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03-29-2006, 11:42 PM
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#21
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Wetumpka
Posts: 4,936
M.O.C. #1105
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Dale, thanks for an awesome and informative response.
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03-30-2006, 01:09 AM
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#22
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Malta
Posts: 3,075
M.O.C. #607
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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)
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03-30-2006, 01:11 AM
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#23
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Malta
Posts: 3,075
M.O.C. #607
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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.
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03-30-2006, 06:50 AM
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#24
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Highlands Ranch
Posts: 464
M.O.C. #3477
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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#.
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03-30-2006, 09:16 AM
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#25
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Elkhart
Posts: 298
M.O.C. #3886
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Clyde, I can just about guarantee that soon those guys will regret what they are doing!
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03-30-2006, 10:30 AM
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#26
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Highlands Ranch
Posts: 464
M.O.C. #3477
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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.
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03-30-2006, 11:40 AM
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#27
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: New Market
Posts: 831
M.O.C. #375
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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.
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03-30-2006, 12:02 PM
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#28
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mayville
Posts: 629
M.O.C. #2486
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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.
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03-31-2006, 03:07 PM
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#29
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Pella
Posts: 25
M.O.C. #5554
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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
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03-31-2006, 11:09 PM
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#30
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mayville
Posts: 629
M.O.C. #2486
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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.
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04-01-2006, 12:47 AM
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#31
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Loganville
Posts: 476
M.O.C. #5314
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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04-01-2006, 12:52 AM
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#32
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Tipton
Posts: 3,646
M.O.C. #191
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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!
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04-01-2006, 01:53 AM
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#33
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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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????
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04-01-2006, 02:00 AM
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#34
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Tipton
Posts: 3,646
M.O.C. #191
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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.
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04-01-2006, 04:34 AM
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#35
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Moultonborough
Posts: 449
M.O.C. #3268
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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
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04-01-2006, 05:35 AM
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#36
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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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.
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04-01-2006, 06:21 AM
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#37
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Tipton
Posts: 3,646
M.O.C. #191
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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.
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04-01-2006, 11:45 PM
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#38
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Elkhart
Posts: 298
M.O.C. #3886
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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!
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04-02-2006, 01:01 AM
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#39
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Clearwater
Posts: 10,917
M.O.C. #420
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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.
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Email sent.
When I get the pics I will post them here and add them to the Show and Tell pages for future reference.
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04-02-2006, 03:53 AM
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#40
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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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.
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