I own a 2018 Heartland Sundance 283RB and I've been researching on how to safely attach a bike rack to the rear bumper. I've seen some horror stories online, but the positive stories seem to be winning out. The 283RB is unique in that it has a rear slide out, and there is only about an inch and a three quarters of clearance between the top of the bumper and the bottom of the slide out. I installed a Curt 2 inch receiver on the bumper, which leaves a half inch to spare between the top mount of the hitch and the bottom of the slide out. I bought a Swagman XC2 "RV approved" bike rack for my two (pre-Trek) Gary Fisher fat tires. I will need to remove the rack when I get to the campsite before activating the slide out. I called Heartland and the tech told me that Lippert warranties the bumper with a rack as long as the combined weight does not exceed 150 pounds. Total weight of the hitch, rack, and both bikes comes out to 115 pounds, which is about 77% of the max weight rating. We're taking a weeklong trip to St. Augustine starting on Friday, (about 170 miles), for the rack's inaugural outing. I'd be grateful if anyone has any sage advice to offer about the rack set-up.
Sundance 283RB travel trailer bike rack on rear bumper
- Thread starter Swizass
- Start date
danemayer
Well-known member
Hi Swizass,
Sounds like you have a solution that should work. I'd suggest you do something to ensure the slide switch doesn't get pressed without your having removed the setup. You might want to fashion a cover over the switch, or perhaps place a reminder label. Even though you won't forget, sometimes others may step in thinking they'll be helpful, not realizing they're about to cause damage.
Sounds like you have a solution that should work. I'd suggest you do something to ensure the slide switch doesn't get pressed without your having removed the setup. You might want to fashion a cover over the switch, or perhaps place a reminder label. Even though you won't forget, sometimes others may step in thinking they'll be helpful, not realizing they're about to cause damage.
That’s a good idea. Better to be safe than sorry. I guess I’ll need to put a note over the switch that says “No”, like they did in the command module on Apollo 13.
