Fiamma Bike Rack

[Bluto]

I've been thinking about ordering a Fiamma bike rack for my 2010 Classic. My problem is that my trailer has a fiberglass bumper that wraps around the rear of the trailer and has a pull out drawer underneath the bumper. I have not seen a special Fiamma bike rack to fit this design. Have any of you had the Fiamma rack installed on this style of bumper? If so, I would like to hear from you. I have a few questions. Would also like to see some pix of the finished project if possible. Any info would be a help.
Thank you,

[chickenrx]

Call the Airstream store in JC. They have 2 model Fiamma racks for the Classics, one for the newer (International) style bumper and one for the older style that is on your unit. Basically, the rack itself is the same but the bumper attachment brackets are different. When I ordered my Fiamma from Airstream they actually sent me both sets of brackets so I have seen the ones for the older Classics.
Good luck!

[Bluto]

Thanks, I'll do that first thing Monday.

[Bluto]

chickenrx,
I called A/S store and they said that the brackets are included, just as you had said, when a person orders the classic bike rack.

My next question before I purchase is, do any of you have a picture of it installed on the old style classic with the 3 bezel light with a backup light in the center?
On my trailer, this back light set covers the area that is the required 4 1/2" from the center seam or rub rail and then the light covers the area where the vertical rivet seam runs down to the bumper. I'm concerned about mounting the upper bracket in the area next to the light that is not on that seam. Can it be mounted lower, like , below the light but on the seam?
The fellow at A/S could not help much as he said he had limited experience with installing them. Looks like I need forum members help again!
A picture of an installed unit on an older classic like mine 2010 model would answer my questions.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

Not to sway you, but have you seen the bracket challenges with the bike rack? I think there is a recent thread with photos of the bracket snapping from the bouncing of the bikes in transit (over time)

[chickenrx]

Bluto,
The newer Classic tail light housings sit just far enough off the vertical rivet line to allow install at the 4.5" level below the beltline. How far below the beltline would you need to be to clear the housing and install on the rivet line? You might want to contact someone at Colonial Airstream service and see if and how they handled install on an older Classic. As to the brackets breaking, I've had conversations with Fiamma in Orlando and have been told that the newer brackets are sturdier and that they are covered under warranty should one break (regardless, I bought a spare just in case). Good luck

[Bluto]

BSWG,
I have read that thread about the part failing. I'm just shooting from the hip here but in my mind there seem to be various reasons for that part to fail. First of course is, it was mgf. with inferior materials and secondly, overloading could be another reason (we'll never really know about that one). The third reason looks like it could be the placement of the upper bracket. I want to adhere to the 4.5" down from the beltline to mount the brackets for the arm. That seems to be the safest spot to mount it and it is recommended from a video I watched from A/S. You mentioning the other thread about the failures was a good idea and I plan to go back and find the thread and re-read to make sure I didn't miss anything. It's a lot of money to me to throw at something that won't last.

Chickenrx,
I measured today and 4.5" mark puts me midway of the tail light frame. I would have to go down to 8.5" to just miss the tail light frame. In looking at, and pushing on the aluminum just outside the frame I feel there is about 1.5" of structural piece behind the aluminum where I could drill 2 holes to mount the bracket but it's doubtful I could get all 4 to hit the structural piece. I'm not sure if that is enough support having 2 screws going into the structural piece and 2 with no support, just into the aluminum of the trailer.
When I asked the technical advisor at Jackson Center yesterday he had no idea what I was talking about and was no help whats so ever. As a matter of fact he stated that he has never seen a classic with the fiberglass covered bumper. Nor did he ever hear of the Airstream fellow in the video, Mr. Maxwell. So I plan to call there again tomorrow and will insist that I speak to a person who actually installed one of these on an older Classic. If I do get this all ironed out and actually order the rack, I will take a page from your book and order a spare arm bracket, just in case. That's a good idea about me calling Colonial. May do that too.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

[emoji1474]

[Bluto]

I spoke to a fellow in the service dept. at the dealership. After I gave him my measurements of the placement of my lights on the back of my trailer and where the brackets should be located etc., he told me that he had a similar trailer as mine in recently that wanted to get a bike rack as well. He said they could not safely install the new rack on that trailer because of not being able to drill into the brace behind the skin because the light frame is in the way, so he refused to install it.

Not being able to anchor the brackets to the brace behind the skin and having it verified by the dealer tells me that there is no way I am going to buy this rack that would be destined to fail.

Thanks for your responses to this thread, you guys helped me out quite a bit.