Bike Rack suitable for fifth wheel

**Fsalmy** · 01-06-2022, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by nccamper

Hi Fslamy,
We are picking up our 3rd camper Saturday (31mb) and our first fifth wheel. I have done an extensive amount of research and keep coming back to the Alta 4 or 5 pack. Can you provide an update? Do you have any plans to reinforce the hitch? Just curious if you have any kids bikes too and how they fit like a 20 inch BMX? TIA for any additional info. I am thinking about just doing 3 bikes for now on the Alta and putting the smaller kids bikes in the truck bed in front of the hitch.

All 4 bikes are full size mountain bikes. The Alta is heavy and with the 4 bikes, total weight is probably close to 225-230 lbs, maybe more. Even with the ratchet straps attached to the beam clamps (third photo above), there is some wobble. But, the wobble is the whole rack moving with the receiver hitch. I am going to have a welder look at it soon to see what he thinks we can do to beef up the attachment points to the trailer frame.

I like that the Alta is very easy to load and unload and holds the bikes securely. In my estimation, it is superior to a 4-bike platform rack, at least as far as leverage arm on the hitch is concerned. I should weigh the whole setup, get some measurements and then maybe one of the engineers on here could calculate the force at the hitch.

**jkwilson** · 01-06-2022, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Fsalmy

All 4 bikes are full size mountain bikes. The Alta is heavy and with the 4 bikes, total weight is probably close to 225-230 lbs, maybe more. Even with the ratchet straps attached to the beam clamps (third photo above), there is some wobble. But, the wobble is the whole rack moving with the receiver hitch. I am going to have a welder look at it soon to see what he thinks we can do to beef up the attachment points to the trailer frame.

I like that the Alta is very easy to load and unload and holds the bikes securely. In my estimation, it is superior to a 4-bike platform rack, at least as far as leverage arm on the hitch is concerned. I should weigh the whole setup, get some measurements and then maybe one of the engineers on here could calculate the force at the hitch.

The leverage arm is longer than on platform hitch. It's the full length of the bikes. The difference is the forces from gravity and bouncing are applied mostly normal to the arm. Fore, aft and lateral motion will create a good deal of torque on the rack and hitch. The straps will share some of the load on lateral motion.

The "simple" answer would be for RV manufacturers to put a framework in the back wall to allow anchoring a bike rack a few feet above the mounting point to stabilize it.

**IBEW Sparky** · 01-06-2022, 07:23 PM

@Fsalmy

I'm looking for a taillight bar for the back of my RV and was wondering how this one has held up for you. Also how long is the 4 wire power feed and which end does it come out of the light strip?

Thanks!

**Fsalmy** · 01-07-2022, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by IBEW Sparky

@Fsalmy

I'm looking for a taillight bar for the back of my RV and was wondering how this one has held up for you. Also how long is the 4 wire power feed and which end does it come out of the light strip?

Thanks!

It has held up really well. The 3m adhesive strip appears to be sticking it very well - I cleaned the attachment point with isopropyl alcohol before mounting. The power harness wire is attached on the left side of the bar. I have it doubled back and zip-tied to the lower horizontal bar on the rack, and then plugged into the 4-way pin just to left of the receiver, so I would guess its probably 36" in total length.

**Fsalmy** · 04-10-2023, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Fsalmy

It has held up really well. The 3m adhesive strip appears to be sticking it very well - I cleaned the attachment point with isopropyl alcohol before mounting. The power harness wire is attached on the left side of the bar. I have it doubled back and zip-tied to the lower horizontal bar on the rack, and then plugged into the 4-way pin just to left of the receiver, so I would guess its probably 36" in total length.

