Adding a bike rack to the Cougar bumper

[FamilyO]

We take delivery of our 2013 Cougar this week and are planning our first trip. On our previous camper we had a hitch on the back bumper where we attached a bike rack. In looking at the Cougar we are concerned about the bumper supporting a bike rack. Has anyone ever tried it? Do you have any other suggestions? We usually take two or three adults bikes on our trips.
Thanks for your help!

[Festus2]

I think almost everyone on here would caution you about adding a bike rack to the bumper without first doing some modifications. Some members have had bike receivers welded not to the bumper but to the frame. Others have had modifications made directly to the bumper to strengthen it.
If you do a forum search, there are a lot of posts/threads about this very topic. Some members have included photos of the modifications.
Rather than start this topic all over again, you might want to search the forum for this already thoroughly discussed topic. If you read these posts, I am sure many of your concerns and questions will be answered. If you can't find enough information and suggestions after your search, we'd be pleased to help you out.

(I don't want to put off answering your question more thoroughly but I would be repeating what has already been said about bike racks many times before. Also, welcome to the forum!)

[rjsurfer]

I agree with Festus be very careful with adding any extra weight to the bumper.

What I did was remove the rear spare tire and carrier, I now carry the spare in truck bed. Then I added a bike rack to the bumper. The total weight on the bumper is now less than before.

I also check the bumper mounting points and welds before any trip.

Ron W.

[The Sod Father]

Don't do it. I will go one step further and suggest that if you value your bikes, put them either inside the trailer or in the bed of your tow vehicle.

Prior to owning my Bullet, I was the proud owner of a Rockwood 8317SS. I had a receiver welded to the frame because I knew the bumper would not be able to handle 2 mountain bikes and a spare tire. What I DIDN'T realize was that, unlike a passenger vehicle, the trailer suspension is not dampened by shock absorbers. Ergo, every bump in the road is transmitted through the bike rack and to the bikes. Result? the bikes and bike rack take a beating. I had a Yakima hitch rack literally fall apart during a 12 hour trip. I lost parts but fortunately did not lose bikes.

Now I use bike bags and keep the bikes inside the trailer. The trailer stays clean and the bikes get to bounce on their tires so shock is absorbed.

[Outbackmel]

I hauled 2 mtn bikes all over with the only issue being the bounce. I JUST put a Swagman type hauler which supports tires separately, removed that huge, heavy spare and ready to rock and roll. The weight is likely less, certainly not more. The bikes are more secure in this type of carrier.

[therink]

It all depends the qulity of bumper and welds that Keystone decided to give you. I was lucky to have a good solid tube and a good factory weld job to the frame.
I installed a two piece bolt on 4 bike rack (the type that the bike tires fit into grooves). It has 4 points that clamp to the bumper (very heavy duty). I purchased 1/8" stock steel from Lowes and placed the pieces on the top and bottom sides of bumper tube to provide reinforcement between the tube and the bike rack brackets. The rack has been unbelievably stable and doesn't move a bit with me jumping on it or loaded with 3 bikes going down the road. h
It had worked well for 3 years now. It is important that your bumper is up to the task before considering a rack. Warranty will not cover damage from aftermarket installed equip.
Steve

[coburke4]

The Keystone bumper is Not a good option to attach a bike rack. I recently put on a receiver hitch on my Cougar XLite. Welded 2 pieces of 3 inch channel to the frame. Then welded 2 inch receiver tubing to 3 inch channel. Materials cost $65.00 not counting the welding rod. This recover hitch will hold up to any bike rack. Yakima receiver bike racks are the best. Look at the Holdup 2 & 4 rack.

[alien_scones]

Can you upload pics of the results?

Does anyone have any pictures to describe a "poor bumper weld" ?

I have the bolt-on 2" receiver hitch and a Yakima 4 bike rack. Both the Yakima and spare tire ride along the 4" bumper tube. The weld appears solid with a nice consistent bead. No sign of strain after a 2,000 mile trip.

