Welding a square tube receiver to the frame

[HUSK N TUSK]

Originally Posted by Caffeinated

Airstream Adventures NW is selling a custom receiver system bolted to the frame as a solution for bike racks. They say it meets all of Airstream requirements.

Mike

Where did you see this? Do you have a picture? I can't find anything about it on their website.

Thanks!

[85MH325]

Hanging a bike off the back of any RV is ALWAYS a bad idea... for the bikes. You can't see them. You have no idea what's happening with or to them from the tow vehicle. They get filthy and get slammed around at the end of a long lever (the trailer.) They're in the weather, and exposed to theft. If you have a nice bike, it'll increase your maintenance exponentially. Carry your bikes inside the trailer. They're out of the weather, they're out of sight, and you can make a carrier for $30 that fits your trailer interior perfectly out of a 2x6 and skewer mounts available at any bike shop.

And if you really want to know what eventually happens to Airstreams with more weight in the rear than they're designed to take, just search "elephant ears." You'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about Airstream monocoque construction.

[rp709]

I chose not to weld to the Airstream frame. I just had a shop build a 'hitch receiver' and bolted that to the frame with a support to the bumper. The receiver can be either 2" or 1 1/4". Steel channel is cheap and can be welded in the shop before installing. You could use aluminum for a lighter setup but it would be more expensive. I have used a Thule bike rack for years 13 years and it still works good and the bikes do fine back there. Airstream is worried, in my opinion, about someone attempting to tow a trailer with a hitch receiver under the back bumper of the trailer. That would not be good. Airstream adventure NW has a design like mine. My hitch mount adds rigidity between the frame rails of the Airstream. The bolt on point is where the frame has drops welded on for skip protection. People confuse legal liability with engineering design and worry about hurting the trailer. There is room to access the rear storage while bikes are attached. I now use a rack where the bikes are carried standing up and that is better for bike paint.

[HowieE]

I use both a rear trailer bike rack and a front TV bike rake.

The advantage to mounting a receiver on the front of your TV is you can take the bikes every where you go. While on a long trip, Alaska, it is nice to be able to have the bikes on the TV. You never know, while touring around on day trips, when you will find the availability of having the bike with you will be handy. Touring the Spit in Homer by bike will be fun. The only disadvantages to the front TV rack I have seen is there is a reduction in the effectiveness of your head lights. I also modified the bike rack, cut it's height, to lower the bikes as much as possible improving visibility.





Weekend outings I use the trailer bike rake

[glh101282]

I attached a homemade bike carrier to my 31 foot Airstream by installing bolts through the back of the trailer just below the rear window. Rested the bike rack on the hose carrier/rear bumper top. Even with this seemingly rigid setup the bouncing of the rear of the trailer eventually threw my bikes (3) onto the side of the road, as well as half my homemade bike rack.

A few years later I went over a speed bump and the floor of the rear storage compartment fell onto the road. The rear of the trailer has a bounce frequency that is way more volatile than the front. I keep this in mind even with what I put inside the trailer in the rear.

[HUSK N TUSK]

Originally Posted by glh101282

I attached a homemade bike carrier to my 31 foot Airstream by installing bolts through the back of the trailer just below the rear window. Rested the bike rack on the hose carrier/rear bumper top. Even with this seemingly rigid setup the bouncing of the rear of the trailer eventually threw my bikes (3) onto the side of the road, as well as half my homemade bike rack.

A few years later I went over a speed bump and the floor of the rear storage compartment fell onto the road. The rear of the trailer has a bounce frequency that is way more volatile than the front. I keep this in mind even with what I put inside the trailer in the rear.

Sounds like you have unbalanced running gear.

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

Hanging a bike off the back of any RV is ALWAYS a bad idea... for the bikes. You can't see them. You have no idea what's happening with or to them from the tow vehicle. They get filthy and get slammed around at the end of a long lever (the trailer.) They're in the weather, and exposed to theft. If you have a nice bike, it'll increase your maintenance exponentially. Carry your bikes inside the trailer. They're out of the weather, they're out of sight, and you can make a carrier for $30 that fits your trailer interior perfectly out of a 2x6 and skewer mounts available at any bike shop.

And if you really want to know what eventually happens to Airstreams with more weight in the rear than they're designed to take, just search "elephant ears." You'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about Airstream monocoque construction.

Oh please, you can't be serious.
There are thousands of bikes carried on the back of Airstreams without any problems whatsoever. I have been doing it for five years.

[joanbob27]

We've been traveling FT for 6 1/2 years. Our bicycles go in the trailer FB between the twin beds, when we're in motion, and outside, covered up and secured to the trailer wheel chock lock, when we're at rest. A folding dog ramp helps us to load and unload. When bad weather comes, out goes the canopy, (but watch out for those strong winds).

[tjwoods1]

Has anyone (with a truck) considered this?
https://www.rackattack.com/bike-rack...-%24450+-+ROAS

[wulfraat]

Bad idea with a Trailer in tow. Bikes would get crunched against the jack / LP cover on tight turns.

See my post #18. If you are a serious cyclists and/or travel with bikes that have any real value the DECKED system or similar in-bed fork mounted rack is by far the best way to transport bikes.

[75Bob]

It's probably not a good design match with the Airstream body, but it did carry 2 bicycles over 8,000 miles without a problem. I also made sure my tanks were always empty while in route.