Trailer back bumper

[Johnynorthland]

Does anyone know if they make the Safety struts for class C bumpers?

[Phil Saran]

Add the struts ect.
I would add a rear trailer hitch with proper
Reinforcement.

My 5th wheel trailer has a storage rack on the rear from the factory and it is only rated for 250 pounds.

Phil Saran
Parker Colorado

[Parcany]

Originally Posted by donnowak

***DO NOT USE***
I use 4" bumper trailer hitch for the second time while travelling out west in Canada. I was carrying two bicycles on a rack. The hitch snapped and my bikes were dragging on the ground on the Trans Canada Highway at 70 MPH. The bikes remained on the rack and the bumper wasn't twisted but my bikes were ruined. When I contacted the Company and sent them pictures...they blamed the bumpy north roads in Canada causing the extra stress. No compensation at all.
***DO NOT BUY***
***DO NOT USE***
***DEFECTIVE PRODUCT***
***I NOTICE IT IS NOT FOR SALE ON THEIR WEBSITE ANY MORE***
***WONDER WHY????***

ok I have the 4inch hitch and I looked it over. If the hitch broke or came apart how in the world did your bikes drag on the ground. When I put the 4inch hitch on our rear bumper if the hitch would have broke the whole thing would have fallen off and you might not have ever found it, You must have had something tied to the trailer. I do know that if the hitch is not put on correctly that it will bounce around and maybe loosen up. But sorry to here about the bikes.

[cfarrar]

Originally Posted by Gregory Peck

Ditto on the SafetyStruts...put them on my 2020 Jay Feather 27RL and so far all is great!

I also use the SafetyStruts, also reinforced the area behind the receiver, With 2 bikes on I use ratchet straps to minimize the movement of the bikes

[joleger]

This is what happened to my old trailer (non jayco) when trying to haul bikes without reinforcing the bumper.

[Johnynorthland]

Yikes! Those welds held up but the heater metal from welding on the bumper didn’t!

I added this turn buckle to take the cantilevered weight off of my bumper caused by my heavy spare. I check it every start and finish on every trip. Hope this is enough? I thinking of taking it to a welding shop for more support.

[ssokc]

Originally Posted by joleger

This is what happened to my old trailer (non jayco) when trying to haul bikes without reinforcing the bumper.

This is exactly what happens to my bumper with 2 small kids bikes and a mountain bike. Hit a bump coming into campground then once I got to the site got in position to back in and looked in my mirror to see the bikes dragging the ground. about 4" of the mountain bike wheel was just GONE. Bumper still barely attached and was able to remove my attachments including the spare, but lesson learned.
Now looking for a bike hauling solution and some place to put my spare waste tank, and spare tire.
Was considering the https://www.amazon.com/Mount-n-Lock-...ve&sr=1-3&th=1 but want to really make sure the frame attachment is enough. would like to to reach a little farther back into the frame for support.

[ssokc]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

Yikes! Those welds held up but the heater metal from welding on the bumper didn’t!

I added this turn buckle to take the cantilevered weight off of my bumper caused by my heavy spare. I check it every start and finish on every trip. Hope this is enough? I thinking of taking it to a welding shop for more support.

I would opt for the safety struts or a the upgraded bumper. I would hate for something like a spare to rip the bumper of going down a interstate and be responsible for a bad wreck!

https://www.amazon.com/Mount-n-Lock-...st_sto_dp&th=1

[Kim Gass]

Originally Posted by ssokc

I would opt for the safety struts or a the upgraded bumper. I would hate for something like a spare to rip the bumper of going down a interstate and be responsible for a bad wreck!

https://www.amazon.com/Mount-n-Lock-...st_sto_dp&th=1

dope slap to me. I had forgotten to order those. Hubby wants the bikes OUT of the inside of the trailer or bed of the truck..We normally do not carry bikes on summer camping trips but with FL coming up we do. He got a bike adapter he though was sufficient.. I am playing Santa as I don't think the bumper will hold up. Its not so much the bumper but the lawyer in the car behind us

[Johnynorthland]

I had my bumper remove re-welded and reinforced, didn’t cost me more than $200 for that, he put on the spare carrier and reinforce that also

[HAL9001]

I used the bumper supports (two on each side) and additionally welded them to the bumpers. Then I rewelded the existing bumper welds to reinforce them.

If you don't own a welder, this is not a very expensive thing to have done.

The brand-name bumper supports are expensive and slightly thicker but the generics, which you can find online, are half the price and you can get two for the price of one. This way, you can put two on each side for the same cost. Also, you can usually buy them used on Amazon at a greatly reduced price. They're not actually used, just ones that were returned. Since they're solid metal, they are safe to purchase "used".

Another point:

If you purchase any of the bolt-on bike hitches DO NOT use the bolts that come with it. Instead, replace them with Grade 8 bolts that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes.

The hitches themselves are made well but the bolts they use are inferior and will break. If you replace them with Grade 8 bolts, that won't happen.

[16WhiteColly]

Many of the images that I have seen of failed bumpers show that the welds hold, but the thin metal rips around the weld. Just too thin of material was used.

[HAL9001]

Originally Posted by 16WhiteColly

Many of the images that I have seen of failed bumpers show that the welds hold, but the thin metal rips around the weld. Just too thin of material was used.

The purpose of the bumper guards is to reduce the stress on those weak points by supporting the bumper from underneath and in back. Even if the thin metal still fails, the bumper guards offer a secondary support to keep the bumper in place. That's why it's better to use two bumper guards on each side.

Welding the back ends of the bumper guards creates even more support because it further reduces any remaining movement and stress on the weak points. Reinforcing the welding also helps because it spreads the weld support across more areas of the bumper. The weakest points are where the thin metal of the bumper joins the welds. Spreading it out reduces the strain.

All of these together help create the best support. If you don't want to have it welded, at least use two bumper supports on each side. Even if the joint fails, at least your bumper and whatever is attached to it probably won't end up on the highway.