Thought I would post an update on the Alta rack after our most recent trip. Although I mentioned it above, I never had the opportunity to get a welder to take a look at beefing up the receiver attachment points. The Alta rack has an internal (horizontal) and a vertical stabilizer. I have had to readjust the position and even the mounting direction on the vertical stabilizer to try and eliminate the up and down motion with varying, but not complete success. On this trip, after we pulled into a grocery store on Sunday afternoon and began to load the residential fridge, we noted there was no 110v power to the fridge or any of the GFCI protected outlets. The GFCI outlet in the bathroom had gone bad. Found a Lowe's about 10 miles away and headed there to get a new outlet at 5 pm on a Sunday. Replaced the outlet and reset the GFCI on the inverter in the Lowe's parking lot.

However, and with us and this camper, there is always a however, the entrance into Lowe's had a sharp grade change causing the receiver and bike rack to drag. The head of the grade 8 bolt on the vertical stabilizer sheared off even with the bottom stabilizer plate but the bolt was still tight to the underside of the receiver. See the link above with photos/videos of how it is attached/mounted. Tested up and down/side-to-side movement in rack and it was same as usual. Went back into Lowe's to find a replacement bolt but they didn't have the correct size or anything close in a Grade 8. Bought a Grade 5 that was close in length and figured I would replace it the next morning once we got to our destination.

Stopped for fuel with about 25 miles to go and found that the vertical stabilizer bolt had sheared off at the end of threaded end so it no longer prevented the up & down motion. Although I carry a pretty good tool set, there was nothing I could do with the bolt at the truck stop and the service bays were closed. Made sure the bolt to the internal stabilizer was secure and after closely inspecting the receiver and stinger of the rack, I decided to place a couple of more ratchet straps and headed to the campground. We weren't traveling any faster than 35 mph cause it was Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg and traffic was a nightmare. I was able to watch the motion of the rack with the rear view camera and even though it wasn't bad, I sure had the pucker factor going.

Early next morning I started working on the rack. Removed the rack but not without difficulty. The internal stabilizer bolt (Grade 8, 5/8" thread) was very stubborn but muscled it out. Threads on it were buggered. As were the threads in the internal stabilizer. I guess all the lever arm motion did a number on that hardened steel. I had to take the the vertical stabilizer to a machine shop to get the old bolt removed. Took the internal stabilizer to a Napa parts store, bought a 5/8" tap, borrowed their bench vise and a wrench and re-tapped two of the holes. (I had messed up the second threaded hole (see photo in link) by trying to force the old bolt through it. Bought new Grade 8 bolts at Napa for both stabilizers at a cost of $18 and took everything back to the campground. Reinstalled the rack with a longer vertical stabilizer bolt. Rack performed well the whole way home with very little up and down motion.

HOWEVER, after all of that, I'm fairly certain I'm done with a hitch mounted rack on a 5th wheel. The Alta is a good rack, doubt the rack itself will fail but there is just too much lever arm force on the receiver. Need to carry 4 bikes. If it was just two bikes, maybe I would think differently. Don't want a front mounted receiver for the truck because it interferes with adaptive cruise and maybe collision mitigation, or so I've heard. So, I'm now looking at roof racks for my F450. After this trip and on our way home (which is a whole 'nother story), my wife is now looking at Super C options and suggested we use her car as a TOAD and mount the bike rack to it. She may have a point, but I'll have to start a new thread asking for you all to talk me out of a Super C.

I saw on Alta Racks' website that their newest RV-rated rack requires a receiver capacity rating of 500 lbs. That should probably apply to my rack, too. And even if it was possible to put on a receiver with a 500 lb rating, I don't think I would after seeing first hand the incredible forces to which the whole system is subjected.

