Appreciate input on mounting a bike rack

This thread and others on this forum scared me to death about using my bike rack on our new (to us) 2005 2720 TM.

I decided to move forward anyway. Our TM is factory equipped with the rear 2" receiver which is properly mounted to the TM frame. Our bike rack is a Yakima DoubleDown Hitch Rack - 2 Bike. The rack weighs 30 lbs. My bike, a Cannondale tandem weighs less than 50 lbs.

ZERO PROBLEMS, nada, worked perfectly, only bounce was when the TM bounced. My son followed us for 91 miles over Kenosha Pass and reported the bike rode home nice
& safe.

Originally Posted by Joe Daddy

This thread and others on this forum scared me to death about using my bike rack on our new (to us) 2005 2720 TM.

I decided to move forward anyway. Our TM is factory equipped with the rear 2" receiver which is properly mounted to the TM frame. Our bike rack is a Yahttp://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/images/editor/separator.gifkima DoubleDown Hitch Rack - 2 Bike. The rack weighs 30 lbs. My bike, a Cannondale tandem weighs less than 50 lbs.

ZERO PROBLEMS, nada, worked perfectly, only bounce was when the TM bounced. My son followed us for 91 miles over Kenosha Pass and reported the bike rode home nice
& safe.

I still would encourage using a locking cable to attach the bike frame to the TM for two reasons:

1. it reduces the risk of theft if you stop and step away from the TM to perhaps get a drink at a convenience store.

2. if the bike rack were to fail, then the cable would prevent the bike from going under the wheels of the car behind you. Similar to why the TM has safety chains between the TM and the TV.

My son had the type of bike rack that pivots down when you pull the lockig pin behind his Subaru WRX. The locking pin is not supposed to fail, but it did, dragging a pair of $9,000 bicycles on the road. Fortunately it was at low speed in town and the damage was minimal.

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

I still would encourage using a locking cable to attach the bike frame to the TM for two reasons:

1. it reduces the risk of theft if you stop and step away from the TM to perhaps get a drink at a convenience store.

2. if the bike rack were to fail, then the cable would prevent the bike from going under the wheels of the car behind you. Similar to why the TM has safety chains between the TM and the TV.

My son had the type of bike rack that pivots down when you pull the locking pin behind his Subaru WRX. The locking pin is not supposed to fail, but it did, dragging a pair of $9,000 bicycles on the road. Fortunately it was at low speed in town and the damage was minimal.

Pop,
Thanks for the response.
1 - My bike rack has the Yakima safety strap and I use it religiously for the reasons you mentioned.
2 - My YAKIMA rack also as the pivot pin allowing the bikes to be pivoted away from the TM or the TV depending upon where it is mounted. This feature allows access to either the TM or TV without removing the bike(s).

Next time out, I'll be taking a second bike with us which will put the weight at about 110 lbs for both bikes and the rack. I expect no issues.

Joe

Attached is a picture of my TM with Bike sailing down I25 at 70 mph.

[Joesjunk]

Is the factory installed bike rack bolted or welded to the TM frame?
I looking to purchase a replacement TM. If it does not have a 2 inch receiver, can I install a factory model?
Would someone with a 2007 or later TM check it to see how the bike rack is attached.

Thanks,

Originally Posted by Joesjunk

Is the factory installed bike rack bolted or welded to the TM frame?
I looking to purchase a replacement TM. If it does not have a 2 inch receiver, can I install a factory model?
Would someone with a 2007 or later TM check it to see how the bike rack is attached.

Thanks,

Mine is welded.

I trust the hitch receiver just fine. What I do not trust is the bike rack. It has a long pivot arm. This does not work well on very rough roads due to excessive vibration.

The bikes that I would put back there weigh 50 pounds each, so I would exceed the hitch receiver capacity if iI carried two bikes plus the weight of the rack.

Since I tow with a full sized truck, I keep bikes where I can see them in my mirror.

Sometimes the bikes are pre-production (one of two in the world) and it is difficult to replace them rapidly.

I thought the TM receiver is rated for 100 lbs. ? My paperwork is not available to me at the moment.

Originally Posted by MisterP

I thought the TM receiver is rated for 100 lbs. ? My paperwork is not available to me at the moment.

I so wish TM's website would list the specifications and details of items and options available for the units.

This should be a priority for TrailManor.

[ThePair]

I don't have the receiver, so take my poor memory with a grain of salt. As I recall, the listed weight limit is 100 lbs, but I thought I read a comment somewhere that that limitation is more to prevent tongue weight offloading than a structural limit on the attachment.

I think that was mentioned on a thread about using that rear hitch to tow/move the TM into a garage. Found it: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...6&postcount=16

This evening, my son FTP'd an 85 MB video of his following us on our trip. It clearly showed the bike rack and our Cannondale Tandem attached firmly to the rear of our TM. A shot of his speedometer verified we were doing 70 MPH on I25. The bike rode as smooth as I'd expected it to. BTW, the YAKIMA rack we have has a 1/2" bolt instead of a pin and clip to hold the rack in place on the receiver. The bolt has a special end and a custom lock so that someone cannot just unscrew the bolt and steal bike and rack. YAKIMA makes good stuff so far as I can tell.

Joe

I visited Art's RV and the service manager told me the weight limit on my rear receiver is 350, not 100 lbs. Mine is welded to the frame and not the rear bumper.