Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > MOC Technical Forums > Additions & Improvements
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-29-2006, 11:42 PM   #21
jrgwdenner
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Wetumpka
Posts: 4,936
M.O.C. #1105
Dale, thanks for an awesome and informative response.
 
jrgwdenner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 01:09 AM   #22
BillyRay
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Malta
Posts: 3,075
M.O.C. #607
I think part of the problem with the montanas is that because the rear cap sticks out so far, if you welded something to the frame...it would have to stick out too far unsecured and the weight would put alot of stress on it flexing as you were "bouncing" down the road.(don't know if I explained it clearly)
BillyRay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 01:11 AM   #23
BillyRay
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Malta
Posts: 3,075
M.O.C. #607
we ended up putting a hitch on the front of our truck for the bikes. it works fine during the day, but gets in the headlights view at night.
BillyRay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 06:50 AM   #24
Clyde n Deb
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Highlands Ranch
Posts: 464
M.O.C. #3477
Like he says, it's each to his own. I ran across two guys with Montanas last month. They both had 2" receiver hitches custom built on the back of their units. The one guy claimed he pulled a boat that weighed 3800+ pounds. Been doing it for over a year. Neither guy reported any problems at all. I'm not condoning it, just reporting it. I'd love to do it, but don't think I'll try. My boat weighs about 4000#.
Clyde n Deb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 09:16 AM   #25
MIMF2
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Elkhart
Posts: 298
M.O.C. #3886
Clyde, I can just about guarantee that soon those guys will regret what they are doing!
MIMF2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 10:30 AM   #26
Clyde n Deb
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Highlands Ranch
Posts: 464
M.O.C. #3477
I tend to think that way too. That's why I doubt I'll try. I've looked closely at that frame. To do it so I felt like the hitch was built right would make it very heavy in itself, and you've got all that added stress back there from the boat's weight. Now if I had a small, lightweight boat, I'd be looking at it again.
Clyde n Deb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 11:40 AM   #27
Native Tex
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: New Market
Posts: 831
M.O.C. #375
I have seen this same discussion for the past couple of years. If you read your warranty it says that any modification to the I-beams will void the warranty. I would love to have a rack as well, but welding to the fram is a modification as described under the warranty. I deal with such issues daily on the job and this is just tampering with the warranty that can give the builder a way out of a claim in the future.
Native Tex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 12:02 PM   #28
old turbo
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mayville
Posts: 629
M.O.C. #2486
I would not carry anything but two bikes. This bike rack issue has been going on for years. If you go to a bike store, not Wal Mart, and want to purchase a bike carrier and tell them it is for the back of a tt they will tell you the manufacture will not stand behind the carrier if it is put in a receiver on the back of a travel trailer.If you want to be responsible for the rerceiver and the carrier just do it.



old turbo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2006, 03:07 PM   #29
leonard
Established Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Pella
Posts: 25
M.O.C. #5554
Just bought a new 3650 and the dealer put on a 2" receiver hitch for bicycles. No mention of warranty issues. He did say it was quite a job since they had to attach it to the frame. It looks great. I hope it works as well. Anxious to try out the new rig. Have camping fever bad.

leonard in Iowa
leonard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2006, 11:09 PM   #30
old turbo
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mayville
Posts: 629
M.O.C. #2486
I am sure if there are problems with a couple of forty pound bikes on the back of a keystone product, we would have lots of replies by now. Pictures to show a twisted or broken trailer frame. Bikes out in the middle of the highways because the receiver broke. If you can get one mounted, geeter done and have fun with the bikes, thats what it is all about.
old turbo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2006, 12:47 AM   #31
rvfirefighter
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Loganville
Posts: 476
M.O.C. #5314
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by rvfirefighter

I will take some pictures tomorrow, but it is a simple setup. I took 1" angle steel, cut it to extend the length of the pinbox on both sides to the front of the RV. I bolted these to the sides of the box using the existing holes in the pinbox. I bolted a piece of flat sheet steel to the top of the angle and on top of the sheet steel I bolted a reciever hitch made to install on the bottom of a step bumper.
I got the steel from a metal shop and the reciever hitch at Northern Tools.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took some pictures of my bike rack, but I do not know how to post them in a forum. If someone can help me I will post them for everyone's interest.
If you send me your email address, I will send them that way.


