Another Bike Rack Idea

[Ray and Susan Huff]

3 minutes ago, mossemi said:

Or maybe the anti-rattle locking pin is for the bike rack to adapter connection and not for the adapter to Ollie connection.  The 1UP link you posted was short on details.

Good luck,

Mossey

I'll check our adapter and see how it is made.  I think it has one too.  

The way the 1UP hitches attach is designed so you must use a special tool (proprietary sized Allen wrench) to make it hard for someone to steal the rack.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

1 minute ago, Overland said:

Off topic, but we had a bike rack on our X5 that had an anti-rattle gizmo built into it.  When it came time to sell it after we got our truck, the anti-rattle thing had broken and so the retaining bolt just spun, which meant there was no way to get the rack off without a lot of cutting and drilling, So of course I included the rack with the X5 as a 'bonus'.  Funny thing is that the people who own it now live in the neighborhood so I still see it every now and then - bike rack still attached.

Hmmmm . . . . . . that's interesting.  Do you recall if it was a 1UP rack? 

I do know the way the 1UP attaches you have to periodically check to make sure it hasn't loosened.  Ours did this once after driving a lot of miles on a rough forest service road.   But that is probably a good idea with any rack.

[Patriot]

16 hours ago, mossemi said:

I would suggest that you obtain the dimensions of the Ollie receiver before buying the 1UP 1.25"x 2" adapter.  It does not look like the anti-rattle locking pin is long enough to work with the Ollie receiver and I’m sure that is a fair percentage of the $68.  
This is a quick Amazon search.

Mossey

Mossey really important details/observation thanks. We take delivery of our Ollie on Tuesday, I will check at some point.
I sent 1UP an email asking if the combination would be approved for use on a TT.
And I will post up what they say when/if I hear back.

Edited June 15, 2020 by Patriot

[Overland]

7 hours ago, Susan Huff said:

Hmmmm . . . . . . that's interesting.  Do you recall if it was a 1UP rack? 

 No, it was a good brand but not 1up quality. 

[Patriot]

On 6/14/2020 at 2:08 PM, Patriot said:

Mossey really important details/observation thanks. We take delivery of our Ollie on Tuesday, I will check at some point.
I sent 1UP an email asking if the combination would be approved for use on a TT.
And I will post up what they say when/if I hear back.

The reply I received from 1UP today -

This setup would not be recommend as the expander will cut your tongue weight in half which would take the overall weight over the recommend maximum. 
Thanks, 
1UP

[Ray and Susan Huff]

27 minutes ago, Patriot said:

The reply I received from 1UP today -

This setup would not be recommend as the expander will cut your tongue weight in half which would take the overall weight over the recommend maximum. 
Thanks, 
1UP

Well that stinks!

What weight is "the overall weight over the recommended maximum", I wonder.  GVW, weight on bumper receiver, or weight on bike rack?  Did they explain?

When I asked about using the hitch extender on our van (because the van's receiver is recessed into the rear of the RV), 1UP said it would work.  The extended added 7" to the reach of the rack.

Thanks for checking on this for us.  What are you going to do?

[Patriot]

My plan for now is to continue to carry our bicycles in the bed of our TV. Out of the weather and out of view and relatively secure. Not optimum but very doable. The reply above is all 1UP USA sent. Once we take delivery figuring out the bike rack is on my list of many things to do. 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2020 by Patriot

[Ray and Susan Huff]

Thanks for the great photos. 

At least we have a pickup, so carrying bikes is a bit easier, and we did this when we had a 5th-wheel.  It's just a pain to have to remove a wheel.  The 1UP has spoiled us, being so quick and easy to load/unload.  And it hurts to think we have a $700 bike rack that we can't use unless we leave the Oliver home.

Does anyone out there know of a way to remedy the situation: the expander cutting the tongue weight in half which would take the overall weight over the recommend maximum. 

Edited June 16, 2020 by Susan Huff

[Ray and Susan Huff]

So, this has me thinking:

Why does the extender affect the tongue weight so adversely?  Is it the added distance from the receiver to the rack?  The total weight of the rack, including the extender, and the bikes is within the 150# weight rating of the receiver as installed by Oliver.

 

[mossemi]

I’m not sure if I am interpreting 1UP's response correctly or not but I’ll give my thoughts.  I believe the key to this discussion is tongue weight and not towing capacity.  And I think the adapter or extender reduce the tongue weight capacity because they move the fulcrum or leverage point.  Think teeter totter.  The ones I remember had 3 saddles underneath the plank.  And you could move the plank and change the fulcrum point to compensate for 2 different sized people.

Susan quoted Jason and said the Oliver's rear receiver was rated at 100 pounds.  Then Susan quoted Jordan saying the the receiver had a new recommended weight capacity of 150 pounds.  Susan also said her loaded rack weight was 120 pounds.  So if 1Up's engineers believe their 1.25" to 2" adapter reduces the tongue capacity of Oliver's receiver by 50% which would reduce the capacity to 75 pounds.  That same thinking would apply to all receivers.  
The big difference is Susan's van has a 2" receiver that may be a class 2 or 3 and a class 2 receiver has a tongue capacity of 350 pounds.  2" class 3 receivers are rated at 350 to 800 pounds of tongue weight. 

