14' Series Bike rack on back of expanda offroad bumper ?????

[Maciej Jankowiak]

So the only thing still unresolved for our trip around in three weeks is bike rack. I have a good bike crack whcih you can bolt to the car tow tongue, and still allow the caravan to hitch up, but because i only have a stock length draw bar, the bikes and caravan dont work together. SO i am thinking of putting the bike rack out back attached to a stock outback square section bumper.

Has anyone done this? Has it survived?

Any picks etc

 

[MDS69]

This mine. No issues so far and have done some dirt roads and a fair bit of bitumen with four bikes.

 

[sierramason]

The standard bumper is not suitable for a bike rack.

 

[Burnsy]

I would suggest with whatever bike rack you mount that the arms for the rear bar are bolted through the chassis with 2 high tensile bolts on each side, preferably with tube spacers so you don't crush the RHS when you tighten bolts.
I notice that Jayco is doing this now, saw it on a new 17ft outback.
I'm starting to make bolt on brackets for different applications but the week link is how the rear bar is mounted.
https://m.facebook.com/www.krbprecisionengineering/

If it's an RHS rear bar and is bolted through chassis it should be fine, but in saying that don't go putting 200kgs on it.
Cheers.

 

[Maciej Jankowiak]

So here is what i did yesterday. Built a new rear bar from 50x50 SHS 3mm and 100 x 50 RHS 3mm, bolted it int he stock location (need some cross bolts to chassis still), then used large U bolts for the rack and hay it works. It is bouncy but i have had me on it (cough 100kg) and i think it will work well. I have also worked out a way to secure the bikes to caravan with secondary restraints, that shoudl the system fail, the bikes and rack will not all fall off.