# Bike Rack



## Norsemen (Mar 1, 2010)

I saw some great pictures of bike racks that install in front of the camper. We own a 301bq. My brother in law has a rack on the back of his 5ht wheel. The bikes bounce like crazy. Does anyone have a front end rack or know a website?


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## Resqtool844 (Feb 3, 2007)

Check out my gallery and thats how we carry our bikes, and there is a company that sells a front mounted bike rack and its in Canada. The rack for two bikes was around 6-700 dollars..... I built ours for around 300 bucks. Thats because I used the Yakima bike holders and they were 80 bucks apiece but they work great! And also it was fun building it!


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## hottubwilly (May 3, 2008)

Can you mount a bike rack on the rear bumper or is that too much weight on the frame?


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## Fish on! (Mar 8, 2010)

hottubwilly said:


> Can you mount a bike rack on the rear bumper or is that too much weight on the frame?


We have a 2010 260FL and the bumper definitely isn't strong enough. We mounted a bike rack on the rear bumper and it almost ripped the bumper off the camper about halfway through our first trip. Still have to find somewhere to get the bumper rewelded, broke about 50% of the welds.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

If Keystone finds out you mounted a bike rack to the bumper, they will void your frame warranty. At least that is what they told me when I asked customer support.


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

Fish on! said:


> We mounted a bike rack on the rear bumper and it almost ripped the bumper off the camper about halfway through our first trip. Still have to find somewhere to get the bumper rewelded, broke about 50% of the welds.


This was a similar scenario that we faced soon after purchasing our unit in 2004. I had a buddy add the cross brace as shown in the photo and have carried our two bikes on the back bumper ever since without any further problems. However, in our case, it wasn't the welds that failed, it was the thin wall of the steel bumper. The steel actually tore from the torsion of the bike rack.


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## wolverine (Mar 5, 2009)

I welded some angle iron to the frame and then bolted the bumper to the angle iron. It will never come off now. I also use some straps from the bike rack to the rear slide latches to take the bounce out ot the bike rack. I went on a 1,000 mile trip last year and never had a problem.

Here are some pictures.

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae115/wolverinefans/2004%20Outback%2021RS/P7260378.jpg
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae115/wolverinefans/2004%20Outback%2021RS/P7260380.jpg
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae115/wolverinefans/2004%20Outback%2021RS/P7260381.jpg


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## PCMODad (Jun 15, 2009)

Are bicycles a lot heavier than a spare tire? I keep wondering why our trailer came from the factory with a spare tire hanging off the bumper, but it can't support a bike rack.


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

Mounting a bike rack on the rear bumper of most if not all Outbacks is not recommended. The bumper steel is simply too thin to handle the torsion.

The reason a spare tire is ok with Keystone is that the twisting is low--twisting meaning the top of the spare tire tries to fall over backwards towards the street.

With a bike rack, the weight of the rack itself plus the bikes puts too much twist (torsion) on the bumper. The bikes stick out to the rear much farther than a spare tire, and that added weight out to the rear really tries to tear up your bumper (and will).

On this site are several users who have installed receivers on the rear of the TT and their photos are priceless--they show very nicely the cross member additions, the welding or bolting, etc. Then you simply slide your bike rack into the receiver and the bumper continues to be there for pretty. And, for my 268RL, it's a nice storage place for the black hose!

I'm adding a 4 bike rack this summer and the local shop wants about $250 for the frame welding and the receiver. Several pieces of angle iron that are ~ 6 feet long, plus a receiver, installed for ~$250, seems fair to me.


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## TexanThompsons (Apr 21, 2009)

Ok, so now I'm a little confused. By the pictures shown by wolverine shows the older rear bumpers. The new bumpers on the OBs is solid steel. I need to get a pic uploaded so you all can see. I'm curious for someone with more knowledge on welding/steel strength to chime in here who has one of the newer OBs with the solid steel bumper.


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## wolverine (Mar 5, 2009)

My 2004 bumper is solid steel. It just has the aluminum cover over top.


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## TexanThompsons (Apr 21, 2009)

...the plot thickens...


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

We have the 301bq as well and carry our bikes (the 4 biggest ones - 2 smaller ones have to travel in the bunkhouse) on a hitch mounted bike rack on the front of the truck - dh ratchets them down and they barely move at all. We have a Burb and tend to travel during daylight hours (we did do a nighttime trip with them once and it wasn't fun, so unless you know the roads, would not advise this set up, while they don't totally restrict all light, it's not a fun drive) - and we have traveled: as of today, over 18,500 miles since August, bikes still fine!

If you check my blog, there's a pic on there of them on the rig at White Sands NM in NM: 
http://touringbrits.blogspot.com/2010/03/from-alamogordo-nm-to-tucson-az.html

You might have to click on the pic to zoom in and see them, there are probably better ones on there somewhere, just can't think where and remember that one as hubby was keen to have a photo of the rig in front of the dunes.

This is just a regular bike rack that you'd put on the back hitch if there was no camper attached....!

HTH, Ali


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