**nccamper** · 05-04-2023, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by Fsalmy

Thought I would post an update on the Alta rack after our most recent trip. Although I mentioned it above, I never had the opportunity to get a welder to take a look at beefing up the receiver attachment points. The Alta rack has an internal (horizontal) and a vertical stabilizer. I have had to readjust the position and even the mounting direction on the vertical stabilizer to try and eliminate the up and down motion with varying, but not complete success. On this trip, after we pulled into a grocery store on Sunday afternoon and began to load the residential fridge, we noted there was no 110v power to the fridge or any of the GFCI protected outlets. The GFCI outlet in the bathroom had gone bad. Found a Lowe's about 10 miles away and headed there to get a new outlet at 5 pm on a Sunday. Replaced the outlet and reset the GFCI on the inverter in the Lowe's parking lot.

However, and with us and this camper, there is always a however, the entrance into Lowe's had a sharp grade change causing the receiver and bike rack to drag. The head of the grade 8 bolt on the vertical stabilizer sheared off even with the bottom stabilizer plate but the bolt was still tight to the underside of the receiver. See the link above with photos/videos of how it is attached/mounted. Tested up and down/side-to-side movement in rack and it was same as usual. Went back into Lowe's to find a replacement bolt but they didn't have the correct size or anything close in a Grade 8. Bought a Grade 5 that was close in length and figured I would replace it the next morning once we got to our destination.

Stopped for fuel with about 25 miles to go and found that the vertical stabilizer bolt had sheared off at the end of threaded end so it no longer prevented the up & down motion. Although I carry a pretty good tool set, there was nothing I could do with the bolt at the truck stop and the service bays were closed. Made sure the bolt to the internal stabilizer was secure and after closely inspecting the receiver and stinger of the rack, I decided to place a couple of more ratchet straps and headed to the campground. We weren't traveling any faster than 35 mph cause it was Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg and traffic was a nightmare. I was able to watch the motion of the rack with the rear view camera and even though it wasn't bad, I sure had the pucker factor going.

Early next morning I started working on the rack. Removed the rack but not without difficulty. The internal stabilizer bolt (Grade 8, 5/8" thread) was very stubborn but muscled it out. Threads on it were buggered. As were the threads in the internal stabilizer. I guess all the lever arm motion did a number on that hardened steel. I had to take the the vertical stabilizer to a machine shop to get the old bolt removed. Took the internal stabilizer to a Napa parts store, bought a 5/8" tap, borrowed their bench vise and a wrench and re-tapped two of the holes. (I had messed up the second threaded hole (see photo in link) by trying to force the old bolt through it. Bought new Grade 8 bolts at Napa for both stabilizers at a cost of $18 and took everything back to the campground. Reinstalled the rack with a longer vertical stabilizer bolt. Rack performed well the whole way home with very little up and down motion.

HOWEVER, after all of that, I'm fairly certain I'm done with a hitch mounted rack on a 5th wheel. The Alta is a good rack, doubt the rack itself will fail but there is just too much lever arm force on the receiver. Need to carry 4 bikes. If it was just two bikes, maybe I would think differently. Don't want a front mounted receiver for the truck because it interferes with adaptive cruise and maybe collision mitigation, or so I've heard. So, I'm now looking at roof racks for my F450. After this trip and on our way home (which is a whole 'nother story), my wife is now looking at Super C options and suggested we use her car as a TOAD and mount the bike rack to it. She may have a point, but I'll have to start a new thread asking for you all to talk me out of a Super C.

I saw on Alta Racks' website that their newest RV-rated rack requires a receiver capacity rating of 500 lbs. That should probably apply to my rack, too. And even if it was possible to put on a receiver with a 500 lb rating, I don't think I would after seeing first hand the incredible forces to which the whole system is subjected.

Thank you for the update. I have had the Alta for a year now and I am almost at your point even though I have had an additional bar added to my hitch by a professional welder I still have stability concerns.

I came here to ask a question: the main issue I am having with my rack is the internal stabilizer bolt coming loose on every trip, even short trips. I am mostly on NC and SC highways so decent roads, but I have to stop and tighten every 2-3 hours or when I arrive. I put a grade 8 locking washer on, and that did not solve the issue. I am using the straps and the vertical stabilizer is secure. Any thoughts?

