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RE: Bike Rack

Started by tlhdoc, Feb 20, 2003, 09:39 PM

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The Overmans

 OK, we are a family of 5.  Installed 4 bike rack system on top of our Utah (2002).  Wheew...exspensive[: (]  Need to find a way to install bike rack or carry the 5th bike (mine!).[:@]  Does anyone have any suggestions?

tlhdoc

 The OvermansDo you have the Yakima system.  I have carried 6 bikes on top of my Coleman with that system.  I alternate the way the bikes face (front/back/front/back) so that I can put them closer together.

Ab Diver

 The OvermansBe careful putting too much weight on your trailer. Dunno how heavy the load is already on the trailer, but 5 bikes plus a rack can add a couple hundred pounds. Got a luggage rack on the burbie? Pull off the left side pedal, lay the bike down, and tie that baby in place and you re good to go. (plywood or towels will protect the burbie s paint) I ll have all four of our bikes up on the truck s rack this weekend, loaded just that way.
 
 Otherwise, some folks have used the rack that fits over the ball mount. Never used it myself, so maybe someone who has can chime in.
 
 Then there is always the " front receiver"  method on the burbie. Works good, and you can use the front receiver for not only the bike rack, but also for a winch, gear platform, and an extra drawbar for " driving"  the trailer into a tight spot instead of backing it in.

tlhdoc

 The OvermansAnother way to haul a bike in a pinch is to set it upside down on the roof.  The bike will set on the seat and handle bars.   Just tie it fast.  There is more of a chance that the bike/vehicle might get scratched though.

fivegonefishing

 The OvermansWhat ever you do....don t go to an RV showing looking for one...I did and ended up buying a hybrid[8D][;)][:D] and other than the trailer it self, we still don t have a bike rack![&:][:)]
 
 Tammy

The Overmans

 tlhdocDo you already have an Air Condition unit installed on your Popup?  I noticed that your from PA.  I m not sure that 3 bikes on one side  of the popup and 2 bikes on the other would work because of the AC.  What do you think?

campingeyedoc

 The OvermansOur family of 5 uses a rack on the back of the Tow vehicle- it would work just as well on your Suburban as our Astro. Also, you can then transport bikes away from the campsite on the tow vehicle. We sometimes would break down one bike(take off front wheel) and store it in the camper for transport, or in the back of the van.

tlhdoc

 The Overmans
QuoteORIGINAL:  The Overmans
 
 Do you already have an Air Condition unit installed on your Popup?  I noticed that your from PA.  I m not sure that 3 bikes on one side  of the popup and 2 bikes on the other would work because of the AC.  What do you think?
 

 When I had 6 bikes on the PU I did not have the air conditioner.  If a couple of the bikes are kids bikes I think you could still do it.  
 
 Ab Diver mentioned the weight issue.  You can only put 300 pounds on the roof when it is down.  The most of the air conditioners weigh in at a little over 100 pounds and the rack has some weight to.  So you now have less that 200 pounds to put on the roof.  If your bikes are light enough it would work, but if they are your average bikes they may be to heavy to put 5 up there.
 
 Could you put a smaller bike in the tow vehicle?
 
 

kathybrj

 The OvermansWe put our bikes on top of the Safari. DH built a system for under $50 and it holds 4 bikes, but we re looking to add two more (road bikes for DH and DS). We bought fork mounts from Performance and mounted them on 2 bys. He used 1 bys to hold the tires in, along with some tie downs.
 
 All of our bikes are aluminum framed, so that cuts back on the weight, somewhat.

Ab Diver

 tlhdoc
 
QuoteORIGINAL:  tlhdoc
   
 Ab Diver mentioned the weight issue.  You can only put 300 pounds on the roof when it is down.  The most of the air conditioners weigh in at a little over 100 pounds and the rack has some weight to.  So you now have less that 200 pounds to put on the roof.  If your bikes are light enough it would work, but if they are your average bikes they may be to heavy to put 5 up there.
 
 

 Yup, but don t forget the big picture as well: GVWR.  If the trailer is already at it s limit, you ll need to remove *something* to account for the weight of the bikes and the rack. That something could be water in the water tank or water heater, the food in the fridge, stuff in the cabinets...
 
 Best to weigh your trailer loaded the way you would want it for camping. This means bikes, water, stuff, the whole nine yards. Get axle weight and total weight of the trailer, so you can calculate tongue weight. Don t forget your TV GVWR and GCVWR, and if you can, the TV RAWR and FAWR. You may be (will be) very surprised at the scales, but it gives you a place to start and work from. Then trim down the weight, move stuff around, and decide what works for you and your rig. If the numbers mean you can t take your rock collection with you, then that s what they mean. Certain things we take in our TV could never be loaded in/on our trailer, there s just not enough cargo capacity left.  Yeah, it sounds complicated, but it s not really if you break it down into small steps.
 
 The result is easier, safer towing, and fun trips without over-stressed parts breaking. And THAT S all any of us here want, right? [;)]
 

The Overmans

 campingeyedocWhat rack system do you use on your van?  Do you do this and tow your popup  at the same time?

Venatic

 The OvermansHave you considered putting a bike rack in between your TV and PU? You wouldn t have to get the bigger one seeing as you have the bike rack on your PU already. Your Suburban should be able to handle the tongue weight without any problems. You ll see from the picture of our bike rack that it does not sag in the middle.
 
 Just another idea![:D]

kathybrj

 The OvermansWe put our effort into the van-top bike rack, because we bike quite a bit, even if we aren t camping. DH and DS will be doing week night road biking with a club and they will use the van to get to the shop start point. I also like to bike on the weekends we aren t camping and there s a great path about 45 minutes from our new home that we love.
 
 The Safari came with a luggage rack. We put extra support from side rail to side rail, using flat stock. We mounted the fork mounts on to 2 bys, staggering the placement. Then we made channels for the tires with 1 bys.
 
 We ve been using this system for almost 4 years now (we used to have it on our Dakota). We ve never had a problem with it-just have to watch the height of bikes going through some entrance gates at some parks. This season, we hope to modify the system a little, to make it lighter. If you re interested, I can always take some digital pics of it.

Tim5055

 The Overmans
QuoteORIGINAL:  The Overmans
 
 What rack system do you use on your van?  Do you do this and tow your popup  at the same time?
 

 You can take a look at [link=http://www.title-3.com/BikeRack.htm]our bike rack here.[/link]  It is a 3 bike Swagman Bike Rack which slides over the draw bar on your hitch.
 
 With this configuration you can carry the bikes and tow at the same time.