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08-06-2014, 08:02 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Illinois
Posts: 581
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Bike Racks - Ladder mount or bed of pickup
Seen lots of questions on bike racks, and discussions about the weak rear bumpers on TT and 5vers. I know I've looked at the one on my 5ver, and it looks like it is only 16 gauge steel(maybe 14 I'll have to check), pretty light weight. Probably good for storing a sewer hose ( I don't), but not much more than the spare already mounted there. Also, not interested in adding the weight to upgrade the tube and mount brackets.
Trying put put the bikes in the bed of the pick up seems like a pain, and not even sure it's possible? Anyone do this?
Anyone had experience with the Ladder mounted racks? CW has one for $43, but I'm not convinced the ladder is any stronger than the bumper tube.
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Ed & Mary
2017 Cougar 333MKS
2015 RAM 3500 HD with 6.4L
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08-07-2014, 03:05 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Guelph, On
Posts: 308
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Personally, I would not trust either the rear bumper or the ladder for mounting a rack. The weight of the bikes is compounded every time you hit a bump in the road. I looked at a tongue mounted bike rack that mounted over top of the propane bottles at our local RV store that looked quite sturdy. It was rather pricey, I believe about 300 dollars. I ended up magyvering a rack out of a couple of Yakima racks that I had left over from our Pup when we sold it. Took the two racks and bought two pieces of alluminum tubing from the HD boutique and made a removable rack that fits nicely in the back of my pick up. A couple of ratchet straps to hold it all down and we are good to go. We take it in and out as required. Works well.
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08-07-2014, 03:16 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Las Cruces
Posts: 4,665
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How many bikes are you planning to mount? My experience with bike racks is that just about any 2 bike rack will work fine, but when you move to a 4 bike rack, most are not worth the money you spend on them. I had a $100 rack that bent down under the weight of 4 bikes and almost lost them. I then bought a "very heavy duty" receiver hitch rack that that was over $150. It worked great for 2-3 bikes, but again bent under the weight of 4 bikes. I now have a receiver hitch mounted 4 bike tray rack from SportRack. This rack works great and I have not had any problems. My opinion, if you are carrying 2 bikes, about anything you find should work fine, if you are carrying more, put a receiver hitch on the back of the RV and get a quality tray rack.
I also have a front bumper receiver on my truck (got it from etrailer for about $150) and I mount a 2 bike rack up front. You cannot mount more than 2 bikes on the front without exceeding 3' legal length limits.
I've also seen rack that mount on the 5th wheel hitch, but do not have any experience with them.
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Brent
2013 Alpine 3500RE
2019 Silverado 2500HD Duramax
U.S. Air Force Retired (25 yrs)
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08-07-2014, 09:56 AM
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#4
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Long Island
Posts: 9
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Bed of truck works for us
We normally bring 3 adult and 1 kid bike. We have always carried them in the bed of the truck along with everything else under the sun that you need to camp. It was not an easy task getting them in and out. A lot of climbing in and out and bending and banging your head on the cap and scraping your knuckles wrestling to get them out. Our old Crossroads back bumper was strong enough for us to install a hitch. Just when we installed it we sold it and bought a Keystone Cougar. I wouldn't trust the back bumper of the Cougar to hold much more than the sewer hose. So we put a front hitch on our Ford F250. Nice and strong and sits great until you put the bike rack and bikes on the front hitch . The bikes are too high.. Can't see out the front windshield. So. the bikes are still in the bed of the truck..
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Lisa
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08-07-2014, 10:59 AM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Fraser Valley BC Canada
Posts: 7,015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lablum
I wouldn't trust the back bumper of the Cougar to hold much more than the sewer hose. So we put a front hitch on our Ford F250. Nice and strong and sits great until you put the bike rack and bikes on the front hitch . The bikes are too high.. Can't see out the front windshield. So. the bikes are still in the bed of the truck..
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Sorry, but if it is any comfort, you are not the first person that this has happened to......... and probably not the last.
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2008 Cougar 5th Wheel 27RKS
2005 2500 GMC Duramax
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08-07-2014, 04:12 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Las Cruces
Posts: 4,665
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lablum
. So we put a front hitch on our Ford F250. Nice and strong and sits great until you put the bike rack and bikes on the front hitch . The bikes are too high.. Can't see out the front windshield. So. the bikes are still in the bed of the truck..
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Get a tray rack, the bike tires sit in the tray and the bikes barely show above the hood. They are just barely higher than the bug deflector.
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Brent
2013 Alpine 3500RE
2019 Silverado 2500HD Duramax
U.S. Air Force Retired (25 yrs)
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08-07-2014, 04:48 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Northern NH
Posts: 191
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Mine ride in the back of the truck across the bed on top of my 50gal Transfer Flow tank.
