Adding trailer hitch to back of Airstream to hold bike rack

[Butch7]

Originally Posted by Butch7

I have wanted to put hitch to back Airstream for bike rack. Airstream solution is expensive and not flexible. Plus I have heard that some people had it ripe off that Aluminum skin.
I purchased a hitch from https://www.torklift.com/
I was concerned that it maybe to low by mounting it as per instructions.
So once I received unit I was convinced that this won’t work. Unit would hang down below skid plates.
So with a small amount of modification I gave up my rear storage compartment and put hitch in there.
See below pictures.

Any question please let me know.

It is mounted to 2018 23FB

[SPW]

I use the Yakima HoldUp 2" rack. I've had it for about 6 years and have had no issues. Its a great rack--sturdy, easy to use, and holds bikes securely--highly recommend. That said, if I was shopping for a bike rack today, I would likely go with the 1Up brand because it is a great rack and a bit easier to install into the hitch--its not necessary to get on the ground to align the hole for the thru-bolt and to tighten the bolt. Also, the 1Up, with the extension lever/pull is easier to tilt when bikes are loaded which is helpful when the rack is on my Subaru Outback or mini van and I need to open the back hatch on the vehicle. Correction to my prior post--the total weight of my rack and two bikes is more like 100#. The receiver hitch is a very clean and very functional install on the Airstream; many fellow AS'ers have asked about it.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

Nonsense.
I have fabricated a receiver that bolts to the skid u channels welded to the frame .
It fits nice and snug under the rear bumper keeping the bike handlebars a couple of inches from the rear window.
The entire setup bikes and all weigh in at 130 lbs.
Had it on our 2013 30' International and moved it to the 2017 30' Classic.
Been all over the country on some if the worst pavements imaginable and guess what no problems whatsoever.
The frame and the body continue arriving at the same place together everytime.
Thats 7 years of bouncing around with no issues on two different trailers.
And the beuty part is I can use the bike rack on the truck as well which came in handy on many trips.
The main raeson I did not want the Fiama.

Nonsense?😂

Bob
🇺🇸

[Adiredneck]

I found it far easier and safer to mount a front receiver onto the frame of my pickup. Rated for 500 lbs. Then I just picked a nice bike rack to go in the receiver. 3 years, no problem; plus I can use the bike rack when I'm not towing our Airstream.

[Flying Pig]

19’ flying cloud….anyone will do whatever you pay them to do and I’m sorry we had the hitch put on the rear. After one trip we found it dangerous for many reasons: too low, swing and bounce moved bikes around, not very secure. We will never use it again and will caution whoever buys our rig not to trust it. I’d feel much safer with bikes either inside the rig, in of truck or mounted to truck front. Had bikes fallen we’d have been in a world of trouble.

[OrangeCrush]

That is very nice work, but I would not use it for a bike rack. We had a hitch mount on a different trailer years ago and due to the bounce on some highways it eventually broke the welds on the bumper. Don't underestimate how much torsion goes into that mount due to the cantilever of the rack.

The Airstream (Fiamma) rack works great and is very solid. Who ever had it pull the skin off did not have it bolted to the I-beam per instructions. We have one and can watch it in the rear view camera and the bikes don't move even on bouncy I-70 in western slope Colorado (the worst).

Good Luck.

[davidlbriggs]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

Nonsense.
I have fabricated a receiver that bolts to the skid u channels welded to the frame .
It fits nice and snug under the rear bumper keeping the bike handlebars a couple of inches from the rear window.
The entire setup bikes and all weigh in at 130 lbs.
Had it on our 2013 30' International and moved it to the 2017 30' Classic.
Been all over the country on some if the worst pavements imaginable and guess what no problems whatsoever.
The frame and the body continue arriving at the same place together everytime.
Thats 7 years of bouncing around with no issues on two different trailers.
And the beuty part is I can use the bike rack on the truck as well which came in handy on many trips.
The main raeson I did not want the Fiama.

Hey you guys, don't mess with Bob Cross. [emoji56]

P.S. that's goid advice.

[Spec7op]

This has been done by many people including myself with no problems. We copied the design by a fellow in Nova Scotia, welded some steel plates together with the receiver hitch, removed the bumper after which we cut a square channel piece out for the hitch to slide through, slid the welded assembly between the frame and bolted to same, then reattached bumper. Works great. Tested over 2,000 miles with 2 electric bikes (40 lbs each). The handle bars are within inches of rear window but the whole setup is very stable. Flying Cloud, 25 FBQ.

[AirOregon]

I just sold a 2014 25FB international with Fiamma rack that we bought at delivery. It worked great but has one major drawback IMO that doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention in discussions. If you want to transport your bikes to the trailhead or some other location you’ve got to bring a second bike rack. Or take the trailer which is absurd. We’ll soon take delivery of a ‘22 27FBT Globetrotter and I will not be buying the Fiamma rack for this reason. Instead Tom’s RV’s in Albuquerque will be installing—bolting & welding—a receiver hitch to the rear skid plates for my Kuat NV 2.0 bike rack to carry our two Pivot Switchblade mountain bikes. As a former engineer I value real world evidence when evaluating the soundness of any design. Everything I’ve seen and heard so far, and I’ve researched this topic, tells me that it’s safe, structurally and otherwise, to mount a receiver hitch to the rear of an Airstream trailer for the purpose of transporting two bicycles. Every single option for transporting bicycles involves compromise of some sort. This option the least so IMO for our purposes.

