Rear bumper bike rack

[Devanl]

I have one of these for my car that I was hoping to put on the rear bumper of our 2800bh.

https://loloracks.com

Regardless of the weight I was thinking of having a custom fab bumper with the receiver in the middle. (I keep my black hose in a tote in pass through). With the 5 bikes it can get pretty heavy so I’m curious what people think on this. Can I just replace the existing bumper with one mounted in the same way (it appears to be bolted to frame)?

Thanks,
Devan

[Gronk1]

Is the rack approved for RV's? Like you said it's gonna be heavy, unless the bikes are carbon fiber or titanium. Five bikes will bounce quite a bit...I wouldn't do it personally.

I wanted to use one of my existing racks, but they didn't work for my situation. I have a Yakima roof rack for two of the lighter bikes, a 2 inch hitch receiver with rack on the front of my truck for two heavier bikes, & my pride & joy rides on the bed in the trailer.

[traveldawg]

I don't think there is a bike rack rated for a travel trailer. Even bike racks for 5th wheels that manufactures recommend are far and few between (Hollywood is one brand that has one for 5th wheel).

So maybe 5 bikes on the back isn't such a good idea?

gosh... I feel like a 'bubble buster' having said all that. I went back to see what you are pulling with thinking you could put the bikes in the bed of your truck. But I see you have an SUV. Maybe throw a few in the tow vehicle and a few inside the camper?

oh - I've seen some racks that go up front over the propane bottles... might be able to put some up there?

[jkwilson]

I don’t think there is any way to even consider 5 bikes behind any kind of trailer. The way the back of the trailer moves because of the distance between the rear axle and bumper produces significantly more motion than a car. The site specifically warns you not to use them on RVs.

You may need a roof rack along with a two bike rack on the back of the trailer.

[jleonard]

On my last trip I saw a trailer with either 4 or 5 bikes on the bumper. I actually saw the rig twice. Once when it passed me when I was doing 65, and once again an our later as it was getting back on the highway on the entrance ramp.
Those bikes had to be moving a foot at the top of the rack. I was surprised they held on.
He got on the expressway a couple of cars ahead of me and in a minute I could no longer see it.
So yes, that's too many bikes for back there.

[JFF&KRN]

I would also make note and caution, what seems to be pretty stable, does change quite a bit when at the tail end of the trailer. The trailer itself bounces some and causes whatever attached to act kind of like a whip when bouncing happens. If you are going to customize a rack, get one made so they set in like a cradle and supported not only in the middle with receiver, but on the ends as well, keep them low and tight and maybe only three back there.

[Rabbit]

The more weight added to the back, the lighter the tongue weight and increased likelihood of sway.

[sande005]

Good points by others. From the web site FAQ for your rack: "Please note: the 4 and 6 bike racks are not for rv or camper trailer use regardless of hitch rating."

Racks on the rear of a trailer are just a bad idea. Some will install a welded on receiver to use a rack, but even they can fail. It has to be way oversized, typical "300 lb" versions just won't do. The rack has to stick out further to clear the rear, and that makes the distance from the trailer axels even further. Which means a much longer moment arm for the weight to be pounding up and down as you go down the road. Don't even begin to think of a bumper or ladder install, even with welded supports. Most rack manufacturers warn against or specifically prohibit use on an RV. There are a couple (Swagman, Yakima) but even then you have to download and look at the manual of the specific model to make sure.
That much weight that far back WILL significantly lighten your tongue weight, and increase the chances of sway, which can be fatal.

5 bikes is a huge challenge. Explore options to "T" off of your current hitch in front, put a hitch on the front of the truck, use the bed of the truck, or get an over the tongue rack (there are several for 2 bikes) custom made. Or a combination of all.

[JFF&KRN]

All good, great and awesome information. Just a quick note on mine and all the others I have made for my previous fifth wheels, bumper pulls and family members. The ones I have made have replaced what was there and normally are an addition or extension of the frame, bolted or welded,(the ones in the past) make it stable. For example my existing one. Original hitch did weigh in at about 60lbs. with a 300lb capacity. That is 360 pounds extended from the rear in a receiver. The one in my recent picture weighs about 30 pounds with bolts, 130 lbs generator full of gas, spare tire at about 70 lbs, and two fold up bikes about 30 lbs each and bike rack at about 25 lbs. So we are somewhere between 300 and 325 pounds total. When we have had friends behind us, we haven't any movement of the bikes or bolted on items.

[dkayak]

It’s tough to generalize. Trailer length, bike weights, and rack design (strength, rigidity, and how well bikes are secured) are big variables.

I’m very comfortable with my Curt bumper mounted receiver, a 50 lb Thule T2 rack, and a couple of very snugly secured 18-26 lb bikes on my short trailer. My rear camera and a friend following confirm there’s no bouncing. GD told me the bumper is rated for 300 lb and said I should be fine. My professional assessment of the bumper to frame welds confirms that. I happily stuff enough extra into the pass through to offset any reduction of tongue weight. All is well.

However, five typical recreational bikes is a potentially massive load. Many racks, even RV rated ones, allow a lot of sloppy movement of the bikes and rack, producing inertia loads several times higher than the combined rack/bike weights. These inertia loads make a huge difference and are magnified on long rigs with receivers further behind the rear axle. Receiver and bumper welded/bolted joint designs vary a lot too in terms of fatigue strength.

So beware of generalizations via the interweb. Many setups will be fine, while others will be risky or even doomed to fatigue failure. The answer is not always, it’s not never, and it’s not easily discerned. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.