bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

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bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

August 05, 2013, 02:13:46 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141810

We want to bring bikes for 5. We do not tow a car with our LD. Anyone have advice on the best way to transport the bikes? Bike rack suggestions? Thanks!

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #1 – August 05, 2013, 04:12:44 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141811

Perhaps a Thule or Yakima hitch rack to hold four bikes and one either on a ladder rack, on the roof or inside the rig? Can't think of any other possibilities offhand. Have fun!

Marti in warm sunny Seattle

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #2 – August 05, 2013, 05:00:36 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141812

I need to carry 4 bikes and it's next to impossible to fit our 4 bikes on the Thule 4 bike carrier we have and it's pretty heavy on the hitch once I finally fight them on.
http://www.amazon.com/Thule-956-Parkway-4-Bike-Receiver/dp/B000CQ47GU/ref=sr_1_1/182-4128617-7806908?ie=UTF8&qid=1375735903&sr=8-1&keywords=thule+4-bike+hitch+rack

Thule does make a 5 bike carrier (maybe possible with kid bikes but kids grow up): http://www.amazon.com/Thule-9030-Vertex-Bike-Hitch/dp/B00653V8RA I'd be concerned about exceeding the downward hitch pressure load. I'm really close with 4 bikes. I this is best for 4 bikes

I plan to add another bike carrier to the ladder: I currently use the Camco Over-the-Ladder Chair and Bike Rack (it's hard to beat the price and I currently use for lawn chairs:
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/over-the-ladder-chair-and-bike-rack/27584

Next trip it's probably lawn chairs in the shower and hang a bike on above.
Or if possible leave the Camco on for lawn chairs and add a another ladder bike rack such as: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/ladder-bike-rack/65241

Between all these carriers it's going to be a bit Beverly Hillbillies.

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Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #3 – August 05, 2013, 06:57:57 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141813

"We want to bring bikes for 5. We do not tow a car with our LD. Anyone have advice on the best way to transport the bikes? Bike rack suggestions"

That's a lot of weight to cantilever off the trailer hitch.
You are close to needing a custom rack, one that uses two bumper mounts, similar to those used for carrying small motorcycles or scooters.
Are you carrying lightweight roads bikes, heavy beach cruisers or what? Whatever you end up with, make sure the tail lights are still visible from the rear.

Larry

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #4 – August 05, 2013, 10:55:57 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141816

Larry hits on the head....my road bike is less than 20lbs but that's a carbon racing bike...5 of those no problem....5 steel frame cruisers...big problem....

Bill Bussiere
Fox Head, Inc.

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #5 – August 05, 2013, 11:06:43 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141817

We had 2 cruisers on a ladder rack for 50K+ miles on our Tropical. They distorted the ladder into an "S" shape due to the torque effect on the ladder. We replaced that with a hitch mounted rack which we can use with the Lazy Daze or our CRV/toad. Jack

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #6 – August 06, 2013, 09:00:46 am

Yahoo Message Number: 141825

I used a small trailer to haul 8 bikes, two good light weight adult bikes, two sprallmart junkers and 4 kid bikes. Worked well. Pad the good bikes to avoid assault from the junk store ones. Currently I have hitches on the front and rear of my E450, etrailer.com has a nice front hitch for the Ford. I carry up to three bikes up front with a light weight Kuat Alpha hitch. I sold my super heavy 4 bike Reese rack when the kids left home, otherwise I could easily haul 5 without a trailer. Just remember one sprallmart bike weighs what two good bikes do.

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #7 – August 06, 2013, 01:02:08 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141834

"I have hitches on the front and rear of my E450... I carry up to three bikes up front"
For the record, Ford will void your warranty if you carry anything on a front hitch. Their stated reason--and they should know!--is that obstructing airflow to the engine is hazardous to its health. Even if your rig is out of warranty, this is not a good idea.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #8 – August 06, 2013, 05:16:53 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141838

Very good to know. Thanks for the info, I am sure Ford tests things and knows best. You can not be too cautious when making any modifications to the chassis or coach of our motorhomes.

A trailer is still the best way to haul 5 bikes

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #9 – August 07, 2013, 12:25:50 am

Yahoo Message Number: 141855

Thank you all for your input! My husband & I are going to consider all that was mentioned. We have 3 adult size mountain bikes and 2 mid-kid size bikes. We will figure out how much they all weigh and go from there.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #10 – August 07, 2013, 10:50:40 am

Yahoo Message Number: 141860

We have carried 5 bikes for many miles without problems. We have a 5-bike Yakima rack. Go with Yakima or Thule - don't be tempted by a cheaper brand for 5 bikes.

Some tips off the top of my head.
(1) 5 bikes is a tight fit, even for a 5 bike rack. You have to learn how to make the pedals and handlebars fit

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #11 – August 07, 2013, 02:30:13 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141866

We also carry five bikes -- 6000 miles over the last two summers. But have been pleased with an "off-brand" rack.

A few addititional ideas:
Keep a roll of duct tape handy to protect friction points or rub spots. With 5 bikes, they will rub each other eventually. Make little patches with the tape and place them where you see the bikes most likely rubbing together. This will save paint and scratches.
Use Velcro straps to bind bikes together to reduce movement and road shift.

Try duct taping pedals from two bikes together.

Take cha

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #12 – August 08, 2013, 01:07:17 am

Yahoo Message Number: 141883

Thank you Rich and Rick for your last two comments. Very helpful! Today we bought a Thule Vertex 5 bike carrier. My hubby is having a hard time getting it fully into the hitch. It's real tight. He didn't want to force it in and not be able to remove it.
We want to be able to remove the rack when we get to our destination. He will take another look at it tomorrow. We will try loading bikes too. Thanks for your suggestions! To be continued...we'll see what tomorrow brings!

Janet

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Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #13 – August 08, 2013, 01:26:24 am

Yahoo Message Number: 141884

Try a little silicone spray, I used silicone grease on my car hitch and worked real well.

Jan/Scottsdale AZ.
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2013 22:07:16 -0700
Subject: [LD] Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Thank you Rich and Rick for your last two comments. Very helpful!
Today we bought a Thule Vertex 5 bike carrier. My hubby is having a hard time getting it fully into the hitch. It's real tight. He didn't want to force it in and not be able to remove it.
We want to be able to remove the rack when we get to our destination. He will take another look at it tomorrow. We will try loading bikes too. Thanks for your suggestions! To be continued...we'll see what tomorrow brings!

Janet

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: bike rack/carriers for 5 bikes??

Reply #14 – August 08, 2013, 08:43:20 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 141910

I recently stated that "Ford will void your warranty if you carry anything on a front hitch." A member questioned this, saying that two different Ford service managers had told her it wasn't true, and asked for my source.
Well, I wish I could remember where I heard it, but it was years ago. And when I searched online, the closest thing I could find was this "expert opinion":
"The cautions that you have seen are valid. The air flow through the front grille is very important to cool the engine and prevent overheating. If items such as bikes or other cargo are blocking the airflow, you could and likely will experience some problems. Ford could also void their warranty if they believe the issue was caused by a lack of airflow."
(http://www.etrailer.com/question-57533.html) However, this writer is not a Ford employee.
So it sounds as if I put it too strongly when I wrote that Ford "will" void your warranty. It sounds as if Ford *could* use airflow restriction as a reason to void your warranty if they thought it had caused a problem, but it's not an automatic thing.
I apologize for overstating the case. I still believe--and I think the automotive experts in the group will agree--that carrying items in front of the grille is not a good practice in general.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/

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