[OrangeCrush]

"Every single option for transporting bicycles involves compromise of some sort."

That's for sure. With the Fiamma we take bikes to trail head in back seat of F150 crew cab with seats folded up. Road/Gravel fit wheels on, Mountain (Pivot 429) requires taking front wheels off. Not ideal but it works.

I much prefer hauling bikes on our truck bed rack but we sometimes want to take bikes and keep the Extang Solid Fold cover on the bed. We could switch to a RetrexPRO cover but that has other issues for us (for now). We also thought it was best to put the bikes on the back of the Airstream while towing because we have payload issues (another subject). When we move to a bigger tow vehicle I will probably move to a RetrexPRO cover/rack. Lot's of trade-offs for sure.

Good luck believing Tom's RV has done the reliability testing necessary to guaranty their mount will not have or cause issues for the life of the trailer and all the terrain it may see, especially if that Kuat is max loaded with 2 x 40lb Ebikes.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by AirOregon

I just sold a 2014 25FB international with Fiamma rack that we bought at delivery. It worked great but has one major drawback

It's ugly?

Seriously, one point I'd make is to be aware if the rear window is your escape hatch. In case of an emergency you might not want to have a handlebar in your nether regions.
Also check access if you have a storage locker in the back.

[Life is a Highway]

I was going that route. Airstream service said Don’t do it. Other forum members say nay or yea. For us , now two 1UpUSA.com racks are on my Rhino Bars attached to the ReTrax cover over the truck bed.

Originally Posted by Butch7

I have wanted to put hitch to back Airstream for bike rack. Airstream solution is expensive and not flexible. Plus I have heard that some people had it ripe off that Aluminum skin.
I purchased a hitch from https://www.torklift.com/
I was concerned that it maybe to low by mounting it as per instructions.
So once I received unit I was convinced that this won’t work. Unit would hang down below skid plates.
So with a small amount of modification I gave up my rear storage compartment and put hitch in there.
See below pictures.

Any question please let me know.

[Yankeetowner]

This was done on KYD (Keep Your Daydream) and they used a tilting bike rack that allowed access to the rear storage area.

[GettinAway]

Lots of folks using a receiver hitch on the back of modern AS trailers. No issues I’m aware of “except” potential sway with weight on the rear of the trailer.
I’ve got tens of thousands of miles on our 25FB no change in sway. None noticed. No structural frame issues so far. Seems like a lot more stress on the frame from a weight distribution hitch than from a couple of bicycles. But, AS does not endorse the rear receiver hitch. To my knowledge they’ve not tested it on a modern AS. To each their own. Works great for me. Bikes ride great back there.

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by AirOregon

I just sold a 2014 25FB international with Fiamma rack that we bought at delivery. It worked great but has one major drawback IMO that doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention in discussions. If you want to transport your bikes to the trailhead or some other location you’ve got to bring a second bike rack. Or take the trailer which is absurd.

Good point!

[JonDNC]

We had the same folks that did the KYD receiver do ours. It’s a custom job that ties directly to the frame and they reinforce that area with extra metal plates. We carry 2 ebikes on a tule rack. No sway rack does not wobble at all and we can see it with the rear view camera. Don’t see this as an issue on our 27

[uncle_bob]

Hi

One interesting point about any bike rack / storage rack on the back of any trailer / van / truck: Does it block the view of the license plate? If so, you may want to see what the laws in your state say about doing that. Many of them seem to not like the idea .... Indeed, you routinely block the plate on your TV when you tow any trailer. Still worth looking into.

If you want to see what any rear mount bike rack is doing, you really need to be in a vehicle behind the trailer / van / truck / car. Have somebody drive the rig down a twisty bumpy road and see how it does. We've followed a few that were very much in the "YIKES" category. In no way does this mean they *all* are. It's just something to check on your rig.

Bob

[OrangeCrush]

For those who are comfortable using this solution, you may want to check your bike rack and make sure it is certified for handling the extra bounce. Kuat NV 2.0 clearly says "NOT RV compatible". 1UP says only their new Super Duty with 2 bike max can be used on travel trailer bumpers. Thule has a special model (The Range) specifically designed for this application. Here is a link to a Q&A from eTrailer.
https://www.etrailer.com/question-96414.html

safe travels

[AirOregon]

OrangeCrush you raised a point that I was highly skeptical of—that a bike rack as beefy and well made as the Kuat NV 2.0 is not RV compatible. I looked at Kuat’s website and indeed it’s says so right there in the description. I then called Kuat’s customer service and it was explained to me that the pivot point that allows adjustment of the position of the trays (3 different positions) has failed in RV applications due to the extra stress encountered. Interesting! There are warning signs and it is a replaceable assembly, though not inexpensive at $210, but still I’ll have to rethink this. Thanks for your post.

[Bigventure]

What model hitch did you order?