I've been thinking about the best ways to get bikes to the campsite along with my QS10. Mounting on the rear deck is out - that's where I put other storage bins. A double hitch and my usual hitch mount rack probably adds too much tongue weight to the rear of my tow vehicle.
So I'm down to 2 options : top of the tow vehicle (Subaru Outback) or top of the QS10. I really like this camper rack:
http://www.prorac.com/tenttrailerpro.php
but it's crazy expensive. Anyone else have something that works? Anyone try to build something like the ProRac one?
Someone on Livin' Lite Yahoo groups built one like that.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/livinlite/photos/albums/605404340
[font size="3"][font face="arial"]Don't discard the hitch mount just on the tongue weight basis. If the bike carrier itself is not excessively heavy it's always better to get the weight closer to the rear axle of the TV. The further behind the TV axle the more moment arm, or leverage effect (sorry for the engineer speak). No matter where the bike rack is physically attached, the effective load point is approximately through the bikes' center. Therefore the effective load point is further aft if the bikes are mounted front-to-back instead of left-to-right. True, mounting on the trailer puts some of the weight on the TT axle, but that effect is probably overcome by the bike-to-TV distance. In general the further forward the better.
Two other considerations when mounting on the TV: Pro - you can carry the bikes to riding trails on the TV after uncoupling. Con - it may/will limit your turning radius. Watch out.
Charlie
[/font][/font]
I have two types of bicycle carriers one that mounts to the receiver and the other that is mounted to the spare tire carrier on our Jeeps. I use a Dual Receiver when I use the receiver type bike carrier and using either one works for us. Both bicycle carriers are designed to transport two bicycles.
Quote from: @subaruwx" timestamp="1395454759" source="/post/257/threadI've been thinking about the best ways to get bikes to the campsite along with my QS10. Mounting on the rear deck is out - that's where I put other storage bins. A double hitch and my usual hitch mount rack probably adds too much tongue weight to the rear of my tow vehicle.
So I'm down to 2 options : top of the tow vehicle (Subaru Outback) or top of the QS10. I really like this camper rack:
http://www.prorac.com/tenttrailerpro.php
but it's crazy expensive. Anyone else have something that works? Anyone try to build something like the ProRac one?
There's a guy who had a 2013 QS10 anniversary edition for sale in Chicago I was going to look at who bought an upright hitch rack and built a tongue mounted piece to have it come up over the front of the camper. It looked slick. What i'm thinking of is finding an old single bar Saris hitch rack or old Yakima for the kids 16" bikes (I used to have one that would have been perfect, but I sold it and bought a new Thule hitch rack). The Thule rack is really nice and with the cheater bars I can get two adult bikes and the two 16" kids bikes on the car, but with all that weight im not comfortable putting it on the little bumper mount hitch on the Quicksilver.
What I might do is get the roof mounts for my wife and I's bikes and then buy a cheap hitch rack for the QS to put the kids bikes on
Transport both bikes inside the trailer with the front wheels removed. Not sure if you have space for this work with front wheels & seats removed. Just a thought:
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2013/IMG_1321_zps407a00cd.jpg) (http://s657.photobucket.com/user/vstromklr/media/2013/IMG_1321_zps407a00cd.jpg.html)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2013/IMG_1317_zps2bf68fda.jpg) (http://s657.photobucket.com/user/vstromklr/media/2013/IMG_1317_zps2bf68fda.jpg.html)
[p]We have a Swagman. I like that I can use it as a bike stand, off the camper, as well as for transport. It has two large ratchet straps that loop under the camper, so there is no permanent mounting necessary. This one is designed for 5 bikes. the pieces adjust for narrow or wide wheels.[/p][p]
[/p][p]We are actually planning to replace this with a two bike model. If you are close to NW Wisconsin, I'll give you a good deal.[attachment id="817" thumbnail="1"][/p]
[quote timestamp="1430431215" source="/post/10176/thread" author="@exploringcarolina"]Transport both bikes inside the trailer with the front wheels removed. Not sure if you have space for this work with front wheels & seats removed. Just a thought:
[a href="http://s657.photobucket.com/user/vstromklr/media/2013/IMG_1321_zps407a00cd.jpg.html"]
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2013/IMG_1321_zps407a00cd.jpg)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2013/IMG_1317_zps2bf68fda.jpg)
[quote source="/post/10181/thread" timestamp="1430437635" author="@sidecarmike"][p]We have a Swagman. I like that I can use it as a bike stand, off the camper, as well as for transport. It has two large ratchet straps that loop under the camper, so there is no permanent mounting necessary. This one is designed for 5 bikes. the pieces adjust for narrow or wide wheels.[/p][p]
[/p][p]We are actually planning to replace this with a two bike model. If you are close to NW Wisconsin, I'll give you a good deal.[/p][/quote][p]Still trying to rap my head around this one. It is not permanently mounted to the trailer?[/p][p]
[/p][p]Edit: Never mind, I remembered it was for the shorter roof height of the QS's. And this is in that area of the forum...doh!
