Our Bike Rack Solution T@B CS S

2Cougs

Here is my solution to the bike rack/spare tire dilemma.  Thanks to @jason330i for the idea that I simply copied!

Homebodyatheart

I like that idea, but am concerned about the upper body strength needed to get the bike up and down without hurting myself. Mrs 2Cougs, can you do this alone? 

2Cougs

@Homebodyatheart- I can.    I worried about that too, and have practiced and find that putting the front tire in first helps (because when you lift the frame, the front axle can rotate and move around on you).  We also "modified the mod" and fabricated a piece that put the bikes lower and closer to the trailer.  It really works slick!  And once at the campsite you can unhook the T@b and connect the bike rack directly to the TV.

jason330i

Well done!

Homebodyatheart

Thanks! I like that you can also have the spare on the tongue. An issue I'd have to work on is my dump hose holder is also strapped onto the side of the tongue. Hmmm.... Would you be able to post close up pics of how the frame is attached and your mod? Thanks again!

suze

Fascinating.  Could you give a little more detail on the brand of the rack  and maybe a photo of the actual attachment to the frame of the trailer?  

Dockguy

What is the name or Brand of the bike rack so that other people can purchase one ?

2Cougs

We took what jason330i explained and just made a few changes.  Check out his description under "Ready for our first trip". 
The parts we ordered were from etrailer.com:
Swagman XTC-2 2-bike platform Rack for 1-1/4" and 2" trailer hitches
(item #S64670)
Stromberg Carlson Bike Bunk Trailer-Mounted Bike Rack Carrier for A-frame Trailers - 2"-100 lbs.  (item #CC-275)
MaxxTow Spare Tire Carrier for 3" x 5" trailer frames - 4 lug and 5-lug wheels (item #MT70214)

Tire mount - The tire is resting on the Aframe so there is no bouncing or weight bearing.  We felt the tire was better there than on the side of the Aframe.  To do this, we needed to rotate our power jack to face the TV instead of where it had been facing the T@b.  We also needed to relocate where the remote brake controller was mounted.


Bike Rack - We played around with this.  We didn't want to have to lift the bikes too high, and we wanted them close to the trailer so we wouldn't hit them with the TV in a sharp turn.  To do that we went to a metal fabricator and purchased an extension piece ($15) that was shorter and came out of the mount straight instead of arched upward.  This allowed us to mount the bikes on the TV side of the Stromberg.


He is holding the original piece... we save this.  It is what we use when we attach the bike rack to the car:

This is how the Stromberg attaches to the Aframe:
;
A long post, but is our attempt to answer the questions.  Need to know more?  Just let us know.