Yakama Rack

stinkbug

It may be that these racks were designed to be best used in a horozontal position.  Our first trip "off road" resulted in the towers sliding down the track.  I did have two mountain bikes attached to the basket which added weight but not a great deal.  No amount of allen wrench tightening of the towers stopped the downward sliding.  It now rests at the bottom of the tracks.  Also I noticed at the top of the track on one side the track was detaching from the trailer.  Upon removal of some screws and probing the hole, I determined that the screws missed the internal cross supports and were only in the aluminum skin!  I was able to locate a cross member and reposition the screw to secure the Yakama rack properly. 

Verna

I ordered a Yakima rack from my truck accessory dealer last week. The specs made it clear there was a 125 lb max limit on the rack. So, 38 lbs for the tire, I don't know how much the basket weighs, plus...let's say about 60 lbs of bikes. That's getting close to the 125 lb limit. I don't know that I ordered the exact same model for my truck shell, but I would think that 125 lbs on a vehicle/camper roof would be a sizeable load. 

If your paperwork doesn't tell you the load limits, you could call Pleasant Valley Trailer (telephone number on the right under contact numbers), and ask the office personnel what the load limit is. Their hours are 5:30 am to 3:30 pm ET. 

julz

Does anyone know if I can mount the Yakima rack and spare tire -- exactly like the Outb@ck, on my T@B Sofitel? I feel like the spare tire is way too low on the Sofitel. I don't know if the shell can handle the weight on it compared to the Outb@ck, but I feel this would be a better way to carry it.

Michigan_Mike

I agree with Verna, you would be best served contacting the factory and asking to speak to someone like Ed Kauffman.   The factory can/will brief you on the specs, intended uses and will make things right with you pertaining to the rack and any mounting issues therein.  Anything extra mounted to the rear of any of these trailers is going to take a beating from the added torque and down-force from the road and terrain.  

Just a heads up, I did send a note on to the factory and let them know what you'd experienced.  I'm certain they will discuss this incident and ensure that adjustments are looked into from their end.  

stinkbug

This sliding down not a problem related to structrual breakdown but rather function. Bikes were 55 lbs total weight.  So I am confident 125 lbs was not exceeded unless the basket weighs greatly more than 30 lbs.  I am contemplating purchasing a third set of towers /crossbar to put under the tire area.  I fear  over- tightening the towers to prevent slipping could strip the screws.  The position of the rack at the very rear of the trailer does expose the rack to much more violent movement than were it level on top of a trailer or other vehicle as is the usual placement.
 It would be disappointing if this expensive Yakama rack were of use only as a tire hanger.  

Larry

Stinkbug how did you locate the structural support? I installed the tracks after talking to the factory. Most of the Yakima supplied attachment screws rely only on the skin. It worries me so I am planning on only using the rack for lighter items that fit in close to the rack without the leverage applied by something like a bike waggling. I would be very interested in other's experiences to learn how stable the typical mounting is!

ChanW

Verna, what model rack did you get?

And Stinkbug, can the factory give us specifics on where the cross members are located?

stinkbug

Factory may be able to provide exact location.  Not easy to locate the supports under the skin of the trailer.  I did so as one would when locating studs behind wall board in a home, by "knocking" on the skin and finding solid sounding areas that extend all the way across.  One always risks missing them so I used a small drill bit to make the hole figuring if I didn't hit, it would be easy to seal the hole. (holes in the skin invite water leak problems, so be sure to use sealant liberally around screws) I hit on first try.  Once one is found on one side, measure same distance from some common point at the bottom of the trailer for the other side.
My factory installed rack is very tight and solid where the screws hit underlying structural elements.  Yanking on it to test its strength moves the whole trailer around.  In my opinion, I would never trust the aluminum skin alone for supporting screws with forces on them.  

Bgkirk

Just an observation for aluminum cross member locations on the ceiling. On cold mornings there is a bit of condensation on the ceiling of our T@B where the cross members are. Each one of them is visible. I thought if I ever needed to know where they where, I would put a little painters tape on the sidewall where each one was to mark them out on a cold morning. We like it cool for sleeping so the heater is typically off at night and two people + one golden retrievers breath tends to make a little condensation where the cold is conducted thru the outside via the aluminum structure. 

