RE: Bike Rack Opinion s Wanted

fivegonefishing · Sep 28, 2003, 07:05 PM

I know this has been done before however, I d like to hear it one more time[

]

We are going to an RV show in a couple of weeks and will be looking at getting a bike rack for the camper. We would like one for five but will settle on one with four. I figure I am looking at one to be permenantly fixed to the roof.

Any suggestions as to what I should or shouldn t look for or consider? We drive a Astro Van and pull at 10 Jayco Eagle with a class II hitch.

As a side question, are these things easy to get the bikes up there and down?

TIA [

] Tammy

tlhdoc · Jan 17, 2003, 09:34 PM

fivegonefishingI have the Yakama system on my Coleman PU. It consist of 2 cross bars and the bike trays. I have had 6 bikes up on top of my PU. If you can get cross bars installed (I think they do make a general pu bracket) you can add the bike trays as needed.

mike4947 · Jan 17, 2003, 11:08 PM

fivegonefishingAbout 90% of the bike racks I ve seen or owned over the years for on top of the PU are Yakima or Thule and are very similar so I can safely say the outside bike on either side is pretty easy to put and remove, as you near the center of the PU they do become a little more difficult. I manage by standing on the tongue of the trailer for the center ones. My new PU will have a front trunk so I might have to adjust the procedure.

The whole setup from Yakima or Thule can really be pricey. Most people now have the main bars installed by a dealer just to protect the warranty and buy the bike mounts either on Ebay or buy clones and save about 200 bucks on 4 over dealer prices.

tlhdoc · Jan 18, 2003, 10:14 AM

fivegonefishingTammy I forgot to add that I keep a small Rubbermaid folding 2 step ladder in the PU. I use it for putting the bikes on and off the roof, rolling up/down the awning when I need to do it when the trailer is set up, hanging our outside shower stall, etc. I would have to put a kid on the roof to get the bikes on the driver side if I didn t have the ladder. On the passinger side I can stand on the stepper door and get the inside bike up. Most of the time we take 4 bikes not 6.[

]

campingeyedoc · Jan 19, 2003, 03:18 PM

fivegonefishingWe have an Astro also, and we ended up getting a rack for the van (Rhode Gear) from Galyon s. It ran about $75 and holds 4 bikes, and it gives enough room between the tow vehicle and camper. One advantage of th auto carrier is if you want to bike away from the CG you can still transport the bikes. Another great thing we did was to get one of those tow behind bikes ($69 @ toys-r-us). It s easier to carry and great for tired little legs.

small5 · Jan 19, 2003, 09:52 PM

fivegonefishingTammy -

We have a four (4) place Yakima mounted on our Coleman Utah. I agrree with Mike, the out side bikes aren t too bad to mount but a step stool helps on the inside placement of the bikes. Overall the Yakima is a SUPER unit. It may be costly, but it s the best I ve ever owned and the bikes are secure!

Also, ours is mounted toward the rear of the roof (behind the A/C (vs. Mikes sounds like his is mounted toward the front).

hbfc6 · Jan 20, 2003, 08:58 PM

fivegonefishingI like my six nall bike rack. It s a rack made from pvc and is straped on to the pop up. With my AC on the roof I can carry 5 bikes. Plus I got a split rack so I can take 3 or 2 or 5 bikes with me. I can see out the back window of my van a lot better if I only take three bikes. I like having the bike rack at the campground. I make my boys park their bikes in the rack at the campgrounds. I ran over one of the kids bikes,$340.00 down the drain. They have a web site in the pop up magazine.

fivegonefishing · Jan 21, 2003, 08:28 AM

hbfc6

QuoteORIGINAL: hbfc6

I like my six nall bike rack. It s a rack made from pvc and is straped on to the pop up. With my AC on the roof I can carry 5 bikes. Plus I got a split rack so I can take 3 or 2 or 5 bikes with me. I can see out the back window of my van a lot better if I only take three bikes. I like having the bike rack at the campground. I make my boys park their bikes in the rack at the campgrounds. I ran over one of the kids bikes,$340.00 down the drain. They have a web site in the pop up magazine.

I was considering this opition but wasn t sure about how the six n all is fastened to the camper...I was concerned about undue stress on the roof seal.

hbfc6, how long have you had your rig and rack? Have you noticed any excessive wear on the seal?

Y-Guy · Jan 22, 2003, 03:05 AM

fivegonefishingAfter moving from our PopUp to our Hybrid I am thankful that I stuck with the Yakima rack system that I ve used for years. Why? The rack continue to move with me, and I can reuse them in other situations. I m now looking at using them on our Avalanche. Other than the investment in the cross bars I can reuse the rest of the setup. Do consider future use when you make your choice too.

4campinfoxes · Jan 22, 2003, 10:58 AM

fivegonefishingWe ve used 2 different bike racks in the years we ve had our campers. We started out with the Six n All pvc rack. It was easy to assemble & we did like having a rack for the bikes. When we got our Coleman Bayside we opted for the yakima rack. That has worked quite well for us. Bottom line - either one is a good option.

Sharon

hbfc6 · Jan 23, 2003, 01:12 AM

fivegonefishingI have had my six n all bike rack for one year. It comes with some nice big straps. which are easy to use. If I buy a new camper I can use it and do not have to buy a new one. I had a lot of people in campgrounds come up and look at it. I hang the bike racks up on a wall in my garage when I am not camping. I have not noticed any seal damage. I like it.
John

mrflinders · Jan 24, 2003, 08:09 PM

fivegonefishingI made a bike rack for our pop up, it holds 4 bikes plus has a cargo area in the center large enough to hold a couple of standard size coolers. (We keep our grey water tank there).

I made the frame out of 2x2 plywood (painted white to match the trailer), then covered the center with wire mesh (for the " cargo area" ). I use Bulkhead fork mounts to hold the bikes on ($21.99 each at www.supergo.com) and then use small bungies at the rear wheels. The whole thing straps to the top of the camper and is situated in front of the A/C unit. The whole thing cost about $150 to make. However, I cauld have made it MUCH cheaper if I made my own bulkhead mounts instead of buying the Yakima ones from the bike shop.

The rack is light enough to be lifted up on the trailer by one person (that would be me) and stores under the trailer at the CG. The only negative I have found is that with the bulkhead mounts the front wheels need to be removed from the bikes. I just toss those in the TV.

If anyone is interested in seeing a photo, just send me an email and I ll take a couple of shots and send them off.

campfog · Feb 08, 2003, 03:59 PM

fivegonefishingi have a 1996 coleman sun valley that i want to put my yakima bike rack on.does anybody know what type of towers to use and where to mount them on the roof,

Tim5055 · Feb 08, 2003, 04:13 PM

campfogDid you buy the Sun Valley new? If so, you may want to bite the bullet and pay to have a dealer put them on. This would reduce future problems should you need to have any wroof warranty work done.

Sorry I can answer your specific question[&:]

tlhdoc · Feb 08, 2003, 04:52 PM

campfog

QuoteORIGINAL: campfog

i have a 1996 coleman sun valley that i want to put my yakima bike rack on.does anybody know what type of towers to use and where to mount them on the roof,

You will need to purchase the triangular brackets that mount to the roof from a Coleman dealer. They should have the specific information on the mounting locations in the directions. There are set points to mount the brackets.

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