Anchor Eyebolts in back wall

[David Greenwell]

Wondering if anyone has ever installed Eyebolts in the back wall of their RV to support bikes on a bike rack around the handlebars to keep them from bouncing putting additional stress on the rack and bumper.

Intend to use a 2-inch hitch mounted to the back bumper. I have installed additional bumper supports from the frame around the bumper. (Pictured below)

My thought is to install two 1/4 eyebolts through the RV wall and support them inside the RV with metal plates and washers. They would be located on left and right side of the RV back wall. I would have a washer outside with silicone to seal the hole. Then I would use a ratchet strap around the upper area of the bike rack around the seat / handlebar posts to support the bikes.

Any comments or past experience with this welcome.

 

[Peto]

Overall you are asking for trouble trying to carry bikes on the back of a trailer. The slinky tube (I can't call them bumpers ) are thin and even the additional brackets will not prevent it from twisting.... Way too much force being applied as they get bounced around. I bolts will help but what happens when they start to get pulled out?


Here is my solution, I carry them over the bed cover:

 

[David Greenwell]

Thanks but I have a 5th wheel so my truck bed won’t work. Leaning to a frame mounted hitch and using the lateral support eyebolts to prevent the bikes from bouncing side to side or front to back. This should alleviate the stress on the hitch itself.

 

[flybouy]

Your proposing to insert thru bolts in a wall that's about as sturdy as double wall curregated paper. A backing plate would not suffice in preventing eventual failure IMO.

 

[chuckster57]

Depending on where you drill, you may hit 12V wiring for clearance, interior lights.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

Thanks but I have a 5th wheel so my truck bed won’t work. Leaning to a frame mounted hitch and using the lateral support eyebolts to prevent the bikes from bouncing side to side or front to back. This should alleviate the stress on the hitch itself.

I have a 5th wheel and our bikes travel upright in the bed up against the cab of the truck. I have a short bed crew cab and there is plenty of room for 3 mountain bikes upright forward, and one laying down in the bed between the hitch and the tailgate. Before you get into making irreversible modifications to your trailer that in all likelihood will end in disaster, have you explored other options?

 

[Peto]

I have a buddy that carries his on a rack mounted to the front bumper.

 

[DutchmenSport]

David,
Your "theory" is good, but in actual practice, it's not a sound and here's why.

First, the bumper on your camper is not designed to support weight. Either the welds will give way or the tube itself will bend / break (or both). Those bumpers that hold sewer hoses are very thin metal and not designed to take the excessive "G" forces the weight of the carrier and bicycle will cause. The end of your trailer takes an excessive amount up and down force, like the end of a teeter-totter. The actual (still) weight resting on your bumper might be 200 pounds, but in motion, the force could be causing as much as a thousand, if only for an instant, and that's all it takes to break the bumper, welds, and create a mess.

Second, using the actual wall the camper is not a wise thing to do either. The walls are framed with either 1 inch aluminum tubing or 1 inch wooden studs. Either way, the forces pulling against the wall will cause serious damage to the wall. Even if you use a backer plate for the eye bolt, the bouncing of the bicycles could easily cause the entire assembly to pull so hard on the wall, the wall itself could bend and crack.

Basically, no camper is designed to do what you are proposing.

What you should do, is take your camper to a welding shop and have an actual receiver hitch welded directly to the frame of your camper. It can also be welded to the bumper, but the real support will be the frame, not the bumper.

The amount of movement of the bicycle now will be how much slack or slop there is in the receiver hitch and the carrier hitch shaft.

One thing you also need to consider, even though the bicycle and the carrier and the hitch may, all together, weigh (say) 300 pounds, hanging from the rear of the camper, some 15 feet or more behind the axle will reduce the trailer hitch weight, making the tongue lighter, increasing the risk of trailer sway. In actual practice, it might not be enough to make a huge difference, but it's still something you need to be aware off.

Bottom like, your proposition is not a good idea. You are better off transporting the bicycle inside the camper, positioned over the axles if possible.

 

[David Greenwell]

Thanks but I have a 5th wheel so my truck bed won’t work. Leaning to a frame mounted hitch and using the lateral support eyebolts to prevent the bikes from bouncing side to side or front to back. This should alleviate the stress on the hitch itself

I have a 5th wheel and our bikes travel upright in the bed up against the cab of the truck. I have a short bed crew cab and there is plenty of room for 3 mountain bikes upright forward, and one laying down in the bed between the hitch and the tailgate. Before you get into making irreversible modifications to your trailer that in all likelihood will end in disaster, have you explored other options?

yes.. all the great input has convinced me to abandon the rear bumper hitch idea. Found someone who commented that they fold the bikes and put them in a storage bin then just put them inside the RV which also protects them from the weather! Thanks!

 

[David Greenwell]

David,
Your "theory" is good, but in actual practice, it's not a sound and here's why.

First, the bumper on your camper is not designed to support weight. Either the welds will give way or the tube itself will bend / break (or both). Those bumpers that hold sewer hoses are very thin metal and not designed to take the excessive "G" forces the weight of the carrier and bicycle will cause. The end of your trailer takes an excessive amount up and down force, like the end of a teeter-totter. The actual (still) weight resting on your bumper might be 200 pounds, but in motion, the force could be causing as much as a thousand, if only for an instant, and that's all it takes to break the bumper, welds, and create a mess.

Second, using the actual wall the camper is not a wise thing to do either. The walls are framed with either 1 inch aluminum tubing or 1 inch wooden studs. Either way, the forces pulling against the wall will cause serious damage to the wall. Even if you use a backer plate for the eye bolt, the bouncing of the bicycles could easily cause the entire assembly to pull so hard on the wall, the wall itself could bend and crack.

Basically, no camper is designed to do what you are proposing.

What you should do, is take your camper to a welding shop and have an actual receiver hitch welded directly to the frame of your camper. It can also be welded to the bumper, but the real support will be the frame, not the bumper.

The amount of movement of the bicycle now will be how much slack or slop there is in the receiver hitch and the carrier hitch shaft.

One thing you also need to consider, even though the bicycle and the carrier and the hitch may, all together, weigh (say) 300 pounds, hanging from the rear of the camper, some 15 feet or more behind the axle will reduce the trailer hitch weight, making the tongue lighter, increasing the risk of trailer sway. In actual practice, it might not be enough to make a huge difference, but it's still something you need to be aware off.

Bottom like, your proposition is not a good idea. You are better off transporting the bicycle inside the camper, positioned over the axles if possible.

Thanks.. you all convinced me to look into other options. Right now will fold the bikes and put them in a container then store them inside the RV to protect them from the weather as well. Appreciate your input!