JandJ92010

I was thinking of doing the same thing for my spare tire, mounting it on the back with a rack, but the thought of it coming off somehow and bouncing down the highway in front of a semi was not a happy thought. So, because we don't use the table as the table anyway, (I removed the lift mechanism) I thought under the bed would be the best place for it. Less chance of it getting stolen too. So I took the tire mount off the bottom of the trailer and bolted it to 24" x24" piece of 3/4" plywood, screwed 2 strips of 1/8 x 2' aluminum to the bottom of the plywood with countersunk flathead screws and fastened that to the floor with 2" wide Velcro, 24" long. Seems to hold it all pretty tight and it's out of the sun and sight.

sabel

Stinkbug,
Is your T@B an Outback? If so I'll have to keep an eye on mine.

sabel

Stinkbug
I was looking at the Yakima website to check how to lock the spare. They recommend mounting the tire with inside of tire up.  Ours is outside up. Wonder if that would reduce the stress on the tracks?

sabel

Stinkbug,

Another observation on our Outback, Yakima rack.

In the tracks there are exposed screw heads evenly spaced ( 8" o.c. ) along the track. Also there are puttied holes ( butyl caulk I think ) in the tracks, not so evenly spaced and not going to the top of the tracks.

Is your rack the same?

My assumption is that the puttied holes are where the actual aluminum cross framing is located and the exposed screw heads are secondary Yakima's standard screw spacing ( not associated with the T@B framing ). Either that or there's a lot of mistake holes in my roof.

Maybe we should confirm this with Little Guy.

sabel

I spoke to the Factory this morning. The official load capacity on the Yakima rack, as mounted, is 100 lbs. Spare tire and parts are about 50 lbs., my guess.

The T@B rafters ( horizontal roof framing ) is spaced at 8" o.c. at the rack so the exposed screw heads you see in the tracks is suppose to be where the rafters are. Puttied holes are extra holes in the track that are sealed off.

Verna

Thanks Sabel for the research. 

When I bought my 14" spare tire, I was told the shipping weight was 38 lbs, so about 50 lbs for tire and rack would be about right.  So, I do believe that other than the having the spare tire there, the rack should not be used for anything additional over 50 lbs.  Bikes would be an "iffy" addition, depending on their weight. 

Rollingztone

The Yakima Load Warrior rack weighs 33 lbs. That plus the tire is 71 lbs. The T@B Outback information on the rack says it is rated for 100 lbs.

Rollingztone

I have a 2012 T@B. I left it at the new factory for repairs Monday (after a 13,000 mile trip to Alaska & Canada). Ed K. said no problem installing the Yakima rack on my unit. I'd like to mount 2 bikes at 38 lbs each on the rack without the tire or Load Warrior rack. I'm trying to find the right Yakima bike rack. The bikes have fenders so the only rack that looks viable without taking the front tire off is the Yakima Raptor Aero. Does anyone have any experience with this or any advice?

Rad

Rollingztone said:

I have a 2012 T@B. I left it at the new factory for repairs Monday (after a 13,000 mile trip to Alaska & Canada). Ed K. said no problem installing the Yakima rack on my unit. I'd like to mount 2 bikes at 38 lbs each on the rack without the tire or Load Warrior rack. I'm trying to find the right Yakima bike rack. The bikes have fenders so the only rack that looks viable without taking the front tire off is the Yakima Raptor Aero. Does anyone have any experience with this or any advice?

I have hauled a lot of bikes on racks, I ride a lot and raced back in the day.  I have not used the Raptor but have used Yakima racks and the Thule version similar to the Raptor.  It should work great, they make a very high quality product.  There was a time I preferred the wheel off fork mount (I still have a Yakima one) I now prefer the down tube mount like the Raptor. 

