Total weight = <100#. Has anyone had this setup experience?
---------------------------------------------------------------

When I bought my Class C RV, the spare tire was attached to a post that was
clamped to the 4" waste hose tube across the rear.  The mount placed the
center of the tire (about 50-60#) about 24 inches above the square tube.

The front facing wall of the square tube was butt welded to the C-shaped
fame rails protruding out the back, under the RV.

At about 50,000 miles on the odometer, with the tire bouncing around and
rocking back and forth, the front wall of the square tube failed due to
metal fatigue around the square tube-to-frame welds.

The tire and square tube rotated rearward, such that the spare tire was
parallel with the ground.  I could see it in my back-up camera.

Remember, if you mount 100 pounds, 3 feet above the square tube, you have
300 Ft. Lbs. of rotational torque on a sheet metal square tube.  300 Ft. Lbs
of torque is equivalent to a 150 pound person hanging on the end of a 2 foot
pipe.  That's a LOT of torque!  That torque is magnified through bumps and
vibrations.

For my spare, I made an inverted "Y" frame out of 2 inch steel tube and
welded it to the RV frame in front of the square tube "bumper"..

I would NOT mount ANYTHING whose center of mass is more than a few inches
above the square tube.  Eventually, it WILL fail.   I was in Nowhere,
Montana, when mine failed.

If you have the same type bumper that Healeyman described, you are
asking for trouble. Not only from the torque issue, but from the
weakened metal due to the rusting inside the 4" square tube that you
store your waste line in.

I would suggest that you take off that bumper, weld/bolt on a new
receiver that connects directly to the frame, then attach the 4" square
tube that holds your waste line.

Hank <~~~likes to overbuild

I see where "Don T." <dgthew@execpc.com> contributed:

Thousands have done it, but I don't think that is what you want to
know.   It's a bad idea, not only for the reasons cited by those who
have already replied, but because the back of your trailer bounces a
lot, beating up whatever is mounted there, and your bikes WILL get
covered with road crud on wet days.  My advice - find another place to
carry bikes.

Will Sill
The Curmudgeon of Sill Hill

I don't like those racks for bumper mount. We have this rack;
<http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ItemBrowse/c-10101/s-10101/p-100000164289/med
iaCode-ZX/appId-100000164289/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:100000164289>

It works well with our trailer but, you *have* to make sure
the bumper can stand the load. If the square tube bumper is
welded to the frame channels of the trailer frame and the
welding is complete around the entire joint line, then a
reinforcing strap can be welded on the top joint which will
make the bumper more secure. If the manufacturer does not
specifically state the spare tire can be carried on the
bumper, don't expect it to carry even one bike. These things
 fall off a lot.

I don't know how Jayco "engineers" their bumper
installation. Our trailer is a Holiday Rambler and its
bumper is sturdy enough to support the bikes and rack. The
last trailer we had, an '88 HR, had a reinforced bumper
sturdy enough to carry a light cycle. Our current trailer
bumper isn't that sturdy but is sufficient to carry our bikes.
Hugh

Get a Yakima or Thule roof rack for your tow vehicle and carry your bicycles
up there. My Yakima handles alot of weight and is extremely secure.

As others have already pointed out there are 2 issues:
1) do you really want your bikes bouncing around on the rear of your
trailer in the dust and road grime?
2) if the answer to (1) is Yes, then how are you going to attach the
rack to the trailer?

We did this on our fifth wheel because it was convenient.  Carrying 5
bikes "somewhere else" on that rig simply wasn't an option.  We tried
dragging a couple of them inside the trailer but that was a royal
PITA, not to mention hard on carpet and furniture.  So we put up with
the grime and mess that came along with hanging them on the back.

Whatever you do, DO NOT attach your bracket to the tin foil bumper.
That is just an accident waiting to happen.  In our case we had a
Class IV receiver tube mounted to the frame of the trailer and then
put a bracket into the receiver tube to carry the bikes.  I repeat,
your existing bumper is decorative only and is likely overloaded when
it is carrying your sh.t hose.  Do not depend on it to carry anything
else.

R.J.(Bob) Evans
(return address needs alteration to work)

As others have told you, if you have a weak bumber don't do it. I don't know
your trailer's construction but the rear bumper on my trailer is VERY strong
and welded directly to the frame. The slope on our driveway is such that
when I back the trailer off the street, the bumper drags on the ground to
the extent that it's holding up the entire back end of the rig. The is no
evidence of damage or bending of any trailer parts.

Yes, I know I really should get some of those heavy duty casters for the
rear (but I don't put the trailer on the driveway very often).

Cheers, Joe