Multi-Vehicle Bike Rack...

[CedarForks]

I'd be grateful if anyone can offer some advice:

 

If I purchased a two-bike rack that attaches via a receiver, is it possible to attach a receiver at the rear of the Oliver so that the bike rack would be usable on both the Oliver and the TV?

[BackofBeyond]

Yes you can, but you will need to fabricate the trailer receiver yourself, or have one made.  The former Oliver bike rack  platform was mounted to the top rear frame with two bolts on each side. I had designed (in my head) a fixture/platform  that mounted similarly, and had a 2" receiver center mounted for just this need.  However, I ended up using my Thule rack in a permanent mount on the discontinued Oliver platform.

 

There are a few things to consider, one is mounting it so the spare can be accessed with out removing the rack or platform, and the other is load - given the design, you  must ensure it will handle the load.

[dbp05ret]

I was told the other day by Oliver that the 1 1/4 receiver hitch that you can buy (mounted) on the Oliver will cost $600.00 as an up grade. Could a person not buy the receiver hitch themselves and have it welded or clamped on at a lot cheaper then $600 smackers? On Walmart.com (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Swagman-RV-Bumper-Adapter-For-4-4-5-Steel-Bumper-Fits-2-Receiver-Hitch-RV-Approved/50402950), a receiver hitch goes for $40? Then slide your Thule or Kuat Sherpa into the receiver.

[bugeyedriver]

I was told the other day by Oliver that the 1 1/4 receiver hitch that you can buy (mounted) on the Oliver will cost $600.00 as an up grade. Could a person not buy the receiver hitch themselves and have it welded or clamped on at a lot cheaper then $600 smackers? On Walmart.com (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Swagman-RV-Bumper-Adapter-For-4-4-5-Steel-Bumper-Fits-2-Receiver-Hitch-RV-Approved/50402950), a receiver hitch goes for $40? Then slide your Thule or Kuat Sherpa into the receiver.

 

 

There are a few things about an Ollie's construction that may preclude this . . .

 

The bumper of an Oliver trailer is made to swivel downward, and provide access to the sewer hose for dumping the black and grey water tanks.  All the required "stuff" for dumping is usually maintained in a compartment located behind (as looking from the rear) the bumper.  Your solution looks good, on the surface, but several issues would arise: there would be no room for the two bolts you can't see that hold the receiver on the bumper; the bolts that permit the number to swivel downward are not made for bearing that sort of load; there may not be sufficient clearance for the rack to go through the receiver and clear the fiberglass spare tire cover.

 

It was a nice thought, though.  Thanks for trying.

 

 

[dbp05ret]

So, I wonder how Oliver is going to attach a similar receiver? I mentioned above welded or bolted.

[donthompson]

I am a serious cyclist who has struggled to find a solution for transporting expensive cycles when traveling with my Ollie. I purchased the original Oliver receiver for a bike rack with my ‘16 Elite II. I then learned that most bike racks are not designed for use on an RV so my Thule bike rack could be used, but without warranty coverage. I liked Oliver’s second attempt at designing a bike rack, but the Thule components they used wouldn’t work with the 4” wide tires on my fat bike. Here’s the contents of the email I sent to Jason when I finally found a solution: “As you can see from the attached photographs, they welded a piece of aluminum to the apparatus You provided to me. Then they mounted components from the Thule T2 Classic bike rack to that new aluminum member. The last two photographs are of that particular Thule bike rack. Now I have a rack that will accommodate any type of bike from the skinniest tires on a road bike to the fattest tires on a fat tire bike.” I’ve attached the photos I sent to Jason. This rack is bomb-proof and accommodates all of my bikes.

[dbp05ret]

This looks great. I have ask for pictures of the new $600 receiver and was told they are forthcoming.

[John E Davies]

It seems as if you could just have a stout aircraft aluminum cross member welded up by a shop, using say a 2 x 4" box shape for rigidity, through-bolt a steel 2" hitch receiver tube to it, and use the same sort of double receiver setup as the discontinued factory units to plug it into the frame structure. That would be strong, and also very wear resistant where the bike hitch plugs in, and also fairly inexpensive. It's the welding labor and extra gussetting (strengthening the 90 degree connected parts) that makes the factory rack cost so much....

 

One thing to consider when talking about simply bolting a steel aftermarket receiver to an aluminum cross member is that you run into various engineering problems, like dissimilar metal corrosion (requiring bedding onto a non conducting surface), different thermal expansion rates (aluminum expands twice as fast, fasteners may loosen in cold weather and the part may shift), rust staining, gouging or distortion of the softer aluminum surface, etc.

 

Adding a highly stressed steel part to an aluminum beam is tough. Oliver reportedly had problems with their original method of attaching the Bulldog coupler and had to add internal alumnum spacers and use proper length bolts (no threads past the inside of the nut) to get it to work reliably.