[/p]
I know it's all relative by IMHO the price I saw for the 4 bike option on Amazon wasn't that bad. We have spent as much as twice that for good roof rack systems for the vehicle and that much for 2 bike hitch racks. But then I refuse to transport bikes worth thousands on a $150 rack. That's one reason why we got a CL - can carry bikes inside.
All that said one of our friends made one like the ProRac that carried 6 bikes on top of his PU trailer. Not quite as refined as the ProRac option but effective nonetheless. I'll see if I can find the how-to link he created and post it up here.
Wait, don't I occasionally see folks with bikes mounted on the front bumper ? Or is that only for deer, and busses ?
[quote source="/post/11694/thread" timestamp="1432907173" author="@pinstriper"]Wait, don't I occasionally see folks with bikes mounted on the front bumper ? Or is that only for deer, and busses ?
[/quote]That's more appropriate for inexpensive campground commuter bikes! Those of us with higher $ purpose built bikes are all about keeping them out of the bugs and road grime as much as possible not to mention more secure from theft. On our last trip out with 4 bikes the total value of the bikes neared the price we paid for our used 2012 13 RDB! Bikes ride inside!
[quote source="/post/11694/thread" timestamp="1432907173" author="@pinstriper"]Wait, don't I occasionally see folks with bikes mounted on the front bumper ? Or is that only for deer, and busses ?
[/quote]Notwithstanding Mojospeople's comment about bike cost/risk, yes, we occasionally carry our bikes on a font hitch rack. Double duty: I use the front hitch for getting the trailer (and boats) into tight spots and also use it for our bike rack when the rear hitch is otherwise engaged. Works great. Frankly, haven't noticed any bugs or other debris. But we're in the PNW and don't usually have much of a problem with that stuff. That front hitch was some of the best money I ever spent.
[quote source="/post/257/thread" timestamp="1395454759" author="@subaruwx"]I really like this camper rack:
http://www.prorac.com/tenttrailerpro.php
but it's crazy expensive. Anyone else have something that works? Anyone try to build something like the ProRac one?[/quote]Also expensive, but I absolutely love my 1upusa on a dual hitch!
See post here:
[a href="http://livinliteforum.com/index.php/topic=37.0.html"]http://livinliteforum.com/index.php/topic=37.0.html[/a]
I also like the 1upusa racks. But a dual hitch scares me as it puts way more stress on the hitch bar, and I'm already close to hitch weight limits with the 200lb tongue weight on the QS10.
In my case I also use 1UP USA but the roof top one, they are pictured in the same post that jwesty shared. The only thing is that I need to carry a step ladder with me because without it it's too hard to get a bike on a SUV roof, but I found it's the best solution for me to haul the bike with me while camping. You have a Subaru, those often have roof crossbar already maybe it would be a good solution for you ?
Here is the post: http://livinliteforum.com/index.php/topic=37.0.html
How about this easy enough to build.
http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=62539&stc=1&d=1276396531
I like the simplicity of that - I think even I could build it! I also really like the Sixnall racks which would be a bit more robust.
http://www.sixnall.com
Anybody have one of these?
[quote source="/post/12587/thread" timestamp="1435023159" author="@subaruwx"]I like the simplicity of that - I think even I could build it! I also really like the Sixnall racks which would be a bit more robust.
http://www.sixnall.com
[/quote]
Seeing that has me wondering (ouch - it hurts when I think too much) could one of those (or similar carrier) be mounted vertically on the back of a Camplite trailer? Figuring out a way to attach might not be too difficult and the bumper could likely be used to give some support. (I think the usual concerns about the bumper & bike racks relates to concerns about cantilevering a rack which puts a twisting load on a small area of the bumper. In the sixnall case I'm thinking the load would be vertical and could be spread somewhat over the width of the carrier. Upper mounts would be needed to keep it from falling off the trailer. My thoughts relate to an assumption that the carrier will work vertically).