Bumper support Bike Rack

KE

Ken LaFleur

New Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
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1
Location
Ypsilanti, MI
I have a 2004 Hi-lo 22' towlite trailer with a 4" bumper. Will the bumper support a bike rack or will I need to reinforce it. I would like to haul my 2 bikes around.

Please let me know. Thanks.. Ken
 
It's in addition to the bumper spare tire. The rack attaches "around" the bumper. No drilling of the bumper is required. I carried two mountain bikes on it with no difficulty and drove over a VERY rough dirt road (about 10 miles worth) on our first trip with the bikes.

This is the kind I have: RV Bumper 2 Bike Rack for Around the Spare Tire - Swagman Around the Spare Mighty Rack Swagman RV and Motorhome Bike Racks S80500 I had to cut slots in the aluminum lid that folds down over the storage area in front of the bumper so that it would close over the attachment u-bolts, but other than that, installation was simple.

- Jack
 
Thanks Jack.

I asked because I was curious if the bumper can support a bike rack, two bikes, a spare tire carrier, and the spare. Your experience shows that it can. I already have a bike rack that attaches to a square trailer hitch receiver. I may get a receiver that mounts to the bumper and use my existing rack.
 
I would be afraid to put a receiver on the bumper for a bike rack. There would a lot of stress concentrated into a small area. The bike rack mentioned above spreads the stress out and all around the bumper. I'm not an engineer, just theorizing. If you can mount it to the frame rather than the bumper it may be stronger.
 
I think that it will work OK. The bumper itself is pretty stout. I am concerned about the welds at each end.
 
I guess what I was getting at was concern for the gauge of the metal in the bumper and what it can hold. Or something like that. :)
 
Rich is correct, the guage of steel is rather thin if a bumper hitch is welded to it, I have welded alot of steel before, even with the lowest setting on the wdlder, you can poke holes in the thin steel, a better place is the frame and maybe couple of tack welds at the bumper, however with the box shape of bumper it has a lot of strenght with 4 sides if a bike rack wraps around it.
 
I don't intend to weld a hitch adapter on. I'm going to use a bolt-on/clamp-on one like these. I just need to make sure that the adapter clears the trailer top when it is in the down position.:
https://www.curtmfg.com/masterlibrary/19100/images/19100_1024x768_b.jpg
http://www.centrevilletrailer.com/parts/images_parts/3273trailerpart.jpg
http://www.cargogear.com/catimages/survbumpCAT.jpg
http://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/StoreHandler.ashx?media=1596&id=10661

As Rich mentioned, an adapter like this would concentrate the load in a small area. I'm not too concerned with this because a square tube is good at resisting a twisting moment.

My concern is with the bumper, where it is welded to the trailer frame. From what Rich and others say, their bumpers hold up to carrying bikes and a spare tire, so it looks like this is not an issue.

Incidentally, the wall of the bumper is not too thin to weld. Not only is it welded to the frame, but the spare tire carrier is welded to the bumper. Having said that, my welding skills are not that great; so I don't intend to weld in this area.
 
Raul, the bike carrier I posted a link to clears the top with no problem.

When I'm not carrying the bikes, I either reverse the top half of the carrier so the horizontal bars are over the spare tire, or I just take it off.

- Jack
 
Thanks everyone for your input. I think I'm going to purchase the Swagman rv2 bumper trailer hitch receiver and mount it next to my existing tire based on the feedback I got. Sounds like I have a pretty sturdy bumper if I use all four sides of the bumper. That way, I can use my existing bike rack with it and save a few $$.

Once again thanks for you input and concerns. Let me know if I shouldn't do it if you have any additional concerns or issues.

Ken
 
Bike Rack

I have been at our HiLo dealer and have seen them welding a HiLo to fit a bike rack on the back of the trailer. Please call Jay Simon at Mantelli Trailer sales. He can give you the particulars on the welding. !-716-625-8877. In other words it is a no no to put anything with weight on the back bumper.
 
All I can say is "Good Luck!". That is a lot of leverage to place on a receiver unless it is firmly welded to the trailer frame. You are liable to find the whole thing bent over with the bicycles dragging on the road. I have seen that. Just because it can fit into the receiver doesn't mean it is suited to your particular situation. Sorry!
 
RichR said:
All I can say is "Good Luck!". That is a lot of leverage to place on a receiver unless it is firmly welded to the trailer frame. You are liable to find the whole thing bent over with the bicycles dragging on the road. I have seen that. Just because it can fit into the receiver doesn't mean it is suited to your particular situation. Sorry!
Click to expand...

Those were my thoughts too, Rich. I don't like the bending moment on that single bar that goes into the hitch receiver. It looks like a lot of force concentrated at a single point.

- Jack
 
Adding a bike hitch on back of trailer.

Agree with the previous two posters. That is why our HiLo dealer devised a way to modify and weld to the HiLo frame to make it safe to carry bikes. My brother travels from his home in Cleveland,Ohio to Youngstown,NY and has told me he sees many bikes come flying off the back of vehicles on the thruway. Dangerous for the driver in back of them. We sometimes lay bikes on our couch beds to transport. Very cost effective. One of our club members lost his lawn chairs that he had strapped to the back of his HiLo. Bungie cords don't hold up to wind and travel.
 
That is a hostile environment back there and it takes a good strong and well secured device to hold everything together. Everything you add back there takes weight off the tongue which can cause problems.
 
JackandJanet said:
Yes, it will. I've carried two bikes on my trailer's bumper with a bumper rack.

- Jack
Click to expand...

Hi we have carried 2 bikes for a couple of years on our 2806C, BUT this year the welds on the bumper gave, the bumper twisted till the bikes were on an angle-bouncing on the road.Luckily a passing motorist alerted us to the problem. A new bike tire and sewer hose were needed. We have just replaced the bumper with a heavier gauge one .We put a piece of the old one at the end to accommodate the hose attachment as the heavier gauge is smaller inside. We also beefed up where it attached to the frame.Hope this catches you in time.
Lesley
 
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