So the vans greater tongue capacity is the reason the extender met 1UP's engineering approval.

And then again, I may be totally wrong.

Where is Raspy when you need him? 😃

Mossey

[ThomB87]

I believe what 1UP is talking about is the carrying capacity of the bike rack itself. The rack is rated to 150 pounds. When using an adapter or extender that capacity is reduced by 50%. E-trailer or other rack brands will have the same disclaimer regarding the use of adapters and extenders. Same idea though, the adapter itself becomes the weak link and the center of weight or fulcrum point moves farther away from the mouth of the receiver. For used at the back of a trailer, I would heed their guidance.  

Edited June 16, 2020 by ThomB87
grammar

[Ray and Susan Huff]

8 hours ago, ThomB87 said:

I believe what 1UP is talking about is the carrying capacity of the bike rack itself. The rack is rated to 150 pounds. When using an adapter or extender that capacity is reduced by 50%. E-trailer or other rack brands will have the same disclaimer regarding the use of adapters and extenders. Same idea though, the adapter itself becomes the weak link and the center of weight or fulcrum point moves farther away from the mouth of the receiver. For used at the back of a trailer, I would heed their guidance.  

Seems the only solution, based on this and the previous response is for Oliver to use a 2" receiver.  

First, let me say, it was Jordan, not Jason, as I previously quoted; Sorry - I have a terrible time with "J" names (we have three "J" daughters-in law!)  More recently Jordan stated,  "The 2 inch receiver on RVs is an unfortunate casualty of over litigation.  I am hoping the liability precedent gets overturned one day.  On it!  I'll let you know.

That being said, it seems the only solution, at this time, is:

1. fabricate our own receiver, as some have done. 

2. use the 1UP and carry only one very light bike - an expensive option since we'd have to trade up for a carbon fiber bike.  We would still need to carry the "heavy weight" in the pickup, so might as well put them both there.

3. purchase a 1 1/4" bike rack, but I don't find one approved for use on the back of a TT.

Here's another shot in the dark: 

Would this allow us to mount a rack between the pickup and the trailer?

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch-Ball-Mount/Curt/D210.html

Our pickup is an F350 Super-Duty 6.2l diesel turbo 4x4 long bed crew cab with towing package.  I think it is rated at around 15-20,000#.

 

Our rack is a 1UP Heavy-duty double, weighing 46#; bikes are 2 x approx 35#

 

I don't have the measurements on the rack, but it extends 26-1/2" from the receiver.  The carrying capacity is 200#.

 

We want a platform rack; if ours won't work, then something like a Swagman XTC 2 Tilt.

 

Let me know your thoughts on this; we prefer not to haul the bikes in the pickup bed, since loading onto a rack is much easier.  

 

Bottom line: we really want to use our awesome $700 rack!

 

 

[DavidS]

Susan, you may want to consider the Jack-IT Let'sGoAero bike rack that @mossemi posted about in this thread. 

[djpinaz]

Here's another option. I posted about this rack a short while back when looking for options with our trailer. I planned to report back once I had it fully installed and tested, which I haven't yet. But so far I'm relatively happy with the bike rack.

This rack can be mounted directly to its tongue bracket, or via an angled offset as show in the picture (I'm undecided on mine yet). If you're considering or have a cargo box on the tongue that would be additional consideration (room and weight). 

https://www.lci1.com/lets-go-aero

Darren

[djpinaz]

2 minutes ago, DavidS said:

Susan, you may want to consider the Jack-IT Let'sGoAero bike rack that @mossemi posted about in this thread. 

LOL, you posted this while I was composing mine. FYI, I initially ordered that version of the bike rack, but it doesn't clear the Barker jack. @mossemi has his slightly modified to attach to the cargo box I believe. So I went with a different version which attaches to the tongue.

 

Darren

[RnA]

Here's another idea.  Not a mountain bike though.

https://www.tuckbike.com/

I would have a hard time trusting the wheels/tires.   I've been over the front of my handle bars before.  Fortunately I was younger and more "pliable" when that happened.

- Randy

Edited August 9, 2020 by RnA

[John E Davies]

2 hours ago, RnA said:

https://www.tuckbike.com/

I would have a hard time trusting the wheels/tires.  

You and me Pal! They are hugely complicated, take proprietary solid tires and would be 100% unrepairable in any bike shop I have been to.... plus they must weigh at least three times as much as even a very cheap set of alloy rims and steel bead tires. Rotating mass defines the quality of the ride, these must have, uhmmmmm, very good straight line stability. How about steering and acceleration? Pretty horrible I suspect.

His “About“ page seems to reflect a very angry man who has seen bad times, and I hope his bike and dreams come true. But you could not pay me to ride one of them.  The industrial swivel casters for transport are certainly unique.
 

https://newatlas.com/tuck-bike-folding-wheels/

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited August 9, 2020 by John E Davies

[djpinaz]

On 6/16/2020 at 3:49 PM, djpinaz said:

Here's another option. I posted about this rack a short while back when looking for options with our trailer. I planned to report back once I had it fully installed and tested, which I haven't yet. But so far I'm relatively happy with the bike rack.

