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Old 07-06-2009, 05:00 PM   #1
Exnavydiver
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Bike Rack+Ladder+RRxing= broken ladder bolts

On the way back from Wisconsin Rapids last Wed we crossed a bad RR xing. We saw the car in front of us bounce and couldn't slow down much before we hit it. The rig wheels almost came off the ground. The bounce was bad enough to tear out the bottom of the couch drawer. I was cleaning the rig when I noticed that the top right ladder brace was hanging loose. The 1/4x20 screw that held the ladder to the brace had sheared off. On further checking I found that 3 of the remaining 5 screws were bent. They all had rust where the brace and ladder met and that was where it sheared off. These screws are 1/4x20x3 inch phillips/square drive. Nobody around here has anything close so I replaced the screws with 1/4x20x2.5 inch hex head bolts. I used loc-tite (blue) on the threads and coated the bolts with clear silicone so they would not rust. This all tightened the ladder back up to OEM condition. I am now looking at a different place to haul the bikes. I guess I will just get a front 2 inch receiver on the truck and let the bikes catch the bugs. The front hitch will be much easier than trying a rear one on the rig. My best friend just had to replace his whole ladder on his Challenger for the same reason. If you haul your bikes on the ladder make sure that the screws are tight and if the ladder gets floppy then remove it and tighten or replace all the bolts, they really need to be tight to reduce any flop or bounce... Dave
 
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Old 07-06-2009, 08:05 PM   #2
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YOW!!!! that could have been more expensive your lucky it was cought by you early. I hit a dip in the road on I-15 scared the dickens out of me the dip sign was put to close to the dip and slowing down was inpossable, but I didnt have any damage like you just a bunch of dishes and stuff on the floor.
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Old 07-06-2009, 08:20 PM   #3
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I have heard of that happening - bikes on the ladder causing some damage. While the bikes and brackets might not weigh much, their weight can translate to A LOT when hitting a massive bump like railroad tracks. The kinetic energy can be a wowzer.

I considered a front hitch receiver, but I think my bikes might cover the headlights. In some states, this could be a violation.

Check this out. This is a link to a rack mount system that installs on the front of your fifth wheel. They have brackets for short beds or long beds, and is good for 2 or 3 bikes. The drawbacks are the height of the rack and the difficulty of removing the bikes if you are hitched up. Look up the 7000-5W or 7000-5W-XL:

http://www.toppoprails.com/fifthwheel.htm

I have been toying with the idea of my mounting my Yakima rack system on my TV roof. I have seen other members that have done this. I am preferring this because for me all I would have to buy and install would be the landings since I have everything else - mounts, rails, and bike runner/holders. Obviously, with this solution I am not worried about the height of the rack.

Good luck with your solution.
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Old 07-06-2009, 11:17 PM   #4
Bill-N-Donna
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I believe a carrier on the front would be a good way to go but when we used to carry bikes we always just loaded them into the camper. Seemed to work just fine; we would lean them against the bed in the isle-way. However, back then we had a different trailer brand. With the way our Monty is laid out I would probably just lean them against the couch. There is an isle-way there also where this could work even when the slides are in. The only inconvenience I see would be restricting the area to access the refrigerator.
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Old 07-29-2009, 01:50 PM   #5
busterwms
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We carried bikes on our ladder all the way from Florida to Alaska and almost back... the ladder broke by the time we got back into Montana. Put the bikes inside the 5ver and never used the ladder again. Cost big bucks to replace the ladder. BTW we carried those stupid bikes for 18000 miles and never used them once.
When will I ever learn?
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Old 07-29-2009, 08:10 PM   #6
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I have heard of to many horror stories of carrying your bikes on the back ladder.I carry mine on a "thule" roof raKE on the top of my truck.As far as the ladder goes I have replaced all the screws with stainless steel.In fact just about every screw on the outside of my Monatna has been replaced with stainless steel.
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Old 07-30-2009, 03:07 AM   #7
Delaine and Lindy
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Dave Sorry to hear about the rear ladder. As others have said I have seen several rear ladder damage due to hauling bikes etc. We have a large basement area and just remover the front tires and roll the bikes inside and we just set the front forks in bike locks. We will have a 2" receiver on the rear of the 2010. And we have a Thule bike rack that mounts in the receiver. Think your idea of a front mount receiver will work have seen several mounted there. Glad to hear your back at home base. Dave you will have a few months to get everything ship shape for your next adventure. GBY...
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Old 07-30-2009, 01:57 PM   #8
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Our dealer said to put NOTHING on the ladder. Our bikes go in the back of the truck.
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Old 07-30-2009, 02:18 PM   #9
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You are fortunate Hooker with your 3500 Dually, it's not a problem to put your bikes back there. In my case with only a 3/4 ton SRW, I cannot afford the weight. For now, we don't take bikes until I upgrade my rear suspension to add 1,500 lbs of capacity.

Then I will mount my bike rack on the TV's crew cab roof since I already have a complete Yakima rack system. I have seen a few MOC members that have done this quite successfully.
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Old 07-30-2009, 11:07 PM   #10
Jim Jarvis
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I've blown out 2 ladders because of bad dips and I don't carry anything on the ladder. After the second ladder I shortened it to just above the rear bumper. I can't understand why the ladder would be that long to begin with.
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Old 07-31-2009, 04:24 AM   #11
Delaine and Lindy
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Well it just occured to me I don't really need a rear ladder. I have been hauling around a ladder in the basement for years and don't really use the rear ladder that much and I can pull two pins and detach the rear ladder. But then again were would I put my flag pole mounts? But I don't think you should hang anything on the rear ladder. GBY...
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