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07-24-2012, 12:22 PM
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#1
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Glen Allen, VA
Posts: 2,169
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Ladder mount bike rack
I did not see any threads in the product review section so I thought I would ask my Winnebago friends....
Anyone use one of the ladder-mounted bike racks? If so, are you satisfied with it?
__________________
'07 Country Coach Allure 470 Siskiyou Summit #31578, Cummins ISL 425; 2014 Ford F150 toad; Air Force One Toad Brake.
Glen Allen, VA; Smith Mountain Lake, VA.
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07-24-2012, 03:15 PM
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#2
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WHITING,NJ,USA
Posts: 470
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I tried it several years ago and returned it. Its too bouncy and stressed the rear wall of the coach also was too high and just not practical for my needs. I use a hitch mounted rack on the back of the toad.
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07 Itasca Ellipse 40fd, 2014 Honda CRV, greyhound lab mix, pit pointer mix(RIP bessie) , shar pei mix, stupid cat, wife
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07-24-2012, 06:56 PM
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#3
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Glen Allen, VA
Posts: 2,169
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I didn't want to hear that but kind of suspected it. I have a new toad and really don't want to put a hitch on it but will consider that option. I will likely only be hauling one bike so was hoping I could make a ladder mounted rig work.
__________________
'07 Country Coach Allure 470 Siskiyou Summit #31578, Cummins ISL 425; 2014 Ford F150 toad; Air Force One Toad Brake.
Glen Allen, VA; Smith Mountain Lake, VA.
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07-24-2012, 07:10 PM
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#4
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Winnebago Watcher
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Franklinville NY
Posts: 2
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__________________
Mike
Have Flyrod Will Travel
87 Coachman Leprechaun
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07-24-2012, 07:18 PM
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#5
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 29
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I just got this today:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i00
But I plan on using it for carrying our two lounge chairs. I have a hitch mounted bike rack for the bikes.
__________________
Burns & Diane
2005 Winnebago Aspect 26A/2012 Subaru Impreza toad
Illinois! - Where the politicians make the license plates......
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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07-24-2012, 07:20 PM
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#6
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Somewhere Warm
Posts: 317
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i saw a winnebago with a front mounted hitch the other day. that is where he carries his two bikes. anyone has experience doing it that way.
__________________
Retired Army--Bob--2014 Tour 42QD
2015 GMC Canyon SLT Crew Cab 4WD
2001 Honda Goldwing
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07-24-2012, 07:23 PM
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#7
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 7
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May want to look at what Blue Ox also has to see if one will fit your needs. Blue Ox - Bike Rack
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07-25-2012, 08:55 AM
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#8
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Bellevue WA
Posts: 56
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you do not want to carry a bike on the front of the vehicle, it gets very dirty and bugs ALL over it and in the gears and everyplace else.
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07-25-2012, 09:04 AM
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#9
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: ON THE ROAD...SOMEWHERE
Posts: 135
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GG1
I tried it several years ago and returned it. Its too bouncy and stressed the rear wall of the coach also was too high and just not practical for my needs. I use a hitch mounted rack on the back of the toad.
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None of the bike racks for ladders that I have seen are something I would use. I have a rather nice road and mountain bike that I don't want beat up by anything but me. LOL
I would also look for one that provides good security if you are carrying any high end bikes. The rack needs to lock to the hitch and then have the ability to lock bikes to the rack and/or hitch.
__________________
Don, Sandee & GSD Zeus. Gardian for GSDs Gunny (7/11/15) & Thor (5/5/15)
2006 DSDP 4320, Spartan MM IFS, 2013 CR-V, Blue Ox Avail, SMI AF1, Samsung 197R Refer.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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07-25-2012, 09:10 AM
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#10
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 13
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You must not ride your bike if you are complaining about getting bugs on it. My bicycles are always bugged up and grimy from riding them. If you have a spare mounted to the rear, you could try a spare tire mounted bike rack. I had one for my jeep, worked good.
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07-25-2012, 09:25 AM
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#11
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 30
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I'm not sure if this will help in your case but on my Navion the spare tire is mounted on the back. I have a Honda CRV with the spare tire mounted the same way and was able to buy at a yard sale ( read:cheap) a bike rack that hooks around that spare tire, It works like a charm holding two bikes. I haven't tried it on the Navion's spare tire simple because we haven't gone on out first tru camping trip yet and I'm not even sure if the rack would even fit on the much larger spare tire that the Navion has. Still, you might want to check them out. They are relatively hassle free.
Good luck!
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10-06-2012, 06:39 PM
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#12
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Medford, OR
Posts: 16
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Bike Mounting
Glad I found this thread! I'd just about decided to opt for the ladder rack mount for our two bikes but that sounds like a bad idea.
