Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Fleet | Keystone RV Models > Fifth Wheels
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 01-15-2011, 04:01 PM   #1
Smitty
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: upper Michigan
Posts: 84
Pull out bumper rack for bikes

I have a Cougar Fifth Wheel 327RES with the pull out bumper rack. It has a rod that you can secure upright with a large cotter pin. This rod looks like it would be used for securing your bicycles to it. I currently use a bolt on bike rack which has hoops that you put the tires into and also has the upright pole that you then secure the bikes to. What I cannot figure out is how you would securely hold your bikes on the pull out rack since the bottom looks like ribbed plastic and the upright rod just doesn't seem like it would hold the bikes alone. Anyone use the rack for bikes? If so can you give me some pointers or modifications that would work for two bikes. Thanks
__________________
2016 Montana 3160RL
Smitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-15-2011, 04:19 PM   #2
antiqfreq
Senior Member
 
antiqfreq's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Soperton, Georgia
Posts: 1,540
Our bike rack is out permanently. The DH made up something to bolt it in place. We do carry our 2 mountain bikes on it and we have traveled the 85% of the states this past year and no problem at all.

Jo
Moderator
__________________
2007 Keystone 291RLS
2003 Ford F250, 4x4, SB, CC
7.3L diesel, Banks Exhaust Brake
ISSPRO pillar gauges
Pullrite 15K sliding hitch
2-Honda Eu2000i's in toolbox
2012 Polaris 400
2012 Polaris 330
antiqfreq is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-15-2011, 06:44 PM   #3
hankpage
Site Team
 
hankpage's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Venice
Posts: 5,346
I used the top of my old hitch mount rack slid over the post Keystone provides. The bikes are secured this way with the rack slid out and with the rack in it can still work the way it did when hitch mounted. It's not a very good photo but I think you can get the idea.
__________________
Hank & Lynn
2007 Cougar 290RKS, E-Z Flex, 16" XPS RIBs ( SOLD .. Gonna miss her ... looking for new 5r)
2004.5 Dodge 2500 QC, LB, 5.9HO, WestTach gauges, Ride-Rite
hankpage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-15-2011, 08:07 PM   #4
Smitty
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: upper Michigan
Posts: 84
Hank, are your bikes hanging? Is that one of the trailer racks where the bikes hang from the frames? Another ? Can you still fold the upright pole down and slide the rack back under the rv?
__________________
2016 Montana 3160RL
Smitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2011, 06:21 AM   #5
Jim W
Senior Member
 
Jim W's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego Il
Posts: 820
Hi,
My DW and I used the slide out bike rack once last year. I used bungee cords to secure the bikes to the up right post and the pull out frame rails. The bikes tended to slide down the post as the trailer bounces on the road. My DW bike was scratched a little, but it is a mountain bike and there are scratches on it already. Next time out, I will use one of my older bike racks that I have to support the bikes better. I have three of them so I can use what ever parts I need from them to get the job done.
I am thinking of using the old roof mounted van rack that I had from Thule. This could be secured to the frame and than the bikes could be secured to the rack using the front fork and rear tires. The front tires and seats would ride in the basement when transporting.
Jim
__________________
Jim & Jill
2010 318SAB Cougar
2008 Dodge 6.7LCummins the original 6.7L engine, w/68RFE Auto
Jim W is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2011, 10:40 AM   #6
hankpage
Site Team
 
hankpage's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Venice
Posts: 5,346
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
Hank, are your bikes hanging? Is that one of the trailer racks where the bikes hang from the frames? Another ? Can you still fold the upright pole down and slide the rack back under the rv?
?1: No, the bikes are on the plastic floor of the slide-out. The arms of the rack are between the two bikes to hold them down.

?2: Yes, I can face the arms to the front over the plastic floor or to the rear over the bumper. ( Facing front the bikes swing just enough that hit the trailer on severe bumps securing like in the photo they don't move at all )

?3: You don't need to fold the pole down (on my Cougar anyway) to close the slide-out. In this position I face the arms to the rear and can hang the bikes the way the hitch mount rack was designed to work.

