Rack, Carrier for rear of Bighorn

[danemayer]

Re: ATF: Bighorn - Receiver Hitchcock Failure

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That's exatly the one I just ordered and I have those brackets welded to the coach. Does it work well for you?

I've not had any problems. But I have always used 5 bungee cords to minimize movement of the bikes. And last year I added semi-rigid 1/4" twist ties from Home Depot to hold the bike rack tightly to the ladder and take away lateral movement.

Initially I tied up the bikes because I didn't want the bikes bouncing into one another and into the rack. But it also seemed to me that bouncing could weaken the entire mechanism.

 

[BigGuy82]

Re: ATF: Bighorn - Receiver Hitchcock Failure

I've not had any problems. But I have always used 5 bungee cords to minimize movement of the bikes. And last year I added semi-rigid 1/4" twist ties from Home Depot to hold the bike rack tightly to the ladder and take away lateral movement.

Initially I tied up the bikes because I didn't want the bikes bouncing into one another and into the rack. But it also seemed to me that bouncing could weaken the entire mechanism.

That's a good idea. I also figured I'd rig some sort of safety cable to the ladder - I wouldn't want anything coming off and flying down the highway. Something that wouldn't prevent dragging but would at least prevent loose debris. If I lose a bike or two by dragging, no big deal. But I don't want anything flying into someones windshield.

 

[SNOKING]

If you do not want anything coming off this light duty receiver hitch, then do not put anything on it. We took our bikes apart and put them in the front storage area to get them to Arizona. Works well for our BBQ. Chris

 

[BusManRG]

To recap - no instances of failure, no recalls and the part is designed for the express purpose of carrying bikes. I let my order stand and will install the unit myself when it arrives. Combined with the new Lippert Flex Air pinbox I just ordered, the new Air Lifts I installed and the fact that I'm running a dually, I don't think rear end motion will be severe enough to cause a failure in the receiver or the rack.

Off course, I could be entirely wrong about this, in which case I will initiate the BigGuy82 Bicycle Replacement Crowd Funding program to help defray the cost of new bikes.

When we investigated this a few months ago, there were quite a few people responding about failure. I believe one of the last was Mr. Beletti. And he caught the bikes just before a disaster? We're still thinking about the best idea for us. I would say earlier posts in this thread should be enough to make you think twice about that hitch. then again you do have a BG82BRCF plan in place

Sandy

 

[BigGuy82]

When we investigated this a few months ago, there were quite a few people responding about failure. I believe one of the last was Mr. Beletti. And he caught the bikes just before a disaster? We're still thinking about the best idea for us. I would say earlier posts in this thread should be enough to make you think twice about that hitch. then again you do have a BG82BRCF plan in place

Sandy

Absolutely, and I expect the response to my Crowd Funding efforts to be monumental. HOWEVER, I've since heard from Lippert who also states that the a carrier is sufficient to carry 150 lbs of bikes. That means Lippert, Heartland and my dealer all say that there's nothing they know of to the horror stories. Nevertheless, it can't hurt to run a strudy, plastic coated wire rope to the ladder as cheap insurance. That way, if the thing does in fact let go, at least the good folks behind me won't be vicitims.

I won't be taking bikes apart (there's enough to do when parking a fiver), storing them in the coach (don't need a greasy bikes lying on the bed), stuffing them in the back of the tow rig or any of that. If this hitch holds as I suspect it will, great. If not, I'll weld a heavy duty one to the coach frame.

 

[danemayer]

When we investigated this a few months ago, there were quite a few people responding about failure. I believe one of the last was Mr. Beletti. And he caught the bikes just before a disaster?

Jim Beletti's hitch failure was on a double receiver hitch that had been custom fabricated for his coach by a welder/fabricator. Here's a link.

 

[BigGuy82]

Jim Beletti's hitch failure was on a double receiver hitch that had been custom fabricated for his coach by a welder/fabricator. Here's a link.

Thanks. Unfortunately, Mr. Beletti's hitch pictures leave more questions than answers. Type of steel used? Integrity of and material used in welds? Competency of the welder? Total weight of the hitch, rack and bikes?

Might not have been any of that stuff, but I'm more inclined to trust the factory design than a customer design that I don't know much about.

Call me an optimist - I think the Heartland receiver holding the weight range of my combined rack and bikes will be just fine. But since I walk my rig at every stop, I'm likely to see failure coming.

We'll see - next trip mid-February (I.m more concerned with getting road salt on the bikes than i an of losing them).

 

[jrzygrl64]

We have been full-time in our 2014 Landmark since Aug 2014; it came with the 1 1/4" hitch already installed from the factory.