This rack can be mounted directly to its tongue bracket, or via an angled offset as show in the picture (I'm undecided on mine yet). If you're considering or have a cargo box on the tongue that would be additional consideration (room and weight). 

https://www.lci1.com/lets-go-aero

Darren

Just a follow up to this post. Our first long distance trip with this bike rack. From Mesa, AZ to Davis Mountain State Park. I was very happy with the stability of the rack. I was concerned it would have some sway, but the movement of the bikes was minimal. FYI, this pic was at a Harvest Host stopover on the way (D.H. Lescombes Winery in Deming, NM). 

 

Darren

 

 

 

[SeaDawg]

That looks really nice. Have you had to do any tight turns yet? If so, how did that work out?

Ps. Is that a jeep gladiator truck? Elite I or II?

Sherry

[Ray and Susan Huff]

1 hour ago, djpinaz said:

Just a follow up to this post. Our first long distance trip with this bike rack. From Mesa, AZ to Davis Mountain State Park. I was very happy with the stability of the rack. I was concerned it would have some sway, but the movement of the bikes was minimal. FYI, this pic was at a Harvest Host stopover on the way (D.H. Lescombes Winery in Deming, NM). 

 

Darren

 

 

 

We are hoping to do something like this, but mounting the rack in a dual receiver, which will put the bikes closer to the pickup and hopefully plenty of room for turns.  I'm pretty sure there will be room for this.

 

  

Edited September 15, 2020 by Susan Huff

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 6/15/2020 at 5:06 PM, Patriot said:

My plan for now is to continue to carry our bicycles in the bed of our TV. Out of the weather and out of view and relatively secure. Not optimum but very doable. The reply above is all 1UP USA sent. Once we take delivery figuring out the bike rack is on my list of many things to do. 

 

 

I see you carry your generator in the SUV.  Does it give off fumes or do you carry it with the fuel tank drained?  I ask because when we go pickup our Oliver in December, we probably won't have a cover for the pickup bed yet and don't want to leave the generator in the open bed.  Of course, this might not even be an issue if we don't find the Yamaha portable generator (2200i) that we desire.  There don't seem to be any available at the present time.  We do have a 3100w non-portable inverter generator, but it's not going in the back seat!

[djpinaz]

1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:

That looks really nice. Have you had to do any tight turns yet? If so, how did that work out?

Ps. Is that a jeep gladiator truck? Elite I or II?

Sherry

I placed it in a spot I felt would provide the best clearance. The 45 degree bracket can point backward or fwd, and you can also not use that bracket and mount it so the bikes are straight above the bracket. The way I mounted it and it's placement on the tongue pushed it back as far as possible while not interfering with the jack. I believe I would have to nearly jack knife it to kit the bikes. Honestly, I'm more worried about getting the Anderson Hitch "whale tail" off kilter by turning too sharp, so I avoid at all cost.

Yes, it's a Jeep Gladiator, and it's an LEII. I've posted about this elsewhere, but I'll summarize by saying I love the truck,  but it's unlikely to be a long-term solution for towing the trailer. I had the truck before I got the Oliver, but wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to buy a used Oliver.

 

Darren

[Patriot]

2 hours ago, Susan Huff said:

I see you carry your generator in the SUV.  Does it give off fumes or do you carry it with the fuel tank drained?  I ask because when we go pickup our Oliver in December, we probably won't have a cover for the pickup bed yet and don't want to leave the generator in the open bed.  Of course, this might not even be an issue if we don't find the Yamaha portable generator (2200i) that we desire.  There don't seem to be any available at the present time.  We do have a 3100w non-portable inverter generator, but it's not going in the back seat!

I will have to wait and see. We have a new TV and have an ARE Z topper on order. Once the topper is installed, I can better answer your question. The Honda Handi does have a fuel cap vent shut off switch. But I will wait to see after carrying this genset if it will “off gas” fuel fumes inside the topper. TBC.
-Patriot

[John E Davies]

Run the generator dry by switching off the fuel supply, let it idle until it dies , THEN turn off the ignition switch, and, finally, manually drain what is left in the carb bowl with a screwdriver; there shouldn’t be any noticeable smell. What you normally smell is gas evaporating from the carb. With that gas gone and the tank vent closed (if it has one, my Yamaha 2400 does not) there should be no odor.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[mossemi]

2 hours ago, djpinaz said:

I placed it in a spot I felt would provide the best clearance. The 45 degree bracket can point backward or fwd, and you can also not use that bracket and mount it so the bikes are straight above the bracket. The way I mounted it and it's placement on the tongue pushed it back as far as possible while not interfering with the jack.

Darren

I didn’t notice the extending trailer tongue in your first posted picture of the BikeWing and the Hitch-It mount.  I don’t think your application would work on any Oliver without that feature.

Mossey