Bike Rack

[Camper Wayne]

I have a 2016 Jay Flight 26BHS TT. By the way I love it. I am considering installing a "Around the spare tire" bicycle rack from e-trailer. My bumper is 4 inches square and is metal with no seams. The bumper is also attached to the frame. I would think it would easily support the rack and two bicycles. Any thoughts or ideas from someone who may have done this or thought about it?

[hoppers4]

I had that bike rack on my Jayco Escapade class C MH. I absolutely hated it! I modified it several times to try to make it easier to use but never really got there. It's just not user friendly and difficult to use. You have to use a lot of strapping here and there to make the bikes anywhere close to stable. It's also difficult to get the bike on in the first place.
You'll also have to tape the horizontal posts where the bikes hang to keep from beating up the bikes. The nuts that tighten down the hooks to hold the bikes don't want to stay in the plastic handles.
At the time I was using it I was only in my late fifties so it's not like it was hard for me because I was a bit creaky. I just really had a hard time with it.

[fielro]

Welcome aboard, I'm no help on the bike rack. Good luck

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Camper Wayne

My bumper is 4 inches square and is metal with no seams. The bumper is also attached to the frame. I would think it would easily support the rack and two bicycles.

I think you will find wording in the owner's manual that it won't.

[troutslayer]

I would not do it cuz the bumper is only spot welded to the frame. I read somewhere, when I was thinking about doing something like this that the bumper is only rated to hold 100#. The spare tire, tire rack, bike rack and a couple bikes would easily equal twice that much, I suspect. You wouldn't want all that in someone's grill while driving down the interstate .

[bankr63]

Check out the Arvika racks. They mount on the front of TT or 5W. That's the route we are going as we switch from a pup roof rack. No experience yet with it, but I have read great reviews. Their latest innovation lets you use other vendor's hitch mount racks, thinking that is how we will go with a good quality Thule or Yakima that I can use alone on my TV as well.

[norty1]

Reading on forums and personal experience, I would not even consider it.

[spoon059]

See if your trailer has an option for a legitimate trailer hitch mounted to the FRAME. My 29QBS had a $129 option for a frame mounted hitch, which we got. We have an actual bike rack mounted to the hitch to hold our 2 bikes... and even then I am scared at all the bouncing they are doing. They are way back behind the axle back there, and the forces are multiplied.

I would NOT hang anything from the rear bumper. That is a disaster just waiting to happen.

[Camper Wayne]

Thanks to all. I will not go the bumper route.