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Old 04-12-2022, 11:07 AM   #21
AlaKat
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It's true JRTJH I joined for information, but this thread did go way off topic. The biggest problem that I see is that although it was meant to be helpful, it was a lot of speculation. So rather than help with the question I asked, it made me second guess my decision (despite the research I had done) on the vehicle I purchased and the trailer I purchased. Both were done after learning and reviewing pertinent numbers because I knew what the vehicle was and what the trailer was. So now that I've word vomited all over my own post, I do want to thank all of you for your input. I will be asking more questions in the future, but it won't be about weight. I worry about that enough when I see my scale 😳
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Old 04-12-2022, 12:10 PM   #22
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Well I was one of the people that the “weight police” commented on…I owe them a big THANKS…I’ve seen quite a few people get educated on their towing rig and use that info to either make adjustments to what they have if it’s within spec or upgrade to a new TV if it’s not.

I’d say that if a person other then the op gets annoyed at reading weight related reply’s …maybe stop reading…I find it more annoying when people try to defend someone who may not need someone to save them
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Old 04-12-2022, 12:29 PM   #23
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I 1st mentioned the tow vehicle issue with the OP & if any other person posting a question on any topic with the same obvious shortcomings of tow vehicles I'll bring it up again & every time it's this obvious. I do this for their safety as well as mine sharing the highways with them.
Unfortunately there's way too much misinformation & useless numbers by vehicle/rv manufacturers for newbies to know what is factual & what's BS, most of the manufacturers brag about the BS. Salespeople will just flat out lie to make a sale, if in fact they have any idea about weights, most don't.
I also think the OP received the best possible advice about the bike rack with tongue mounted rack, so the original question has been answered.
Now what the OP does with the bike rack info or the weight issue is up to them!
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Old 04-12-2022, 12:48 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by RVGator View Post
You can have any logic you like, but this is a forum with specific topics and when each topic devolves into a discussion on weights and tow vehicles then the purpose of the topic goes away. Take this specific “bike rack” topic for example. The OP would like advice on bike racks and now all that is being discussed is the payload capacity of her vehicle. Sometimes silence is golden if you don’t have anything to add pertaining to the actual topic.

I think you are focused on what you want to say/see but can't see the forest for the trees. From the OP post #13 as you seemed to have missed it:

"My dad was my go to for info on everything and i recently lost him to lung cancer, so I'm going to rely on ya'll for help, answers, advice and maybe a little encouragement."

Don't know what you get out of that but that tells me the OP is looking for "help, advice, answers and encouragement". Since that came in response to a comment about weights I fail to see how your commentary has any relevance.

Trying to talk only about adding a bike rack, which logically means adding bikes, to a possibly overloaded unibody Pathfinder towing a 5200lb. trailer and ignoring everything else is not "help", it's not an "answer" (valid anyway) nor is it sound "advice". I asked the OP to look in the owner's manual to 1) see if a weight distribution hitch is allowed since many/most unibodies don't allow them and 2) check her receiver because many unibodies have ratings of 500lbs. period. To do otherwise and blindly recommend adding more weight to what could be a bad situation is unsound at best and immoral at worst - particularly to a new tower, with a new rig that's trying to get off on the right foot. You don't ignore the facts or dangers, you lay them on the table so the OP knows the possibilities and then let them decide. If a small child picked up a loaded 45, pointed it at you then asked if the trigger would go back if he pulled it.....you just gonna say "yes"?
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Old 04-12-2022, 12:52 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by AlaKat View Post
It's true JRTJH I joined for information, but this thread did go way off topic. The biggest problem that I see is that although it was meant to be helpful, it was a lot of speculation. So rather than help with the question I asked, it made me second guess my decision (despite the research I had done) on the vehicle I purchased and the trailer I purchased. Both were done after learning and reviewing pertinent numbers because I knew what the vehicle was and what the trailer was. So now that I've word vomited all over my own post, I do want to thank all of you for your input. I will be asking more questions in the future, but it won't be about weight. I worry about that enough when I see my scale 😳

If you post and the topic of weights come up sharing that you have scaled your rig and are within weight limits would be a good thing. I would suggest you look at the sticker inside your driver door for your particular payload, not a generic number off a web site - they are generally optimistic.
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Old 04-12-2022, 12:55 PM   #26
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you were right, i fixed my error. It is a 174rk. I purchased the Blue Ox weight distribution bars to remove the excess tongue weight. They seem to work great. I don't get any dump between the trailer and my pathfinder. The dry weight of the trailer is 4100 lbs. The payload of the pathfinder is just over 1300 lbs with towing capacity of 6000. If my calculations are right, the tongue weight of the trailer, even fully loaded should be between 600-900 lbs, well under my payload. (right? please baby Jesus say right)
Now let's crunch some numbers!
First off the dry weight of your rv, or any rv, is meaningless once you left the dealership. That is what it weighed as it rolled out the factory door, no battery, no propane & no dealer options that may have been added, you'll NEVER tow it at that weight.
The 6000lb tow capacity is also meaningless as typically with rvs you'll exceed the payload long before towing that weight. That number was arrived at by the manufacturers towing low profile utility trailers with the loads over the axles not big cinder block shaped rvs.
That 5200lb rv will have approximately 675lbs of tongue weight, typically 13% of the GVWR, + 100+/- lbs for the WDH + the weight of everyone/everything in/on your Nissan added since it left the factory including whatever bike rack you choose & the bikes, I think you'll find that 1300lbs disappears quickly.
Also as Marshall mentioned, check the owners manual to verify the use of a WDH is permitted on that vehicle. FYI the WDH is not "removing" any weight it's transferring it to the front axle.
Sorry! I know this is upsetting! Believe me you are not the only one to find out this information after the fact. Most of us have BTDT & now just trying to help educate others.
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Old 04-12-2022, 03:24 PM   #27
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I sort of agree about the “weight police” comments. There are some threads where literally a person simply posts about being new to the forum and having a 5th wheel. Comments are immediately “Hope you have a big truck for that!” or something to that effect. Seems like sometimes it’s a bit unnecessary and/or aggressive for no apparent reason. However, I also get where they’re coming from. I think we’ve all seen some pretty crazy stuff out on the road that just makes you shake your head. Like the time I saw the same camper I have that has an 800lb empty tongue weight (so easily goes 1,000+ lbs especially if not paying attention to how your loading it) being towed by a tiny crossover. So, it’s definitely a worthy conversation to have, I just think sometimes those conversations could be had in a better way. Just my opinion though, maybe not worth much.

However, in this instance it seems logical that the conversation would steer towards weight. Specifically tongue weight. The OP is questioning adding bikes. It was rightfully pointed out that the weight would be too much for the bumper (direct response to the question). Someone then suggested a tongue rack which will add just about 100% of the weight to the tow vehicle. So, seems like a logical step to discussing payload.

My advice to the OP: I towed fairly close to my payload capacity. All the numbers thrown at you are theoreticals. The dry weights are only good as a starting point. The estimating by taking x% of your max weight is just that, an estimate. Maybe good for planning what type of vehicle to buy, but not so great in figuring out if you’re over now (unless it’s something extreme). Forget all that and simply load your camper and truck like you would to go on a trip and take it to the closest CAT scale. Those numbers won’t be estimates and will tell you if you’re over or not and how close you are. If close you might be able to adjust how you’re loaded and what you’re bringing to make it work. But, keep in mind if your tongue weight gets below 10% of the overall weight you’ll have sway problems.

Almost forgot one thing: compare the numbers on the scale ticket to the numbers on your door not to the numbers on some website. Steer axle + drive axle should be less than the gvwr on the door sticker. If not, you’re overweight.
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Old 04-12-2022, 04:00 PM   #28
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A unibody Pathfinder towing a 5200lb. gvwr trailer with only a 1140lb. payload warrants immediate scrutiny. The dry weight of 4085 (which the OP will never see) will exceed a 500lb. weight limit of many unibody receivers. Those "sitting afar" that can't see what is going on only have the statements, documents and other data available to try to make a good determination/guesstimate/calculation. The above facts in the first sentence are an instant red flag to anyone familiar with weights and should be conveyed to the person in that situation.
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Old 04-12-2022, 07:32 PM   #29
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Many folks new to towing do a lot of research. What they look at is a truck company's website and the RV manufacturer's website. What they don't understand is that all the numbers and labels (tow package, half ton towable, etc.) are marketing gibberish. The "towing capacity" applies to a specific tow vehicle set up to test towing on a course with a flat bed trailer and not an RV (think wind sail). The new owner looks at the zillion pound towing capacity and thinks the truck they purchase with leather seats, crew cab and 4x4 will have that towing capacity. The manufacturer seldom speaks of payload unless it is for that specially equipped model used for the towing test or perhaps the two wheel drive, gas engine, regular cab, long wheelbase model used especially to indicate the MAXIMUM payload for that model.