[Festus2]

alien scones -

If you have the spare tire, the bike rack and possibly 4 bikes supported only by your RV's bumper, I think that setup is an accident waiting to happen. You may have travelled 2000 miles without any problem and may travel more miles without incident -- BUT..... What if you were travelling down a busy freeway, the whole thing suddenly gave way and caused a horrific accident involving vehicles travelling behind you?
The bumper is just not designed to take that much weight and stress bouncing up and down while going down the road.
Why take the chance that nothing will happen?

[Jay D]

Has anyone looked into a hitch on the front of the truck??? I saw one on Chevy this past weekend.

[Philip Saran]

I called Keystone and asked about adding the bike rack, tech dept's answer was, no
bumper was only rated to hold 150 lbs and I already have a spare tire back there.

I carry my two bikes in the bed of my truck.

[therink]

Here are photos of my bumper mounted rack. 2nd photo shows the stock pieces of reinforcing steel that I have sandwiched in between the bumper tube and brackets. Both upper and lower sides. There is literally no flex or bouncing of the rack whatsoever. I have personally ridden behind my trailer on a bumpy highway to verify this. I also use ratchet straps to tightly secure the bikes to the rack to eliminate any movement.
Going on 3 yrs with this set up and no sign of fatigue to bumper or welds. I will say that without the upper and lower reinforcing steel, the bumper will flatten upon tightening of the bracket bolts. The bumper material is quite thin. Also notice that my bumper is also wrapped with aluminum diamond plate (came from factory with it) . I think this has added strength to the tube.

[Johnnyfry]

Like outbackmel I use s Swagman rack which holds the tires. I keep the tire in the truck and run a nylon ratchet cargo strap through the bike frames to the ladder. This helps prevent vibration and puts some of the load on the ladder.

It has worked for me for more than 20K miles including the Alaska highway with no problems. I check for cracks and have found none.

Do not pull the sliding rack out under any circumstances as it increases the lever arm strain.

John

[Johnnyfry]

I meant to say that I keep the trailer spare in the truck bed, not the bike tires.

John

[therink]

I meant to say that I keep the trailer spare in the truck bed, not the bike tires.

John

I removed the spare from the bumper and carry in the truck bed as well.

[Festus2]

Removing the spare goes a long way in reducing the amount of weight and stress on the bumper. If you leave the spare on and add a bike rack with bikes to an unreinforced bumper --- you are asking for trouble, IMO.

[ktosv]

No sign of strain after a 2,000 mile trip.

It's not the immediate failure to be concerned about (all though it could happen). The bumper will fail under fatigue. I know someone who's hitch receiver mounted to their frame failed after a few years.

There are several things that factor into how well putting bikes at the back of a trailer will work. The longer the distance between the rear axle and the bikes the larger the beating and larger the force that will be put on the bumper (and or hitch, welds, etc) due to bumps and bouncing.

With our previous trailer that was 24', I had a receiver made and I installed it myself. In seven years of camping I never had a problem. When we upgraded I adapted that receiver to fit the new trailer. But due to the length of the trailer I try not to use the rack as much and only put two bikes on for long trips and only put four bikes on for local trips (<20 miles).

Removing the spare tire helps, but my bike rack sticks out about 1' from the tire. Even with two 25# bikes on the rack, that bike rack will exert more force on the bumper than the spare tire alone.

[Philip Saran]

You can add a hitch to your front bumper/frame, the quote I got was
a little less than $300 installed. I'm looking at that idea since I need
to add a cab high shell to my truck for secure storage.

[ebomb]

well i guess i was a little to late to the forum as i just bought a new 4 place thule bike rack and a 2'' receiver to u bolt to the bumper so i didn't have to put the bikes in the bed:(. but i also noticed on my 2012 29rbk cougar that my bumper doesn't stick out as far, it has the spare and grill attachment on there to. the bumper only stick out halfway past the back wall of the camper. i guess i should call keystone and find out:o

[Festus2]

If you have your spare tire, a BBQ attachment AND a bike rack capable of holding 4 bikes, most of which are attached by U-bolts to an unreinforced, flimsy bumper, this is a very unsafe arrangement - regardless of how far your bumper extends past the end of the camper.