While the hitch hasn't failed, we have had 2 bike rack failures, both racks were rated and recommended for use on the back of an RV. Both were ordered from ETrailer online. Thankfully, Bill always locks the bikes to the rack and hitch so they were dragged both times, but didn't come off completely and cause an accident.

The first time, the company (ROLA) reimbursed our cost for the rack and also paid us $250 for the cost of repair to our bikes.

The second time, the company (Swagman) sent us their more robust rack and also a check for $1,000 to replace our bikes, which were completely destroyed.

We figured the first time was a one-time thing, but when it happened a second time, Bill looked more into the idea that the amount of bounce in the hitch was a huge contributing factor in the failures. He has purchased a "Roadmaster Quiet Hitch" from ETrailer, with the hope it will reduce the amount of bounce so we do not have a third failure. Only time will tell if this works. We are seriously considering upgrading the hitch to a 2" hitch. At this point, we are sure that the amount of bounce caused the failures, there is no other conclusion to come to.

 

[BigGuy82]

We have been full-time in our 2014 Landmark since Aug 2014; it came with the 1 1/4" hitch already installed from the factory.

While the hitch hasn't failed, we have had 2 bike rack failures, both racks were rated and recommended for use on the back of an RV. Both were ordered from ETrailer online. Thankfully, Bill always locks the bikes to the rack and hitch so they were dragged both times, but didn't come off completely and cause an accident.

The first time, the company (ROLA) reimbursed our cost for the rack and also paid us $250 for the cost of repair to our bikes.

The second time, the company (Swagman) sent us their more robust rack and also a check for $1,000 to replace our bikes, which were completely destroyed.

We figured the first time was a one-time thing, but when it happened a second time, Bill looked more into the idea that the amount of bounce in the hitch was a huge contributing factor in the failures. He has purchased a "Roadmaster Quiet Hitch" from ETrailer, with the hope it will reduce the amount of bounce so we do not have a third failure. Only time will tell if this works. We are seriously considering upgrading the hitch to a 2" hitch. At this point, we are sure that the amount of bounce caused the failures, there is no other conclusion to come to.

View attachment 48826View attachment 48827

The ROLA is the one I bought - do you recall which model you had?

You know, after decades of fifth wheels on the road, you'd think some rocket scientist would figure this out. Seems pretty simple to me, a factory installed hitch that not only fits into the receiver but a point to secure it to the back of the coach at a second spot, high up the rack. Camping involves bikes (usually), so do manufacturers really expect their customers to keep taking bikes apart and stuffing them into the coach?

 

[Oregon_Camper]

..... We are seriously considering upgrading the hitch to a 2" hitch. At this point, we are sure that the amount of bounce caused the failures, there is no other conclusion to come to.

If you go that route, I would highly recommend doing what I did and use 2 inserts vs 1. This will eliminate sway from side to side. Get a bike rack that you SIT the bikes on vs hanging them from a bar. Without support at the bottom, you're only introducing a failure point.

I left the middle insert in case I needed it for something...but I have never used it in > 2 years.

 

[SGMilkman]

I'm sure your dealer told you that, but it's still "hearsay". I carried two bikes on a 1 1/4" car hitch for years and never had a problem, so unless the receiver assembly is inherently weak, I don't see an issue. Yes, I know that a fiver has a lot more bounce going on back there but a 1 1/4" receiver is not flimsy by any means when you consider the bikes probably weigh 60 lbs for two and the rack weighs 27 lbs (87 lbs total). Also, the steel C channel frame brackets seem to be sturdy also.

Is there anyone out there who has actually experienced a failure of this configuration - Heartland bicycle receiver bolted onto factory frame mounts with a 1 1/4" bicycle carrier with two adult bikes attached? I also sent a note off to my dealer and Heartland to see if I can get an accurate read on this.

Again, you may be right, but I want to perform due diligence on this because I'll be ****** if I'll hang bikes off a ladder or stack them on my mattress. If this solution doesn't work, we'll be walking more ...

I have one on my 2014 Landmark Savanna. While it didn't fail as described, it did fail. With two bikes on it, it made it less than 1K miles before it was so bent that the bikes looked like rag dolls flopping around on the back of the trailer, damaging paint and tearing up components on the bikes. Never actually fell off the trailer, but the actual bike hitch itself was bent at a 15 degree angle to the ground when I finally gave up on it. It would have failed in time, as the metal plates were bent and buckled. Very poor setup, and this came with my trailer from the dealer (I did not order it, it was already installed). It's a Tule bike rack, solid as a rock, and although the bikes flailing around on it caused it to be all scratched up, it's still in fine shape other than appearances. It's the bike "hitch" that is junk.