bike rack on front of Tow Vehicle

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

I have seen a post on here that says it is illegal in California. OP got stopped and ticketed, I believe. Other states, IDK. I mounted a receiver on the front of my Ram 2500 and use a Hollywood Rack. I guess I'm not taking my bikes to CA.

Al

California has front license plates, so perhaps that was the reason for the ticket.
I found this article which comments on the legality of rear bike racks in several states, and it appears that license plate visibility is the issue.
Can You Be Ticketed for a Hitch Mounted Bike Rack?

[3wd67rg]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

I have seen a post on here that says it is illegal in California. OP got stopped and ticketed, I believe. Other states, IDK. I mounted a receiver on the front of my Ram 2500 and use a Hollywood Rack. I guess I'm not taking my bikes to CA.

Al

I’ve lived in CA since 1968 and never heard that, let me check with my sons, they Mountain Bike and also work in the bike industry, so they would know.

[YippieKiYa]

The Arvika racks that go over the propane tanks are nice, but are not practical for FB AS models as the rack supports block access to the trunk. They also make propane tank refills a little more cumbersome.

[3wd67rg]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

I have seen a post on here that says it is illegal in California. OP got stopped and ticketed, I believe. Other states, IDK. I mounted a receiver on the front of my Ram 2500 and use a Hollywood Rack. I guess I'm not taking my bikes to CA.

Originally Posted by PammieSue

I’ve lived in CA since 1968 and never heard that, let me check with my sons, they Mountain Bike and also work in the bike industry, so they would know.

I did some checking around on CA DMV while I waited for my sons to get back to me. There is no law against a bike rack on either the front or back of a vehicle. Only law that might affect is about keeping your license plate visable.

My daughter got back to me and she added that the bike rack and bikes must not block your lights or your vision.

[basalt]

http://bruiser41.smugmug.com/Motorcy...cs%20046-L.jpg

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by PammieSue

I did some checking around on CA DMV while I waited for my sons to get back to me. There is no law against a bike rack on either the front or back of a vehicle. Only law that might affect is about keeping your license plate visable.

My daughter got back to me and she added that the bike rack and bikes must not block your lights or your vision.

As I recall, the last sentence in your post was what the CHP officer quoted to the OP. It becomes a judgement call. If you can see the bike, it is blocking your vision, not necessarily of anything you need to see, but blocking just the same. And I can't imagine any arrangement that wouldn't block the headlights (or taillights, for that matter).

Al

[3wd67rg]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

As I recall, the last sentencen in your post was what the CHP officer quoted to the OP. It becomes a judgement call. If you can see the bike, it is blocking your vision, not necessarily of anything you need to see, but blocking just the same. And I can't imagine any arrangement that wouldn't block the headlights (or taillights, for that matter).

Al

Judgement calls are not useful, nor are they always right or fair. In the hands of a cranky cop, a moody cop, a bad cop, or one who is short on his/her quota, (we ALL know there IS a quota), it can be a mistake. It’s not fair to drivers. Explicit laws or none at all.

[bbandeddie]

Yeah it’s a light and plate obstruction issue. Front or rear could be an issue. I work at a Ski and Bike resort in Ontario with weekly races. Every once in a while the cops will blitz the racers on the highway on race day. Especially vulnerable are the folks with four-up racks in back. The ticket is for plate obstruction.

The law here is explicit. Your plates must be unobstructed. The cops in Ontario regularly cite drivers even for those dealer plate outlines if they block the “Ontario” on the plate.

Interestingly, the rack manufacturers, like Thule and Yakima, sell bike racks with lights and plate holders (lights plug into a trailer harness). And the punch line is that those models are only available to the European market.

When I lived in Australia, most people with a bike rack in back hung their plate from the outermost bike.

[m.hony]

I have a $100 Curt front receiver from Amazon and carry bikes on the front of the truck.

[Skip Stone]

Banderabob,
With the Avika rack shown, are you able to easily remove your two batteries for 4 stage charging when you are storing you A.S. long term?
I am also evaluating the Stromberg / Carlson front rack. Finally, with the added weight did you have to readjust you weight distribution hitch ?

Thanks, Skip

[3wd67rg]

What I find interesting, is that with all of that, no one in my family knows a single person who has been ticketed for it. My two sons have been mountain biking, racing, and working in the bike business since they were kids. My daughter mountain biked, raced, did race photography, and then branched into other work. Same with my DSiL, mountain biked from childhood and then worked in the business, although he moved out of the business a year and a half ago and now welds for Union Pacific RailRoad. He and my daughter still bike, and so does my granddaughter, the littlest one will be getting a pusher bike soon.

If people were regularly ticketed it would make sense to build a bracket that you could hang across the back or front of the bikes with lights and a plate, and sell it. But it just not happening here.

I’m still not sure why it’s an issue in the front of the vehicle. Cops always come from behind to read your plates.

[Tschupp]

Here are a few pics of inside bike rack. When I load up bikes next week I will add pictures.

[3wd67rg]

Originally Posted by Tschupp

Here are a few pics of inside bike rack. When I load up bikes next week I will add pictures.

This looks like what Chris had on his old truck side boxes, he had to take the front wheel off and put the fork into something like that. Is this on a wall or floor?

[Tschupp]

This is on the floor . The front wheel comes off and forks go in. I stablize with a tie down web strap hooked to wall and door assist handle. It works well for me.

[Kennedy6009]

where did you get the hole/inserts/ bushings/ for the bolts to go in and what are they called? Good job on this.

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by Tschupp

Here are a few pics of inside bike rack. When I load up bikes next week I will add pictures.

Looks like a great solution!

[Tschupp]

Home Depot. Called threaded inserts. Inner threads need to match the threads of truckbed mount kit. I place a foot stool in front of couch to cover inserts when not In use. The bike mount unscrews and lives in over couch cupboard when not in use. I thought it was a pretty good solution too. The tie down was added to keep any movement at bay. I just had new floor installed and wanted to keep it pretty!

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by SuzyHomemakr

I added a hitch receiver to the front of my RAM 2500, then put in the Thule rack. Then started dragging it when going into parking lots! The receiver sat below the front bumper, and the rack stuck pretty far out.

Now it sits in my shop, a waste of money and space.

hmmm, I have a Curt front hitch that sits low, below the front bumper too. I was planning to get the Thule rack. Is your truck 4x4?

[Caroyl]

Originally Posted by wildhorses

We put all 5 of our bikes inside our Van TV - lots of room and they stay dry & clean.

Please tell me more 😃 What van (details please)? Pictures of bikes inside van?? 😃😃

[wildhorses]

This was Oshkosh last summer, I don't have pictures of the bikes inside the van, but you can see 3 of the bikes, the van and our A/S. We put the bikes in vertically on their kickstands and used our luggage, chairs and coolers to keep them from falling over.

FWIW - I towed for years with trucks of every size, but since buying a van I am a van lover for life, it is a much more versatile tow vehicle.