The truck the new owner buys will not have that same payload or ability to tow. Payload is almost always the short pole in the tent. When they are pointed to the payload placard in their driver door frame which is specifically for the vehicle they own, they talk about numbers on a website. The new owner gets understandably frustrated when folks point out the number he/she saw was a marketing ploy and then there is the RV manufacturer who sells a fifth wheel that is "half ton towable". The new owner buys a 3/4 ton truck and finds out in the real world he/she will be very much over the trucks payload capacity. Ahhh the value of research!
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Old 04-17-2022, 07:35 AM   #30
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Call etrailer.com

They’re an excellent resource for all things hitches and racks. I’m relatively new too, and have 4 bikes to transport for my crew. I have a new longbed truck so I’m hanging them over the tailgate when I take them camping. My travel trailer bumper is maxed out with my spare tires and potty tote, and isn’t rated for anything more than that. As for the weight issue, you’ll find that you’ll run out of payload long before you max out on tow capacity. Having just yesterday returned from a week long camp trip, including looong stretches of HIGH cross winds, I was bounced around a good bit even with my longbed F350. I would not have wanted to be in your setup with those winds. Lastly, I lost my dad a few years ago and he was an electrical engineer who I relied on for all things electrical, so I can emphasize with your loss. I sure miss him when those questions/issues come up with the camper. Good luck to you and start preparing yourself for the reality that you’ll probably end up needing a new vehicle once you complete all your research.
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Old 04-17-2022, 08:53 AM   #31
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Behind that hollow bumper it attaches to the end of the frame. The frame is where you get a quality welder to design and weld up a hard mount to attach a bike rack. If you know what rack you want, take it to the welder to give you a custom fit mounting point.
You want a mounted rack that won’t bounce and wobble while driving. The wobble and movement of bike rack “will” stress metal, even welded steel over time.
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Old 04-17-2022, 09:51 AM   #32
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Hubby and I are new owners of a 2022 Keystone Hideout 174rk. He is an avid cyclist, both road bike and mountain bike. We've seen bike racks mounted to the rear bumper, but have also read posts stating that the bumper won't handle the weight. Who has mounted a bike rack to their rear bumper? Any modifications or issues with weight?
I have beefed up my rear bumper to hold a storage box and Generator on my 2021 Laredo tt. We are full time and no problems. Best place for bikes is in the front using the Jackit bike rack. It mounts under your jack and over your L.P. tanks. Been all over the U.S. for 2 tears and not one problem.
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Old 04-17-2022, 03:00 PM   #33
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Hitch on the front.

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Originally Posted by AlaKat View Post
OK - I get it. Do not even think about using the bumper aka sewer hose holder for a bike rack. Alternatives? Someone somewhere has got to bring their bikes with them. I know there is an obvious easy solution and I'm not seeing the forest for the trees.
I put mine on the front of my truck.
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Old 04-17-2022, 04:00 PM   #34
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If you have a dinette you could always modify it to hold the bikes, that way they are dirt and bug free.

That was in the travel trailer, I now have a 5th wheel and they are on a hitch on the front of the truck
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Old 04-17-2022, 04:33 PM   #35
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I put mine on the front of my truck.
Sued looks like your lights and turn signals are mostly blocked!
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Old 04-17-2022, 04:37 PM   #36
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I would think adding a 100+ pounds between the bike rack and bikes on the front would cause spring sag and tire wear…like when having a snow plow ..always seems to beat up a trucks front end..when you go over bumps the weight is amplified
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Old 04-17-2022, 04:57 PM   #37
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Sued looks like your lights and turn signals are mostly blocked!

I agree with you! That pic of those bikes on the front looks like a VERY bad idea. Lights and turn signals obscured, 2 extremely important safety features the folks need to use....and others see. I can't count the times I and others sit, or drive, watching others that can't/won't use or obscure their turn signals so no one has any idea of what their intentions are...bad idea.
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Old 04-17-2022, 05:11 PM   #38
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A unibody Pathfinder towing a 5200lb. gvwr trailer with only a 1140lb. payload warrants immediate scrutiny. The dry weight of 4085 (which the OP will never see) will exceed a 500lb. weight limit of many unibody receivers. Those "sitting afar" that can't see what is going on only have the statements, documents and other data available to try to make a good determination/guesstimate/calculation. The above facts in the first sentence are an instant red flag to anyone familiar with weights and should be conveyed to the person in that situation.
Well looked up receivers for the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder.Class IV rated for 6,000# towing and 900# tongue weight.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hit...leID=201945650

The OP might be close or slightly over their Payload, only a trip to the scales will tell.
We towed a 5,000# U-Haul from Portland, OR to Bolder, CO with a 2006 Honda Ridgeline. We were at max, but no issues with towing or handling.
The OP with a WD hitch with sway control should be ok handling.
There is one grade in the Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon with a 7% grade and we did get pulled down to 45 mph fora short distance.
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Old 04-17-2022, 08:03 PM   #39
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Sued looks like your lights and turn signals are mostly blocked!
Turn signals are also on mirrors. Same as my truck.
I don't have fat bikes so nothing is really in the way of my lights.
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Old 04-17-2022, 08:54 PM   #40
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Turn signals are also on mirrors. Same as my truck.
I don't have fat bikes so nothing is really in the way of my lights.
I don’t understand why more people with 5th wheels don’t use pin box receiver mounts for carrying bikes?
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