Quote:
Originally Posted by Camp-Zilla
We just bought a Jay Feather 17C. The former owner had mounted a bike rack which we have removed. We might use it at a later date.
The back bumper had been reinforces with a solid 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 wooded board. It is strong wood and is bolted onto holes he drilled in the bumper. Then he attached the bike rack which can be used or removed easily.
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While the wood might help the C-Channel bumper hold it shape, it does not address the weak point where the bumper is riveted to the frame. Unless that is reinforced, nothing with that much weight should be put on the 17's bumper. If the entire assembly falls off, it could be very dangerous for drivers following your trailer.
Take a look at this picture from our 2012 X17Z. You can see only 4 rivets per side holding the entire bumper on. This is not a strong enough fastening scheme to hold bikes safely in such a dynamic environment on the rear end of a trailer.
EDIT -- actually, it is even worse than that. I remembered the actual bumper itself was only held onto the bracket by 2 rivets per side. I don't have the 17Z anymore to verify that but you can clearly see it in this picture: