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coffeydelsol · 03-14-2009, 08:10 AM

We have 86 SOV 25', it has the wide bumper that holds the electric hook up and sewer stuff. Wondering if anyone installed any kind of bike rack. Our tow vehicle is a pick with a hard toneau cover (I already have a tone of stuff that rides in there

) so putting the bikes there won't work. Any ideas are welcome.

overlander63 · 03-14-2009, 08:13 AM

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...iler-2614.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f209...per-39529.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...ale-48713.html

Silvertwinkie · 03-14-2009, 08:16 AM

Never, never, never, never, never do this.

Get a roof rack for the tow vehicle or put the bikes in the trailer, but never consider hanging things off the back. The long term effects will be frame separation which I am sure Terry has linked above.

But by all means, do not simply take my word for it, contact Airstream support directly and ask them what they think about adding any weight in the manner you are suggesting. Here is their contact info:

Airstream, Inc :: Customer Service

HowieE · 03-14-2009, 09:35 AM

You will hear 100s of members chime in that this can't be done. Now having accepted that this is how I did it.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...s-30184-3.html

Check the post 36 38 and 41 on this thread.

By now I have well over 40,000 miles with the bikes back there and driving on northern roads that are much rougher than Fl.

Jim Foster · 03-14-2009, 09:53 AM

We saw two bike racks mounted on a hard pick-up bed cover. Don't know the make of the racks.

Lumatic · 03-14-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coffeydelsol

Wondering if anyone installed any kind of bike rack.

Stand clear and put on your slicker

silverleeper · 03-14-2009, 10:21 AM

Put a receiver on the front of the truck for a bike rack. You will have to make sure that you keep good air flow but this way you will not have to heave the bikes onto the back of the truck.

Gene · 03-14-2009, 11:12 AM

My wife and I have tried to figure this out, but haven't. If you have a very expensive bike, mounting it outside, front or back of TV or trailer, it's going to get dinged by stones, sand, gravel, and you won't be happy. Mounting on top of anything also subjects it to abuse. We know two people who had bikes on their auto roofs and managed to crush them when they forgot they were there and drove "under" something that was too low. It's too easy to forget.

Coffey, we also have a pickup with a hard tonneau and stuff migrates there. A bike could be placed there, but getting it in and out requires a lot of work because of the lack of leverage, especially if the truck is still hitched to the trailer. Maybe stuff has to come out of the pickup bed and go somewhere else. Not sure I'd want a bike or two bikes, bouncing around in there.

So, what about inside the trailer? How do you keep it from falling over or if on it's side, sliding around, and damaging the trailer or bike, getting bike grease on something. If you want to stop and use the bathroom or have lunch, will it be in the way? The bed could be an answer if you put something like a tarp on the bedspread and the bike on top, but how do you secure the bike so it doesn't slide off? Hooks and bungie cords might solve the sliding, falling bike problem, but you'll have to install some hooks to attach the bungie cords to, and then, you have a hook to hit with leg, arm or other body part while walking around in the dark (or in the light). Getting a bike in and out of the small places in the trailer is another challenge.

When using the trailer, the bike has to be secured outside, just another thing to do. We looked at the collapsible bikes, but they are not good quality.

When we are trying to make life on the road simpler (and with a travel trailer, is anything simple?), a bike doesn't enhance that. I have to admit my commitment to a solution is not strong since I don't have a bike (my wife does) since with a bad back I would need one of those strange, low slung, recliner bikes, and aren't enthralled by them.

Yet people who do have a strong commitment to their bikes find a way, so it depends what you'll go through to have the bike or bikes with you. I also admit when we are camped somewhere and there are long trails to see cool things, a bike sounds pretty good.

If I were pressed on this, I think I'd look at cleaning out the pickup bed. But where do I put the generator, extra gas cans, WD hitch bars, Airstream spare tire (keeping it there means I can check the air easily), assorted other junk? Of course, the spare could go where it's supposed to be. If a collapsible bike works for you, sticking them behind the front seats of a pickup seems ideal, but of course, there is already lots of stuff there (tools, travel books, maps, picnic table, outdoor chairs, coats, extra provisions of all sorts), sometimes passengers, which means more bikes, or dog food, or both. I also think a cheap bike for traveling might be a good compromise since cheap could mean less likely to get damaged. Maybe my wife could get by without 15 speeds.

Gene

**Kevin245** · 03-14-2009, 12:21 PM

Why not carry them inside the AS? A couple of Yakima Blockheads and a little AS ingenutiy and it could be easily accomplished. Your tonneau cover stays in place, and the dreaded "Bike rack on the bumper" argument goes away.

Just a thought.

Westfalia · 03-14-2009, 01:00 PM

Kevin, I have seen Lewster do exactly what you are proposing in his 19' Bambi. He just fashioned up a simple cross support made of wood that was some how supported across his front dinette keeping everything secure and from moving.

Jack46 · 03-14-2009, 01:12 PM

We've had success with this rack - WELCOME to Top Pop Rails Website ! - which mounts over the LPG tanks. It is expensive - $450.00 (if I remember correctly) and you have to remove the top section (easy to do) to be able to open the front window. But it is the best option we found. And everyone I inquired of suggested not to load anything on the rear bumper. Jack

Tin Diesel · 03-14-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Attached Thumbnails

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That's what we did. Mounted two on a board to hold the front wheels of each bike. Built another board with some slats to hold the back wheels in position. The bikes site transverse inside the front door, next to the gaucho on our 30' Airstream. We put a towel under the chain area - but more for peace of mind. I use a bungee to make sure they don't wander - but I'm not sure its necessary.

Our bikes cost a lot. This way, no worry about weather, ruining things, theft, accidental crushing, etc. We can park the rig for hours and not have to be concerned.

Total cost was about $15.

The bikes are out of the way if we need access during travel. And they can be taken out within minutes when we're setting up camp.

I look at that long overhang past my rear axels, and the engineering training in me says - don't add 50 lbs 10 feet behind the axel.

BillTex · 03-14-2009, 06:48 PM

Front hitch

Wingeezer · 03-14-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coffeydelsol

We have 86 SOV 25', it has the wide bumper that holds the electric hook up and sewer stuff. Wondering if anyone installed any kind of bike rack. Our tow vehicle is a pick with a hard toneau cover (I already have a tone of stuff that rides in there

) so putting the bikes there won't work. Any ideas are welcome.

Our AS, bought used last Fall, came with a hitch receiver on the rear.

I planned to use it to mount a bike rack, but got so much advice against it on this forum I decided not to, and in fact, I removed the hitch receiver from teh trailer instead!

I installed a hitch receiver on the front of our pickup and carry our bikes that way.

I did that also on our last truck/trailer and used it for ten years without any problem whatsoever.

Brian.

FreshAir · 03-15-2009, 05:59 PM

I have a fold up bike. It can ride on a bed (in thetrailer) or the back seat of the car.....yes we tow with a car...and its a convertible...and you can toss things in it like a pick up and still have a trunk too.

Neil.

Gene · 03-15-2009, 06:29 PM

Neil & Lynn, how are the fold up bikes as bikes? My wife has been spoiled by her somewhat fancy unit.

Gene

Benjo · 03-15-2009, 07:19 PM

We have a 18ft unit so we do not have much room inside the coach and i never like the idea of putting our bikes on top of our tow vehicle. my wifes' bike is small, well because she is a small person. so with wheels off her frame can be stowed away pretty easily. i have a ritchey break-away frame that breaks down at the seat tube joint and the bottom bracket...basically mid point of the middle triangle. you wouldnt believe how small that thing breaks down and how easy it is to assemble and disassemble. you should check them out at www.ritcheylogic.com also, tom the innovator of the break-away is a good friend of mine and he takes his bike all around the world.
my two cents worth.
-b

3 Dog Nite · 03-15-2009, 07:51 PM

Mount a hitch receiver on the front of the TV. This is what I did on my MH. This way it can be removed completely when not needed. I use a locking pin on the receiver & a cable lock to secure the bikes to the bike rack. The bikes can be locked to the rack when it's off the vehicle at the campsite. It's awful hard for a thief to lift a bike rack with 2 bikes locked to it. At shadier locations the bike locking cable can secure them to a tree or your trailer.

I'll post some photos tomorrow after I take some.

FreshAir · 03-16-2009, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Neil & Lynn, how are the fold up bikes as bikes? My wife has been spoiled by her somewhat fancy unit.

Gene

We got the 6 speed that Camping World sells. Maybe I can remember the make before I finish this post. The bike is great for peddling around a campground, even on uneven surfaces. But obviously it isn't the mountain bike I used to have. I gave that to a teenager when I had both hips replaced 3 years ago. I was told by my surgeon not ride anything but a stationary bike. Well, I was going crazy not being able to ride a bike when camping so I tried the fold up with 20" wheels. Lynn suffered a disabling stroke he same time I was having my surgeries and was determined to ride a bike again too. We had the bike for a couple of months without mastering riding again. I just about gave up when our daughter 'retaught' her mom how to ride and she rides well now. I wasn't going to let her 'get away with 'that' and with renewed determination off I went. Yup, we both ride good but we need to get another bike so we can now ride together. Oh, the bike brand is "Yeah". As for my surgeon, he had knee reconstruction after he did my hips. He was a competition road bike rider and HIS surgeon said no bikes for a while. He admitted to me later that he was not gving u riding to work as before his surgery. So now I won't tell on him to HIS surgeon and he won't rag on me.

AND we got the extra wide seat. That makes a difference too.

Neil

Caryl · 03-16-2009, 03:33 PM

We have a recumbent bike and a recumbent trike. We easily carry them inside our 19' CCD without harming the Airstream or the bike/trikes. Then we quickly haul them out at the camp site tether them to a tree or in the screenhouse or under the awning. or ride! Very easy. We also don't access st he Airstream much while drive from point to point. It has been a very workable solution for us. The canoe goes on top of the truck.