My TV has a ball mount on the bumper in addition to the receiver that I use to tow with. I was playing with the idea of putting a ball hitch type carrier there. Is this a bad idea? Since they fold down, it would still allow access to the bed of the truck, I wouldn’t think it should impede turning radius.....
I had the same idea. I tried getting a ball mount bike rack and using the bumper hitch like you are suggesting. I thought I might be able to use it and pull a travel trailer too.
It turns I was wrong. Hitch mount bike racks put substantial rotational torque on the mount point. When I put three kid’s bikes on it, it nearly twisted my bumper hitch mount around. Luckily I noticed how much the bikes were bending it down and I took it off. When I mounted it on a standard receiver shank, it worked fine. Knowing what I know now, I would not buy a ball mount bike rack. I also would get a rack that would let me add and remove one bike at a time, rather than all at once. I would also get one that works better with modern mountain bikes that have thicker frames and don’t always have a horizontal frame member.
I'm working on one now it will bolt to the bumper near the frame on both sides.
The bumper and frame can handle that easy. Provided they have no movement to add extra Inertia which would increase the weight stress.
I'm using 1 X 1 alum from the bumper up to a clamp type bike mount about $35.
The alum frame need not be too strong to support fore/aft movement, that will be done by two attachment points up about handle bar height, I'm trying to find the right fitting that can mount near the rear window.
I'll have some pic's in a few weeks.
__________________
Bob
'77 Sovereign Intl 31' CB '07 GMC 4x4 2500HD EC 8.1 Allision six | Bedrug | Softopper | Airbags
WBCCI Time's a-changing Say no to Lawrence Welk attitudes
I would like to get some Yakima Blockheads - non locking kind. They are simple - just remove front wheel and insert forks in mount and tighten lock-bolt. I like the idea of storing the bikes upright in the bed of my truck - wheels off. I will mount the Yakima mounts to the bed tool box and have the bikes on in incline. Lots more room this way for gear in the bed.
Don't know what you have for a tv. When we had the Suburban we use a front hitch for bikes, kayaks on the roof. This worked great.
We have a pick me up now, bikes in the bed, kayaks still up top. This is a little easier yet.
Be careful of those hitch extension/ adapters. They compromise your hitch capacity. OK for lite weight campers. Be careful with a larger unit...
Bill
Oops...I see you do list your TV.
Same truck as mine. I have some old rails from a roof rack, mounted on 2x4's cut to fit the channels in the truck bed. The bikes stand up nice and straight, don't have to remove front wheels (I hate this) and I snaked a long cable through the bed tie down so I can lock them up if I want.
Can't see how it can get easier than this...
__________________
Life is Good-Camping all around New England
Good people drink good beer-Hunter S Thompson
I would like to get some Yakima Blockheads - non locking kind. They are simple - just remove front wheel and insert forks in mount and tighten lock-bolt. I like the idea of storing the bikes upright in the bed of my truck - wheels off. I will mount the Yakima mounts to the bed tool box and have the bikes on in incline. Lots more room this way for gear in the bed.
Anyone else use these?
Yes Michael, I use something similar. I've had my truck one year and for various reasons have not completed the installation far enough to document completely for a thread like I intend. I've been the route of bedliners. Opted this time just for a heavy rubber mat in the back of the truck. I carefully located the area between the ribs in the bottom of the bed & drilled for elevator bolts & a 1/4" ply backing underneath the mat and rigged Yakima skewers. Tomorrow I could take a photo of the way I rigged it. I have a recumbent that is almost 6' long without the front wheel. Susie has a tall, very erect sitting position bike because she isn't comfortable leaning across handlebars. I knew this before I rigged my truck with a Leer 180 truck cap that would allow me to carry both bikes inside and our canoe on top.
We carry our bikes on our truck using a Yakima rack system that mounts directly to the pickup box. The rack locks on to special foot mounts. The bikes (front wheels removed)in turn lock on to the Yakima fork mounts. The rack's foot mounts have a very small footprint allowing the use of a tonneau cover over the cargo area. We love the ease of securing our bikes. No high lifting either!
I'm surprised that no one uses a roof rack system. I have used them to carry tons of stuff,from bicycles to winsurfing equipment, kayaks, ladders, you name it. Look at either Yakima or Thule. They have loads of carrying options for bikes and the best part.....you get ALL of your storage space on the inside of your TV.
In our case I broke down and bought one of those Yakima roof carriers. The King Cobra is most likely one of the most simple, yet strongest carriers out there. Not sure how you'd mount one to a pickup roof, but on the Burb, after some wrangling (first time), it was an excellent system.
__________________
Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq and millions of others are by far the most popular with about 70 million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form. -NY Times 1991
Thanks to all who have responded. We are fulltimers, and we have a camper shell over the bed of our TV, so carrying cycles in there won't work since that is our "basement" storage area. Looks like the trailer may be our only choice, at least until we lose enough stuff to clean out the back of the TV. NEVER HAPPEN!
Thanks to all who have responded. We are fulltimers, and we have a camper shell over the bed of our TV, so carrying cycles in there won't work since that is our "basement" storage area. Looks like the trailer may be our only choice, at least until we lose enough stuff to clean out the back of the TV. NEVER HAPPEN!
Why not the front thitch?
Several have commented on this option. We did this for year and it worked very well. Take the bike seats off, this helps vision.
For us, there were no problems with line of sight, head lights etc. I would do this again in a heartbeat if we go back toa Suburban. It was very convenient, safe, and no heavy lifting...
Bill
__________________
Life is Good-Camping all around New England
Good people drink good beer-Hunter S Thompson
Quick Links
Say no to Lawrence Welk attitudes
Linear Mode