 

If you can figure out a way to build a strong $200 hybrid aluminum/ steel bike rack, I will make one for myself. I am not an engineer, but I can see all sorts of problems if it is not built right. I would love to be able to plug in a high quality bike rack and also be able to swap it over to the truck when not towing. Unfortunately, the center receiver has a lot of problems associated with it and I think the solid full width all-alluinum platform is a much better solution. I would be happier with the design if it one could remove the bike attachments quickly and fold up the tray without blocking the rear lights. I hope the new version will be this capable.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[KWRJRPE]

Apologies, I am running a bit slow lately - is Oliver offering a $600 back bumper hitch receiver upgrade option on 2019 trailers? Will this back bumper receiver accommodate not only a bike rack, but possibly a carry basket plugged into the hitch for carrying coolers, fire wood, or other items that cant fit into the front hitch basket? I am not familiar with past attempts at Oliver bike racks

[Overland]

The current rack is a frame with a bike rack attached.  They like to sell them together, but a few of us have gotten them to sell us just the frame.  On our last trip, I put a Rhino Rack basket on it and it fit really well.  We didn't really use what we put back there, though, so I'll probably go back to Plan A and put a few 1 up racks on it.

 

I suppose someone could try mounting a receiver directly to top of the bumper, either bolted or welded.  You'd be dependent on the strength of the bumper hinges and pins though, so I'm not sure how much weight I'd trust on it.

[BackofBeyond]

KWRJRPE:

 

I would call Oliver and ask them, but when I asked (MAY 18) specifically about a center mount 2 inch receiver, Scott told me their experience was not positive with this set up. Thus, the dual arm mount, that bolts completely through the frame rails. It is very sturdy, however, it was discontinued. If you must have a center mount, visit a local welder who can fabricate exactly what you want. Keep in mind to leave room to access the spare, open and close the rear bumper, and have the strength to support your target weight.  Given the current bumper system, you don't want to mount anything on it, use the HD frame rails.

 

Your best bet, ask if they have any of the old frames left lying in a corner somewhere, and request it loose with your purchase (get the bolts also) - then modify as you see fit.

 

RB

[ShallowGal]

This was in the "Mod" competition at the Rally. I'm sorry I don't remember who it belongs to. Top Gun or BugEye or ScubaRx probably know.

[dbp05ret]

I received pictures from Oliver Travel Trailers today that shows the upgrade for the bicycle rack receiver hitch. The bicycle carrier is not included. I was told the upgrade would be $600. This is the first pictures that I have seen. We bought Hull number 412 Legacy Elite II. We pick it up in December.

[Bmanges]

Great looking fix for a trailer hitch mount, how thick is that gorgeous aluminum?  love our hitch mount rack (thule) and we could unhook the trailer, move the rack to the pickup and off to the trailhead!   BTW, our E2 goes into production in Early December--looks like we need to add another option...they seem to be piling up.

[dbp05ret]

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[ScubaRx]

Nice rack. I assume that is a 2” receiver. It does appear that the entire affair would need to be slid out of the two frame mounted receivers to allow access to the spare tire. Realistically, that is a non issue since the light truck tires on our Oliver’s are not too likely to pop like the ST tires supplied on all the SOB’s.

[Bmanges]

Interesting,  uses a 1.25" receiver--an adaptor would introduce more wobble with the Thule..not good.  It appears the "bike wing" is the preferred carrier,  may be a warranty issue.  We'll need to discuss with sales during our factory visit next month.

 

 

[John E Davies]

Interesting, uses a 1.25″ receiver–an adaptor would introduce more wobble with the Thule..not good. It appears the “bike wing” is the preferred carrier, may be a warranty issue. We’ll need to discuss with sales during our factory visit next month.

I think it would be great if you could order one with a 2 inch receiver, which is by FAR the most common size. Also the receiver needs a lip around the rear opening so you can attach a ubolt style “slopper stopper”. But that would be easy to add later at a local shop. I like it, but I bet I could fabricate one easily for less than $200. There is no structural welding that I can see. Cutting aluminum and drilling holes in it is dead easy.... one big advantage of this design is that it makes shipping reasonable. They can strap the pieces into a very compact bundle and place the hardware inside one of the legs.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[ScottyGS]

All,  We are getting this upgrade in January.  Will post pics and impressions then.   Our first test run for this rig will be in May going to the OTTO rally at Lake Guntersville.    That's about a 5 hour drive each way.  I will be keeping a close eye on the rig and will probably point the rear camera down so I can see them from the cab.    Our bikes are e-bikes and we are using the 1 up bike rack which itself weighs in at 47 lbs.    https://www.1up-usa.com/product/2in-super-duty-double-bike-rack/

 

This is a good thread.  Thanks for starting and contributing to it.  Lots of us have interest in carrying two bikes with a single receiver.

 

Scotty