I'd be very surprised if Keystone told you that this setup is just fine and carrying up to 4 bikes would be okay. I certainly wouldn't want to be following you when you are going down the freeway or any highway with all that stuff u-bolted to your bumper.

It's not too late to make this situation safe for everyone by making some proper modifications by welding the 2" receiver directly to your frame. Take the tire and put it in the back of your TV.

There are numerous posts and threads here on the forum about bike racks along with some excellent, mods that others have done so that they can safely carry bikes. Try doing a forum search and check these out.

[Outbackmel]

Keystone will not advise you. It's called LIABILITY. Take that heavy spare off and put it in your truck. Period. OR, go to a welding shop and have them make you a bumper. Even then, too much STUFF back there. I tried it and does not make for peace of mind. Now carry only 2 bikes, with wheel supported carrier. I also put one on the ladder. Anything else goes UNDER the rv in storage.
Its not only your safety but others on the road as well.

[ebomb]

so i called keystone and was told no more than 150lbs on the bumper,WTF!! this might be the straw that broke the camels back, i just bought this 2012 rbi back in june and it has been in the shop 3 times so far, every time i go on a trip i have a list of things that need to be fixed:( and then to top it off when i called keystone to ask about the bumper weight i complained about how many times its been to the dealer and the customer support said I'm not the only one that has the problems:eek: i was shocked, is aid were the quality control when they build these and the support tech agreed with me.does it get better? cause I'm ready to take a loss and try and buy back my 96 sun line that i didn't have a payment on. not a happy camper right now!!!

[Festus2]

Notwithstanding the other issues you have with your RV, you can still utilize the bike rack and the 2" receiver you have. If you weld the receiver to the frame, you can use the bike rack to safely carry the bikes. If you have room in your truck bed, the spare tire can be carried there.
I realize that making these modifications will require you to spend more $$$ which you are probably not enthusiastic about. Rather than take a loss on this RV, it might be worth your while to look into making changes that will allow you to take your bikes with you. If that is important, then it might be to your advantage to do that.
Numerous members have expressed concern about the lack of quality control at Keystone. I know that doesn't make you feel any better but you are not alone in your complaint. Unfortunately, Keystone just doesn't seem to care enough about quality control to make any changes. They hear but they don't listen.
It might be better in the long run to just bite the bullet and do the modifications and forget about dealing with Keystone. If you don't, it could result in an unhealthy rise in your blood pressure!
I hope you can find some resolution to your problem with the bumper.

[SteveC7010]

so i called keystone and was told no more than 150lbs on the bumper,WTF!! this might be the straw that broke the camels back, i just bought this 2012 rbi back in june and it has been in the shop 3 times so far, every time i go on a trip i have a list of things that need to be fixed:( and then to top it off when i called keystone to ask about the bumper weight i complained about how many times its been to the dealer and the customer support said I'm not the only one that has the problems:eek: i was shocked, is aid were the quality control when they build these and the support tech agreed with me.does it get better? cause I'm ready to take a loss and try and buy back my 96 sun line that i didn't have a payment on. not a happy camper right now!!!

My Cougar has a factory sticker listing the max bumper load right on it. I bet yours came with one, too. It's a known fact and should not be a surprise. Keystone didn't hide it from you. And your Sunline had a max bumper weight of only 100# so it's not a new condition and it sure is not exclusive to Keystone.

While you may be having legit problems otherwise, the bumper weight thing isn't among them. If you buy back your Sunline, you're getting an even flimsier bumper.

[ebomb]

My Cougar has a factory sticker listing the max bumper load right on it. I bet yours came with one, too. It's a known fact and should not be a surprise. Keystone didn't hide it from you. And your Sunline had a max bumper weight of only 100# so it's not a new condition and it sure is not exclusive to Keystone.