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2015 GMC Sierra 3500 Denali CC LB DRW Sonoma Red/Cocoa Dune
2010 Keystone Laredo 316RL
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08-08-2014, 06:04 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Upstate, NY
Posts: 91
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I looked into the rear TT bumper, and the Hideout I have has a weird bumper to camper attatchment. So not only is the bumper weak, but it's hooked to a 16" piece of tube that is then tacked to the bottom of the end of the I beam. Not sure why the I beam just isn't run all the way to the back. With that said, I've seen many rear racks, and even same model as mine, but I don't want to ask for trouble.....so...
Anyway, I went with the front hitch. It took me 4 months on craigslist to find a custom bike rack that was shorter in height than the average for the aforementioned reason-a regular rack will bug the crap out of my eyes because the bikes sit above the hood...a lot. A tray rack like bsmith mentions is one option, or find one like mine, or get a regular one and chop 8" off the shaft to shorten it. Sorry the pic of mine isn't very good. It still only holds two bikes, but then I can still throw one bike and a canoe on the truck cap, and the others under the cap. Other benefit of front receiver for me is during hunting season the cargo/deer rack sits there and I can still tow TT and not mess with moving the rack in and out of the bed.
If I had a 5er, I would think I'd still have the front hitch, but would do bikes in bed like mguay-depending on bed lenght I guess.
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2013 Hideout 29BHS :2013-?
F250xlt, crew, 6.2, short bed, fx4
2009 Rvision Trailcruiser, TC26RKS: 2009-2012
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09-26-2014, 06:54 AM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Long Island
Posts: 9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmith0404
Get a tray rack, the bike tires sit in the tray and the bikes barely show above the hood. They are just barely higher than the bug deflector.
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I'm going to look into a tray rack, great idea.. Never heard of it before but will check it out.. Thanks.
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Lisa
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09-26-2014, 10:59 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,034
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For you folks that have installed a front hitch....Curt makes one for my Ford with 2 ways to install it. One that the receiver is under the front chin spoiler, and another that is higher and comes out of a hole you cut in the spoiler. Which way would you install it??
The lower position may be too low...I don't want to high center an extended rack on a sloped driveway. I've been thinking about this hitch to hopefully make it easier to wiggle my boat into the garage, but the bike rack would be cool too.
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2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
2023 CanAm Defender SXS
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09-26-2014, 08:01 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 74
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I installed it thru the spoiler, you really loose ground clearance with the below spoiler mount, also check the bike rack to receiver tubing, ours was a little light, so I built a new piece. see pictures on my blog, under the modification and change tab.
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2013 Chevy 3500 HD 6.6 Duramaxx, 2015 Montana Mountaineer 356TBF Modified, which replaced a 2012 Montana High Country 343RL, which replaced a Outback Sydney 5ver, which etc, etc.
https://johnandjanicervadventures.blogspot.com/
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09-27-2014, 05:14 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,034
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Yep, I'm thinking through the spoiler will be better. Where did you find the bike rack? I have a Swagman the holds the bike under the frame. I'm thinking yours is the platform type that has been mentioned here?
Cool blog.
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2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
2023 CanAm Defender SXS
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09-27-2014, 05:20 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Winnipeg, Canada
Posts: 1,196
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pmedic4
.......Trying put put the bikes in the bed of the pick up seems like a pain, and not even sure it's possible? Anyone do this?
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We use an in bed bike support (two bike package for $175) from Rec Rac: http://www.recrac.com/Bike_Racks_for_Pickups_s/42.htm
Our two bikes are light and therefore easy to load from each side. Securing the bikes is quick and they are very stable while on the highway.
BTW: You will need at least a 78 inch (6 1/2 foot) box for it to work with adult bikes.
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2018 Jayco Eagle HT 265BHS (previous: 2015 23RB Passport Elite, ProPride)
2015 F250 XLT SB Crew, 6.2l gas
PullRite 16K SuperGlide w/SuperRail
Reese 5th Airborne (bagged) Pin Box
RoadMaster Shock Kit
X-Factor Cross Bracing
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09-27-2014, 07:50 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Green Valley, AZ
Posts: 782
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We had a friend weld a receiver on top of the hitch on the fiver then just bought a bike holder. Best decision. Easy to load, no questions about weight, never in the way. We just had two bikes but four would have been no problem.
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Earl
2007 33.5' Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel used for full-timing for several years--now sold
2011 Hideout 23RKSWE that we now use for poking around local parks
2007 Chevy 3/4 ton diesel with Prodigy Brake Control
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09-28-2014, 06:51 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,034
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I think you posted about this some time back. I searched but not very long! Could you repost a pic or explain more?
edit....disregard I found pics on Google.
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2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
2023 CanAm Defender SXS
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11-22-2014, 01:16 AM
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#16
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Winter Haven, FL
Posts: 16
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For TT or FW
ARVIKA, Canadian company
TT sits above front A frame
FW mounts to FW pin box (I think, I have a TT)
Holds up to 4 bikes, has locks, tray type, removable, but pricey (last rack you will ever buy though)
Bob Weis
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Bob Weis
2014 Chevy 2500 HD
2014 314 RE
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