[flybouy]

"Gonna give it a try on a 195 mile trek for Thanksgiving, let ya'll know how it goes. The two bikes I'm going to try with are $125 bikes also and I'm going to strap the frames to the bumper so if it fails it won't be in traffic. rack weighs about 27, each bike 22lbs. So about 70lbs. We can also see the setup in our rear-view wireless cam and we'll stop a couple times to check for any signs of failure."

Strapping the frames to the bumper won't help if the number Peels off. You didn't list the weight of the spare tire and mount in your calculation. Can you imagine what damage could occur to someone following you at 65 m.p.h. if that fell of and went thru the windshield?

Personally I could not justify the risk of maiming or potentially killing someone because I didn't was reluctant to spend the money to either have a proper hitch installed. Seems like a "risky" experiment to me.