

We are pleased, not only to now own such a fine travel trailer, but also to be part of "the TrailManor Family", and to be in touch with such a great group of folks as are represented on these forums.

Word of caution, make sure that the bike rack you choose raises the bikes sufficently high enough off the ground. We cringed yesterday as we saw a Pick up with camper shell cross an intersection in front of us. He had 4 bikes mounted on the rear of the shell but the clearance between the tires on the largest bike and the ground was only 3-4 inches. As he went over a bump in the road the tires inpacted the road surface and tried to pull all of the bikes off of the camper. The driver continued on totally unaware of the situation. We were not able to pull a U-turn across 4 lanes of traffic to follow him and flag him down but we did say a prayer for them.

Bill

Just a thought, would one of the bike racks that are made to fit over the spare tire work? I've seen them for Jeeps and other SUV's that have the spare on the rear, just like the trail manor trailer. Of course, I don't know if the spare tire holder could handle the additional weight....

i still think its safer to use a rack on the tv....

[hhoenig]

we use a rack that fits on the draw bar. does not interfere with the TM . we can carry 3 bikes, no problem. made by Swagman or Pro-Rac.

If you have a 4" square bumper, I recommend that bike carrier. If you are going to try the spare tire carrier, make sure it won't interfere with opening the trailer - with the bikes removed, otherwise you'll have to remove the carrier too.

I have the 4" adapter from CW and love it. I did have to move the spare to the road side about a foot. I have a "bell" 4 bike holder (already had it) and only put two bikes on it but it seems to work just fine. It has a pin that can be pulled allowing the rack to tilt towards the ground even with bikes attached thus no trouble opening the TM. A word of caution is that the weight may effect your current towing situation a bit. With adult bikes on mine I noticed a difference in the ride, I felt the trailer more so I was able to go one link less on the WDH and solve the problem. I guess with the bikes and rack it may have about 100lbs on it which made a difference to me.

Lisa of B & L here,

Be sure of your weight distribution when you add bikes and a rack to the rear. It may increase your sway and decrease your tounge weights to improperly balance the load. Also, be sure to adjust for the extra weight when inflating tires. Sometimes all you need to balance your load is to move 20-40 lbs of gear forward of the TM axle. Of course, this could equate to the canned goods box or even the bag of charcoal!

Many others out there know more about these issues than I, but I know enough that this is a problem that can sometimes be easily fixed.

Do a search on bike racks. There are multiple discussions about adding racks to the tv or trailer.

Has anyone tried a bike rack on the roof?