I hope your not as confused as I am. If the back of the trailer wasn't buried in a snow drift I would take better pics. Hank
__________________
Hank & Lynn
2007 Cougar 290RKS, E-Z Flex, 16" XPS RIBs ( SOLD .. Gonna miss her ... looking for new 5r)
2004.5 Dodge 2500 QC, LB, 5.9HO, WestTach gauges, Ride-Rite
hankpage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2011, 02:43 PM   #7
Smitty
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: upper Michigan
Posts: 84
Thanks Hank and others too. Hank I think I follow your explanation. What you are using is hooked onto the bumper of your slide out?? and that's why you can swing the bikes around. My slideout bumper has a flimsy what I'd say is a 1x1 square steel pole that actually lays down in the plastic floor when not in use and you put it upright and secure with a large cotter key and then secure the bikes to the pole. Not a very good system. Wouldn't trust it with the bikes I have. My add on bike rack bolts to the 4x4 bumper and extends past the spare tire so pulling out the slide bumper at this point would extend a good 5 to 6 feet beyond trailer and this fiver is long enough without the extra feet. I would like to use the slideout and take my rack off then I could push the bumper back in when not using the bikes saving the excess length.
__________________
2016 Montana 3160RL
Smitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2011, 01:45 PM   #8
byrdr1
Senior Member
 
byrdr1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,037
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
Thanks Hank and others too. Hank I think I follow your explanation. What you are using is hooked onto the bumper of your slide out?? and that's why you can swing the bikes around. My slideout bumper has a flimsy what I'd say is a 1x1 square steel pole that actually lays down in the plastic floor when not in use and you put it upright and secure with a large cotter key and then secure the bikes to the pole. Not a very good system. Wouldn't trust it with the bikes I have. My add on bike rack bolts to the 4x4 bumper and extends past the spare tire so pulling out the slide bumper at this point would extend a good 5 to 6 feet beyond trailer and this fiver is long enough without the extra feet. I would like to use the slideout and take my rack off then I could push the bumper back in when not using the bikes saving the excess length.
Bungee cords & racket straps.. I used ours on the TT before the 5er. I haven't had to use 5ers yet. I bungee the tires down at each end then I bungee the bikes around the middle to the upright pole. I have used a racket strap also, it locks them down good. I haven't had any problems. I have used it with my generator, 10x20 tent all with the racket strap holding them in place. It will work but I don't have high dollars bikes either if that is a concern. I have used it with various combinations of stuff on the back side.
__________________

Randy "Camp On"
2011 Cougar 327RES
2014 Ford F-350, 6.7L 4X4, CC, SRW
byrdr1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2011, 03:24 PM   #9
chuckretnav
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 91
Cool Bike rack 327res

I havnt used the slide out on the rear. But I too am concerned about more length. The 327 is already 36ft then you add the pull out on the rear and you add another 3 - 4 ft. With the slide in I went into a Mc donalds that was made for Trucks and Bus and it had a pretty good rise in the drive. No problem getting in but coming out I almost lost my spare tires. When I stopped next time both my spares had drug the ground and had bent the spare tire rack. Last Nov I went to Texas and to FL and a couple of places I fuled at I did a walk around and due to driveways and parking lots I found that I had very little clearnce under the rear bumber. I have been carreing my spares in the bed of my truck. I have thought of getting a bike rack that hangs on the ladder. Im thinking the slide out bumber is more trouble on the 327 than its worth.
chuckretnav is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2011, 04:17 PM   #10
chuckretnav
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 91
327 Length

I forgot to mention that on the 327res from the rear axle to the rear bumper it is 13 ft. One heck of tail swing and overhang to drag in low spots.
chuckretnav is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2011, 05:29 PM   #11
caberto
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 27
We carry our two mountain bikes on the rear slide-out bumper all the time. That post with the pin works fine.

I put some foam pipe insulation on the post and secured with duct tape so as not to scratch the bikes. I use a strap to secure the bikes to the post (the eyelet faces outward), and three bungees to put pressure from different points on the platform to keep the bikes from shifting around.

No issues.
__________________
- Albert
2010 Keystone Cougar 324RLB,
2005 GMC 2500HD Duramax/Allison, CC, 4x4
caberto is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2011, 01:44 AM   #12
66ken
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Plymouth,Ia
Posts: 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by caberto View Post
We carry our two mountain bikes on the rear slide-out bumper all the time. That post with the pin works fine.

I put some foam pipe insulation on the post and secured with duct tape so as not to scratch the bikes. I use a strap to secure the bikes to the post (the eyelet faces outward), and three bungees to put pressure from different points on the platform to keep the bikes from shifting around.

No issues.

I do the same with mine and have had no problems. Had a small accident with the tail swing, learned I need a spotter in tight areas.
__________________
2010 2500HD LTZ Duramax
2010 Cougar 327RES
66ken is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:35 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.