rvfirefighter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2006, 12:52 AM   #32
CountryGuy
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Tipton
Posts: 3,646
M.O.C. #191
Somewhere in the deep dark recesses of my very old and very dangerous mind, I remember that the problem with hitches on the back of Montana is that the stress was showing up as fiberglass cracks up by the bedroom area, from the flex and bouncing. Thought that was was Lon Nelson showed us when we were at the service center for some repairs. I am not talking about that crack under the bedroom slide, talking about the area just where the bedroom and the main portion of the unit join. Note, my disclaimer about old memories!
CountryGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2006, 01:53 AM   #33
richfaa
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
After having a chat with the service manager about attaching a receiver hitch on the rear of the 3400 and all that goes with it. We are having serious second thoughts..Not from the safety standpoint but the cost of doing it properly.I said well I am not going to spend 500.00 or so to have it done and he said.."brace yourself" May be ladder hitch after all????
richfaa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2006, 02:00 AM   #34
CountryGuy
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Tipton
Posts: 3,646
M.O.C. #191
Lots of people have those ladder hitches Rich, and seem to have little trouble with them. Our current preference is the front hidden hitch on the truck. The bikes ride steady as a rock, no possible damage to ladder, etc, whatever, on Montana and the price surely was right! We rarely drive at night, so any problem with the headlights is averted. We have driven with the bikes on there at night, we can still see ok, but right headlight does hit bike wheel a bit. Again, we almost never drive at night, so if we find ourselves in that situation we just slow down a bit and continue being careful.
CountryGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2006, 04:34 AM   #35
carlson
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Moultonborough
Posts: 449
M.O.C. #3268
The 3400 frame comes no where close to the end cap of the trailer.
When you mount the hitch to the frame it does sit quite a ways back from the end cap.
I just put a hitch extension into the reciever and then when I put the bike rake on, the bikes do not hit the ladder ot cap.
I use a ladder mounted bike rake to carry my 6' ladder.
Be cautious with putting bike rack on a front hitch of the TV.
It will create wind disturbance and could cause the vehicle to overheat both the engine and trans.
Just my thoughts
carlson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2006, 05:35 AM   #36
richfaa
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
Yes we did look ubder the 3400 and the frame is WAY back there.guess that is why it will cost so much to do it properly. We do drive at night a lot so the front of the truck mount is not a option for us. Oh well the ladder mount will do.
richfaa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2006, 06:21 AM   #37
CountryGuy
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Tipton
Posts: 3,646
M.O.C. #191
Could cause overheating. Maybe, but, so far, has not, and believe me Al is watching it like a hawk. Ran it last summer in almost 100 degree heat, 120 miles, no fluctuation. But, we do keep watching. One can never be too careful.
CountryGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2006, 11:45 PM   #38
MIMF2
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Elkhart
Posts: 298
M.O.C. #3886
Rich,

Have you bought your bikes yet? If not, may I suggest the 6 speed camping bikes sold at Camping World. Gail and I have a pair. For what we do, they work out great and are really no more expensive than any other quality standard bike.

Next week when I go open the Challenger for the summer, I'll have to take a picture of my "bike rack" and post it here. They fold up and fit just about anywhere you want to put them. If one will hold my lard butt, it will certainly hold yours!
MIMF2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2006, 01:01 AM   #39
Glenn and Lorraine
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Clearwater
Posts: 10,917
M.O.C. #420
Quote:
quote:Originally posted by rvfirefighter

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by rvfirefighter

I will take some pictures tomorrow, but it is a simple setup. I took 1" angle steel, cut it to extend the length of the pinbox on both sides to the front of the RV. I bolted these to the sides of the box using the existing holes in the pinbox. I bolted a piece of flat sheet steel to the top of the angle and on top of the sheet steel I bolted a reciever hitch made to install on the bottom of a step bumper.
I got the steel from a metal shop and the reciever hitch at Northern Tools.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took some pictures of my bike rack, but I do not know how to post them in a forum. If someone can help me I will post them for everyone's interest.
If you send me your email address, I will send them that way.
Email sent.
When I get the pics I will post them here and add them to the Show and Tell pages for future reference.
Glenn and Lorraine is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2006, 03:53 AM   #40
richfaa
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
MIMF2..I wish we had not spent the $ we did just a couple of years ago on two light weight Moutain bikes. Those camping bikes are neat.The rear hitch is not completely out of the question yet.I don't want a bike rack sticking way out in back. It just adds length to a already long enough camper and some of the installations I have seen are downright ugly.We will see what the dealer can do and what it will cost before we go in another direction.
richfaa is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Hitch receiver on Montana dpam General Discussions about our Montanas 34 04-19-2017 08:51 AM
Receiver hitch ugh General Discussions about our Montanas 17 07-04-2012 03:15 AM
Hitch receiver DieselGeezer Tow Vehicles & Towing 13 04-11-2012 10:10 AM
Receiver Hitch chub Montana Problems, Problem Solving & Technical Help 1 06-26-2005 04:41 PM
Putting receiver hitch on Montana jsnip42 General Discussions about our Montanas 0 01-20-2004 01:12 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:59 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.