My rig is a 37' Class A DP with '05 Honda CR-v toad. I use a Roadmaster tow bar and Roadmaster Guardian Rock Guard.
My first thought was a hitch mounted rack by Yakima or Thule from eTrailer. I'd have to get a ball mount extension. Then I remembered some pretty tight turns in the past where the Guardian came very close to the rear corner of the motorhome so I wonder if there is enough room for two bikes on a hitch carrier?
Then I spoke with a lady at eTrailer about a spare tire mount. The lady was kind enough to phone Thule and was told that they do not recommend spare tire mounts on any towed vehicles because of the bounce and sway.
Then I though of a hitch mount on the rear of my toad as I already have a hitch/receiver there. Maybe there is the same problem of using this type mount on a towed vehicle.
So I am stumped. I do not want to put the bikes inside my coach.
Any ideas out there? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Jim
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10-06-2012, 07:23 PM
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#13
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Out there, somewhere
Posts: 1,742
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smlranger
I did not see any threads in the product review section so I thought I would ask my Winnebago friends....
Anyone use one of the ladder-mounted bike racks? If so, are you satisfied with it?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rvjimzhr
Glad I found this thread! I'd just about decided to opt for the ladder rack mount for our two bikes but that sounds like a bad idea.
My rig is a 37' Class A DP with '05 Honda CR-v toad. I use a Roadmaster tow bar and Roadmaster Guardian Rock Guard.
My first thought was a hitch mounted rack by Yakima or Thule from eTrailer. I'd have to get a ball mount extension. Then I remembered some pretty tight turns in the past where the Guardian came very close to the rear corner of the motorhome so I wonder if there is enough room for two bikes on a hitch carrier?
Then I spoke with a lady at eTrailer about a spare tire mount. The lady was kind enough to phone Thule and was told that they do not recommend spare tire mounts on any towed vehicles because of the bounce and sway.
Then I though of a hitch mount on the rear of my toad as I already have a hitch/receiver there. Maybe there is the same problem of using this type mount on a towed vehicle.
So I am stumped. I do not want to put the bikes inside my coach.
Any ideas out there? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Jim
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To the both of you,
While the OP did not ask for a hitch mounted rack, it may be the best choice, depending on circumstances. We have a version of the Thule that is by far, the best bike rack we've ever purchased. It can lock onto the hitch itself and, the bikes can be locked to the rack, very easily. It will "tilt" down, when the bikes arn't on the rack to allow for the rear hatch of a CR-V or other type SUVs to open without the removal of the rack. Just a thought here. While you can't see the rack too good with the CR-V hooked to the coach, you can see it a bit better on the Jeep when it was a toad. It's the same rack. With this rack, the bikes are on and off in seconds. We love it.
Scott
__________________
2004 ITASCA HORIZON 36GD, 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Toad '08 GL 1800 Gold Wing
Retired-29.5 yrs, SDFD, Ham - KI6OND
Me, Karla and the Sophie character, (mini Schnauzer)
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10-06-2012, 07:26 PM
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#14
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 227
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I use a hitch mounted rack on the back of the toad.
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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10-06-2012, 11:39 PM
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#15
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Medford, OR
Posts: 16
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Thanks very much for the replies and pictures! Now all I need to do is decide which type hitch rack to use. Scott, I see two types: One is like yours where the bikes appear to rest on a base with dedicated tire restraints. The other type has the bikes hanging from a vertical support that comes up and out of the hitch receiver. My guess is that there would be more rack movement with this 2nd type but I don't really know. Scott, any thoughts on rack movement, concerns, etc? Vince, what kind of hitch rack are you using and your thoughts? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill here?
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10-06-2012, 11:47 PM
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#16
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Medford, OR
Posts: 16
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Scott would that rack of yours work on an older CRV with a rear spare tire mounted? As it does with your Jeep? And do either of you see one of the two types of rack I mentioned as better than the other?
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10-07-2012, 12:21 AM
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#17
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Out there, somewhere
Posts: 1,742
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rvjimzhr
Thanks very much for the replies and pictures! Now all I need to do is decide which type hitch rack to use. Scott, I see two types: One is like yours where the bikes appear to rest on a base with dedicated tire restraints. The other type has the bikes hanging from a vertical support that comes up and out of the hitch receiver. My guess is that there would be more rack movement with this 2nd type but I don't really know. Scott, any thoughts on rack movement, concerns, etc? Vince, what kind of hitch rack are you using and your thoughts? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill here?
