I plan on beefing up the bumper on my 11FK to make it 4x4 and saw these, https://www.mount-n-lock.com/all-products-category/product/38-4square-safetystruts-prevent-rv-bumper-failure (https://www.mount-n-lock.com/all-products-category/product/38-4square-safetystruts-prevent-rv-bumper-failure).
Has anyone used these?
(https://www.mount-n-lock.com/components/com_mijoshop/opencart/image/cache/catalog/4S_SS/4S_SS-Main-800x600.jpg)
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I haven't tried them. Thanks for posting the info --- might be a good mod. I liked the company's bumper deck system too.
Not sure what they would add. You would still have to add a 2x4 tube. The SafetyStruts might catch a bumper AFTER the welds failed but the give in the bolt holes would not prevent weld failure.
A couple of years ago at the Hershey show I discussed these with the owner of the safetystrut company. I showed him some picturess of the camplite bumper. Long story short these would not work due to interfering with the tail-lights built into the bumper being right where these brackets need to go. Regardless He was super nice, genuinely wanted to help and clearly believes in his product.
Yea I need to come up with a really good solution. Was scoping it out yesterday and may just weld a bunch of gussets and frame brackets then add another 2x4 to the bumper itself. We have some pretty pricey bikes and I don't want to see them fading away in the rear view mirror.
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What kind of tow vehicles do you have? You could use a roof rack that's what I was doing when I was towing with my Ford Escape, now they go in the truck bed
I tow with a 2runner. Putting it on the roof would be guaranteed disaster for me. Getting old and senile. ;).
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Quote from: zonzin on March 05, 2017, 05:56:33 PM
I tow with a 2runner. Putting it on the roof would be guaranteed disaster for me. Getting old and senile. ;).
It's true that it's not easy but I found that if you have a three step ladder it's easier. Depending on the weight of your bike it can be hard if it's on the heavy side. Mines are quite heavy so it was a bit of a challenge but it was the best solution for me at the time to carry them on the roof.
(http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w548/paulandre88/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-06/IMG_20150624_205403_zpsfrtrdztq.jpg)
Quote from: Paul on March 06, 2017, 07:56:14 AM
Quote from: zonzin on March 05, 2017, 05:56:33 PM
I tow with a 2runner. Putting it on the roof would be guaranteed disaster for me. Getting old and senile. ;).
It's true that it's not easy but I found that if you have a three step ladder it's easier. Depending on the weight of your bike it can be hard if it's on the heavy side. Mines are quite heavy so it was a bit of a challenge but it was the best solution for me at the time to carry them on the roof.
It's not that,, it's that I would drive it right into the garage or whatever forgetting that there are bikes on top. Would get expensive fast.
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Quote from: zonzin on March 06, 2017, 01:59:29 PM
Quote from: Paul on March 06, 2017, 07:56:14 AM
Quote from: zonzin on March 05, 2017, 05:56:33 PM
I tow with a 2runner. Putting it on the roof would be guaranteed disaster for me. Getting old and senile. ;).
It's true that it's not easy but I found that if you have a three step ladder it's easier. Depending on the weight of your bike it can be hard if it's on the heavy side. Mines are quite heavy so it was a bit of a challenge but it was the best solution for me at the time to carry them on the roof.
It's not that,, it's that I would drive it right into the garage or whatever forgetting that there are bikes on top. Would get expensive fast.
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Haha yes that would cost a lot !
See the other thread titled CampLite Bumper Enhancement (in the Modifications section) and then do what a lot of us have done and have your bumper reinforced like this. Note that the extra piece of aluminum 2x4 has to be welded inside of (forward of) the existing bumper and has to also be welded to the support beam coming out of the trailer frame as well (the support beam that runs north and south coming out of the rear of the trailer). This will fortify the bumper enough by prevent the twisting motion that a bike carrier and bikes can produce while traveling down the road. After reinforcing the bumper, you can order a Swagman receiver like the one pictured and your bike rack can connect to that. Finally, be sure to put a digital camera back there as well in order to keep an eye on what's happening with your bikes (and it gives you a great perspective of the traffic back there as well). The type of wireless digital camera that many of us have and recommend is the Voyager. There is another recent post about the Voyager wireless camera in the Modifications section of this forum that will give you more info on that. (If the picture is sideways on your mobile device, then just click on the link beneath the picture and that will open it up for you and straighten it out).