While you may be having legit problems otherwise, the bumper weight thing isn't among them. If you buy back your Sunline, you're getting an even flimsier bumper.

There was no sticker on my bumper! And my 96 sunline that I owned never had nearly as many issues I've had w/ my 3 month old cougar! My point is if u spend close to 30,000.00 on a new camper u would think there would little to no issues, but I understand it is a camper, but the quality is just not there for the price! And when u call keystone and the guy on the tech line agrees that the quality control sucks, then I feel there is a legal issue and we all should be entitled to some kind of refund for all the frustrations! Cause it a inconvenience for me to have to bring camper back after every trip w/ it

[SteveC7010]

There was no sticker on my bumper! And my 96 sunline that I owned never had nearly as many issues I've had w/ my 3 month old cougar! My point is if u spend close to 30,000.00 on a new camper u would think there would little to no issues, but I understand it is a camper, but the quality is just not there for the price! And when u call keystone and the guy on the tech line agrees that the quality control sucks, then I feel there is a legal issue and we all should be entitled to some kind of refund for all the frustrations! Cause it a inconvenience for me to have to bring camper back after every trip w/ it

My Cougar is a year old. It has been back to the dealer's twice. The first trip was to complete a punch list of small things that needed to be repaired. But my trailer was a floor demo for several months. We expected some very minor damage (which the dealer graciously fixed including replacing the mattress) because of all the prospective customers tromping through it and kicking the tires. But then they lopped $15K off the sticker price before we even started negotiating a deal.

The second trip was for the installation of the slide toppers and no other reason.

I bought my '99 Sunline brand new and loved it for 11 years. But it had its share of trips to the dealership for repairs and recalls, too. The documentation on that trailer was even worse than the Keystone manual. But I will agree that Sunline's customer service was among the best in the business.

[Festus2]

My point is if u spend close to 30,000.00 on a new camper u would think there would little to no issues, but I understand it is a camper, but the quality is just not there for the price! And when u call keystone and the guy on the tech line agrees that the quality control sucks, then I feel there is a legal issue and we all should be entitled to some kind of refund for all the frustrations! Cause it a inconvenience for me to have to bring camper back after every trip w/ it

I got what I paid for .... a mid-level, mid-priced Cougar. I wasn't expecting perfection or "no issues". Other than a few minor ones that were easily fixed, the Cougar has provided us with reasonably good value for the $$$. I think that most members would agree with that assessment.

I am surprised by a Keystone tech guy telling you over the phone that "Yes, our quality control sucks". While there may be some truth to this, it is not something that one would expect to hear a Keystone employee admit to over the phone to a complete stranger.

If you are suggesting that all of us who have had some kind of "frustration" with a Keystone product should be entitled to some kind of refund, your suggestion is unrealistic. If you think about that for a moment, then all manufacturers of any product would be subject to handing out partial or full refunds based on the frustration level of their customers with their products. In the real world this just doesn't happen and shouldn't happen. If you are expecting Keystone to give you a refund of some sort because you are frustrated, then you will be waiting a very long time.

I am puzzled as to why you don't take Keystone up on their offer to repair the weld on the bumper and get it reinforced at your own expense. It isn't going to be a huge expenditure. While you are at it, why not simply get your receiver welded to the frame, mount your bikes and forget about the idea of getting Keystone to reimburse you because you are frustrated?

[therink]

Mid priced RVs for the most part are all the same, no matter what manufacturer built it. They are stick and tin houses that are stapled together to roll down the road. Today rv's are not known for strength or durability. They require lots if care and upkeep. Every couple of months of bouncing down the road, I always find something that is loose, needs adjusting, greasing, painting, sealing, etc. Even when they are new.
The fact is that today's manufacturers cram as many amenities and bling into these trailers and strive to make them lighter and lighter every year. Why??? Because that is what the buyers want. Unfortunately, we can't have the best if both worlds. I took the time to reinforce my rear bumper when I bought it brand new. I then attached a 4 bike carrier to the bumper 3 yrs ago, and not one problem.
Steve