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rvjimzhr,
Yes Sir, there are at least two types of racks. We've had both the "hang" style and the the present one, the cradle style. With the hang style, we came up against a couple of issues. One, sometimes bicycle manufacturers route the shifting and brake cables along the top tubes of the frames and the clamps of the hang styles have tendencies to clamp those cables. While most of the time it does no harm, it's not all that good for them either. The second issue is, while the bike is "hanging" on the top section of the frame, the bottom section is sort of "dangling" and, in many cases the bike(s) sort of swing back and forth during accelleration and braking.
Now, you can remedy this situation by bungee tying in multiple directions for a more secure status. And, we did that for a few years. To me, it was a pain to do it that way, each and every time we moved from camp to camp. So, I went on the search for a better system.
That's when I found the rack we have now. It's called the "X-Sport". It has one post with two large, upside down, foam covered, u-shaped, sliding clamps. The bikes sit on their tires, in cradles. You simply pick up the first bike, set it in cradles behind the center post. Then, slide down the foam covered clamp and tighten the knob. Then. pick up the other bike and do the same. When both bikes are on, you then attach the velcro straps around the wheels as secondary hold downs. It all takes round 30 seconds, depending on how much of a hurry you're in.
As far as the fit against your spare tire on your older CR-V, I think you'll have no trouble at all. As you see, it fits just fine, with extra clearance behind that 35x12.50-15 spare we carried on the back of our Jeep Rubicon. I don't have any real close pictures of it, loaded or unloaded while on the toads.
As far as the stability of it, well, they're all somewhat a tad on the flimsy side. Some are better than others. This one pictured is the exact one we have. As stated, it's an "X-Sport". Thule makes a better version but, it's quite a bit higher in cost. It's also way better built. Ours has done very well for us so far. It's traveled around 6,000 to 8,000 miles so far and it's still in perfect shape.
They make this rack in a four bike setup too, just in case you might be thinking about that many bikes. We really like this style of carrying them. Every one likes what they have and, as stated, this is by far, to us, the best bike rack we've ever purchased. It was on some sort of super sale at a local bike store for about $99.00. The Thule versions are a bit higher, around $350.00 to maybe even $450.00.
But, the Thule version will "tilt" with the bikes "On" the rack whereas, ours won't do that. The bikes must be off the rack for the rack to tilt out of the way for your CR-V hatch to come open. Hope this helps some.
Scott
__________________
2004 ITASCA HORIZON 36GD, 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Toad '08 GL 1800 Gold Wing
Retired-29.5 yrs, SDFD, Ham - KI6OND
Me, Karla and the Sophie character, (mini Schnauzer)
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10-08-2012, 10:11 AM
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#18
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Medford, OR
Posts: 16
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Thanks!
Really appreciate all your comments here! I'm inclined toward the Thule, and your platform style rack, but find that my spare tire seems to stick out just a little too much to allow that one. I'm not sure and need to call eTrailer again however. Again, I also like the idea of having the bikes between the coach and the car but not sure I want to extend the tow bar and not sure if there's enough space left with bikes there to make tight turns. Sure thought this would be easier than it is turning out! For now, rather than go thru the hassle of ordering a "possible" solution and having to return it, I'll just try and stick the bikes in the back of the CRV. Jim
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10-08-2012, 10:21 AM
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#19
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Sodus, N.Y.
Posts: 5
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I have a 2005 CRV toad. I did not see the ladder as being stout enough to carry the bikes. I had installed a 2" receiver on the CRV for pulling a utility trailer. I sound the Swagman rack to be a good solution. It is deep enough to clear the spare tire (not many racks will) and carry both bikes. Plus it has the hoops for the wheels to rest in and the clamps to hold each bike in place. Very secure. When we travel without the toad, I put the bike rack in the 2" receiver on the coach. Very versatile. I bought both the Cort receiver hitch and the Swagman XC bike rack from Etrailer.
Keith
__________________
2002 Monaco Dynasty Regent, Cummins ISL 400 hp
05 CRV Toad, Roadmaster Falcon All-Terrain Tow Bar and EvenBrake
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10-08-2012, 10:55 AM
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#20
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Medford, OR
Posts: 16
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GREAT! You're just the guy I've been waiting to hear from having the same toad as I do. Just confirm we're talking about the Swagman #S64650. Do you have any issues of sway/bounce when on the Honda? Do you secure the rack with any extra bungees, tie-downs or the like? How long have you been using the Swagman? Mileage?
Sorry but I am a little confused. My Honda has a 2" receiver on it. So I'm assuming all I need at this point is the Swagman and wouldn't I just slide the Swagman into the existing hitch? Did you buy the Cort for the trailer and then the Swagman later?
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