Bike rack

I always weigh in on the bike rack debate by suggesting that you carry the bikes on the front of your TV. We have a front hitch receiver on the front of our F-150 Ford SuperCrew, but on many vehicles you can attach a bike rack directly to a front bumper. There are many reasons for front carrying but some include that the bikes seem to bounce around less, you can't damage them by backing in to something and they are always in your line of sight. Carrying on the rear of your TM is probably the worst location as you defeat some of the engineering by adding 100# or so as far behind the axle as possible. Carrying between the TV and TM has its own drawbacks in that the bikes may be at risk during tight turns, may complicate access to your trunk or bed and need to be removed before opening the TM. - camp2canoe

My son says he will never carry his mountain bikes on the front of any vehicle because the rocks that might fly up are not very good for the carbon fiber frames. Most people have steel or aluminum frames that will likely hold up better to rock damage.

I don't like the way they obstruct my headlights when driving at night. I don't think I see as well as I did when I was a kid.

You are right about the bouncing around in the back of the trailer I think. My so does carry a couple of mountain bikes in a hitch receiver on the back of his Subaru WRX wagon. They bounce enough that I wonder if the folding mechanism will fail from all the jostling.

For anyone that puts bikes and such on the back of the TM I suggest you have someone follow you once so they can report what is really happening.