Guajiro Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Here is my dilemma. I have a Sunrader with the attached cargo box and would like to somehow be able to carry at least two bikes on my trips. A tow hitch mounted bike rack seems to be my best option however I am having a hard time figuring out the best way to install a hitch. The bumper bolt on ones are not an option due to the fact that the cargo box sits on top of the bumper and leaves no space for the bolts to be in between. I am considering having a hitch professionally welded to the bumper but am not sure about the safety of it. How have other owners with the cargo box delt with this? Is there a better way to mount bikes that I am not considering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Here is my dilemma. I have a Sunrader with the attached cargo box and would like to somehow be able to carry at least two bikes on my trips. A tow hitch mounted bike rack seems to be my best option however I am having a hard time figuring out the best way to install a hitch. The bumper bolt on ones are not an option due to the fact that the cargo box sits on top of the bumper and leaves no space for the bolts to be in between. I am considering having a hitch professionally welded to the bumper but am not sure about the safety of it. How have other owners with the cargo box delt with this? Is there a better way to mount bikes that I am not considering? The cargo boxes are OK, I don't have one but maybe you can figure out a way to modify the cargo box to incorporate a bike rack into the face of it. I reinforced the back wall below the window of my Sunrader from the inside with a large 3/8" thick marine plywood plate expoxied to the fiberglass shell. That was done so I would securely through bolt a bike rack to that wall. The mounting plates on the outside will have threads in them and no one will be able to unbolt the rack from outside. I am modifying a dual bike rack to mount onto that wall section on the exterior. Fiamma does make a rack of this style that is sold in Europe meant for putting onto the rear of motorhomes but they are expensive. It is a nice design in that it will fold up against the wall when not in use and can also be used for a luggage rack to tie things to. http://www.tourer-techs.co.uk/bike-racks/4553809456 However a little Yankee ingenuity in fabricating mounting plates and a modifying a bike rack such the kind that mounts with straps and hooks to the rear doors of SUVs will get you there too. Craigslist is most always a good source for bike racks to modify. There are a lot of commercially available clamps and mounting plates that work with various sizes of tubing which will reduce the labor needed. But I am good with milling and drilling metal having a background as an aircraft mechanic who did fabrication work for Boeing. No photos to show of my finished project yet since I have not finished it. Its been a tough late summer and fall for me due to medical issues. But I am on the mend now and will get back to it this spring and summer after the weather warms up. Might even get a few things done over the winter but just interior work, not exterior projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guajiro Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 Thanks for the response. I forgot where I read it but I heard you shouldn't attach anything to the cargo box as it isn't designed for that. The tow hitch option is attractive because of its unobtrusive nature as well as the flexibility of potentially attaching a cargo tray to it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I wouldn't attach anything to the cargo box either. They are not all that well attached to the camper in the first place. My Sunrader has a tow hitch attached in the back with supports that go forward to the frame. Very sound and solid. Might be kind of pricey to add one and also you might have to remove your holding tank if welding is involved. I'm thinking maybe one of these would work. Don't know if there would be enough clearance for the box to fit between the rack parts http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mighty-Rack-2-bike-Bumper-Mount-/301241113265?hash=item46235e9ab1:g:y7AAAOSwDlBTwPCA Ya know that box is a pain and doesn't really carry much anyway. You could just remove it Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 you might check harbor freight. I bought a hitch platform carrier from them . way cheaper then any place else . That is a very nice price and good looking bike rack Linda posted on here for that type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guajiro Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 I just held my bike against the cargo box to measure if it would fit. Unfortunately, the rack would end up too spread apart for the wheels to be held in the slots. I agree that the cargo box isn't very efficient but there is something cool looking about it that I really like and wouldn't want to remove it. I really appreciate the input so far. I have a feeling I will be visiting here a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 there is a receiver hitch mount bike rack at harbor freight just google harbor freight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 He doesn't have a receiver hitch on his Sunrader and to get what he wants I think the only way he's going to be carrying those bikes is to add one. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Well we all gave him something to think about. That often leads to innovation and new solutions so all the answers matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 IMy Sunrader has a tow hitch attached in the back with supports that go forward to the frame. Very sound and solid. Might be kind of pricey to add one and also you might have to remove your holding tank if welding is involved. Linda S I added a receiver hitch to my Minicruiser. Very tricky welding so close to the holding tank as you indicated. It can be done in short spurts with wet rags protecting the tank (and make sure it's full of water). Down side to installing a good hitch support frame is all the weight of the added steel. I did not weigh all the steel I had to use but I bet it easily added 250 lbs. to the rear (and maybe more). Up side is I have a strong hitch as well as a very strong rear platform I can put all sorts of things on and not worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Your advantage is that you can do it yourself and take appropriate safety precautions. For the rest of us who have to depend on some guy at a hitch install place I would just remove the tank. That is something most of us can do. I have never removed any of my tanks but the gray one in the back looks like it's not too difficult Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 I never looks too close to see what it takes to remove either of the holding tanks. But I don't really want to find out either - unless I have to. Just getting the gas tank out was a major project. Those dinky little bolts Toyota uses to hold the gas tank in just need a little rust - and the hex on them is gone so no wrench will fit them. And being a gas tank - no sane person is going to take a torch to it. So on mine - I had use a big chisel and break off several. Then later - after the tank was out - use a torch to heat up the broken stubs and work them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 I wouldn't want to tackle the black tank but the gray tank on his Sunrader only has one inlet for the sink. That presses on with a rubber compression fitting. Whole tank rests on ledge underneath on one side and is held in place with steel strapping which can easily be replaced with new strapping. I will admit that many things I imagine to be a snap end up taking forever but I think it's a simple job Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guajiro Posted November 7, 2015 Author Share Posted November 7, 2015 Just to clarify, I am not considering a tow hitch assembly. (Metal crossbar with receiver already attached) Instead, I'm thinking just the square receiver can be welded directly to the metal frame that is positioned 6" inside of, and 3"lower than the rear bumper. It's the potential strength or weakness of this attachment method that I am unsure of. If it ends up not being a good option, you guys have given me some very good alternatives to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 A decent welding shop that works on trailers and farm equipment should be able to figure out what you need to reinforce the frame for a hitch. Personally I am very hesitant to let anyone do hot work on my fiberglass Sunrader. Definitely not any shop that is not fully prepared to extinguish a fire in a fiberglass vehicle. Once a fire gets started it is likely a goner as they are next to impossible to put out in fiberglass. When a boat catches on fire at a marina in Seattle its always full out response event where all the neighborhoods around that section of town send out their engines just in case. There would never be enough time to send out for reinforcements without that immediate response scheme in place. That is simply because it is so hard to put out a fire when it gets into fiberglass and it spreads incredibly fast. Be wise, get a bolt on bike rack, skip any welding unless there is no other option available. You have another option, ditch the storage box. Removing an (in your opinion) cool looking but functionaly fairly useless storage box is an option. Bicycles are more useful (in my opinion). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 well said fiberglass burns very fast I once witnessed a boat burn on a trailer. from welding.in five minites nothing was left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guajiro Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Trust me, I would rather not go the welding route and instead just bolt on a receiver. My problem, however, is still the lack of clearance between the top of the bumper and the bottom of the Sunrader cargo box that sits directly on top of it. I might have to make do with a ladder rack for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Trust me, I would rather not go the welding route and instead just bolt on a receiver. My problem, however, is still the lack of clearance between the top of the bumper and the bottom of the Sunrader cargo box that sits directly on top of it. I might have to make do with a ladder rack for now. If that is your only issue then relocate the cargo box a few inches higher to gain the clearance you need. Plug the previous holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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