**Fsalmy** · 05-04-2023, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by nccamper

Thank you for the update. I have had the Alta for a year now and I am almost at your point even though I have had an additional bar added to my hitch by a professional welder I still have stability concerns.

I came here to ask a question: the main issue I am having with my rack is the internal stabilizer bolt coming loose on every trip, even short trips. I am mostly on NC and SC highways so decent roads, but I have to stop and tighten every 2-3 hours or when I arrive. I put a grade 8 locking washer on, and that did not solve the issue. I am using the straps and the vertical stabilizer is secure. Any thoughts?

Is your vertical stabilizer securely tightened? I've never had a problem with the internal stabilizer bolt loosening before, but when the vertical bolt head and threaded shank were sheared off, the resulting motion stripped the threads on both the 5/8" internal stabilizer bolt and the stabilizer itself. Maybe re-tapping the internal stabilizer would help? Did you replace the bolt when you added the grade 8 lock washer? I torque that bolt as tight as I can get it - it did come with a grade 8 lock washer. Haven't used a torque wrench, but I do use a half inch drive socket and breaker bar. The only places I have found the correct bolt size (5/8" - 11 coarse) in grade 8 are Napa, Grainger and our local Farmer's Co-Op. Our nearby Lowe's, HD, AutoZone, etc. don't carry it, nor does an old-time hardware store.

Another option is to contact Alta Racks directly. The owner responded directly and was very helpful regarding an installation issue I had.

**IBEW Sparky** · 05-04-2023, 08:57 AM

@Fsalmy

I have a similar version of this Swagman 5 bike carrier. Mine was purchased 15 or more years ago and has held up extremely well. The only thing I did different was to get rid of the pin you remove to tilt it down and replace it with a 5/8" hardened steel bolt. I use it with an anti rattle clamp and nothing moves... up & down or side to side with tens of thousands of miles of usage.

Swagman XP 5 Folding Hitch Bike Rack https://a.co/d/e1N7uLF

As for anti rattle clamps I've tried several and none of the single bolt clamps that others have shown here in photos have worked well... I now use one similar to this and it always stays tight and eliminates any play in the hitch.

https://a.co/d/aFTixhS

**Fsalmy** · 05-04-2023, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by IBEW Sparky

@Fsalmy

I have a similar version of this Swagman 5 bike carrier. Mine was purchased 15 or more years ago and has held up extremely well. The only thing I did different was to get rid of the pin you remove to tilt it down and replace it with a 5/8" hardened steel bolt. I use it with an anti rattle clamp and nothing moves... up & down or side to side with tens of thousands of miles of usage.

Swagman XP 5 Folding Hitch Bike Rack https://a.co/d/e1N7uLF

As for anti rattle clamps I've tried several and none of the single bolt clamps that others have shown here in photos have worked well... I now use one similar to this and it always stays tight and eliminates any play in the hitch.

https://a.co/d/aFTixhS

Thanks for the reply. In some older Alta Rack videos on their website, you can see where Alta used the clamp to which you linked. According to the owner, after some testing following clamp failures, Alta decided to design their own vertical stabilizer and started shipping all of their racks with the vertical stabilizer system. Alta no longer recommends the anti-rattle clamp. However, I'm willing to try it. Wish it was grade 8.

Edit: As far as the Swagman, and speaking from experience with similar Thule and Yakima racks, that type doesn't work with a couple of our full suspension, carbon frame MTBs, even with top-tube adaptors.

**IBEW Sparky** · 05-04-2023, 10:12 AM

@Fsalmy

What I especially like about this version of the Swagman bike rack is each craddle can be positioned at the desired angle needed to keep each bike perpendicular to the ground without the use of an additional top tube adapter bar on my wife's bike.

**NOTE** my bike rack say Hidden Hitch on it but that's only because they were the company that installed it along with the truck hitch on my previous vehicle. It had a Swagman label on it also.