ChanW

I used the Raptor rack for a number of years, and then we used a pair of them on a trip up to Newfoundland. They worked just fine. A little wobbly, but not a problem.

I've gone the other way now though, and use the fork mount rack (by Rocky Mounts), with just a simple strap for holding the back wheel to the rear cross-bar. It seems more solid.

Neither of these racks is on the Tab, though. On the car or truck.

Rollingztone

Thanks Rad & ChanW. I guess my main concern is the strength of the Yakima rack mounted onto the Tab and the stability and ease of getting the bikes up onto it with the Raptor Aero or Thule Big Mouth holders. It looks like a big lift and with the rack on the Tab at an angle, I don't know if I could get the bikes up there and hold them to latch into the bike racks. Now I'm thinking more about adding a hitch to the front of my truck and just using my Yakima hitch bike rack. Anyone ever use a front mount hitch for bikes? Do they get in the way of the lights?

Rad

Take your bike out and see if you can do the lift up to where the rack would be.  Have a spotter with you and do something to make sure you don't scratch the rig.  It looks like a hefty lift to me.  I'm just going with the rack on the Little Guy site that sits over the propane box up front.  It is not cheap but it looks easy to use.

ChanW

Rolling, I don't think a bike rack that's intended for a roof, ie: horizontal or level, makes sense on the back of the Tab, where the wheel trays would be slanted.

I don't think the Raptor would work other than horizontally, and I think a fork mount rack in that slanted arrangement could put undue stress on the bearings in the bike's headset. The Raptor downtube support is intended to hold the bike in it's upright position, while the wheel tray holds the major weight.

If the bike(s) were mounted horizontally across the back of the Tab, it would distribute the weight more practically, on the Tab and on the bike.

TaBFan

Has anyone looked into mounting a hitch receiver on the BACK of a T@B to mount the bicycles on the rear using a hitch rack?

Rad

TaBFan said:

Has anyone looked into mounting a hitch receiver on the BACK of a T@B to mount the bicycles on the rear using a hitch rack?

Well, there is no exposed frame in back or under the rear of the T@B, so there is nothing simple or easy to attach anything to.  If someone has done it they got pretty darn clever.  

ChanW

When we bought our 2014 Tab, I had found some sales blurb or photo that showed a hitch on the back, so I had my hopes.

It must have been an earlier model option, or maybe even from the European one.

Sadly ours didn't come with one.

Even extending the framing out that far would be a stretch. At least on the non-CS Tab, it would be a pretty heavy cantilever hanging that far out.

Verna

After my bike rack breaking out in Arizona this winter, I'll throw in my two cents about having bikes on the rear of a camper. 

There is only one bike rack that I am aware of that will cover its warranty if it is on the rear of a camper, and it costs over $500 (I would have to research the name).  My rack, a Swagman, specifically said it was not warrantied for the rear of a camper.  But, I used it anyway, for one 26" hybrid women's bike. 

After two years of driving with it on the rear of the Silver Shadow, the rack broke, and damaged my bike.  Think of the rear of a camper as a sling shot.  There is a lot more movement there than on the tongue of your camper.  Whatever bump you hit, there is more movement back there that is amplified more than on the front. 

I know of two other Silver Shadows and one Little Guy who have had bike racks broken on the rear of a camper.  I highly recommend that you do NOT put a bike rack on the rear of your T@B.  It would require a long receiver that would (I think) increase the sling shot movement.

Figure out how to put the bikes between the tow vehicle and the T@G, and believe me the price of the T@B bike rack for the front would be well worth the money.  I ruined a perfectly good Specialized bike by having it on the rear of the SS. 

Off my soap box......

(I bought a 7 speed folding bike from Amazon that fits in the rear of my truck.  I don't do serious biking anymore, just riding around the campground and running errands.)

Michigan_Mike

Agree 100% with what Verna said above....  I've hauled bikes for 5+ years (40K miles around the US) on the back of Little Guys and it is risky at best.  Yes, it can be done, but over time the pounding and whip-saw/fishing pole type action exerted on the back will beat any bike rack to death, eventually causing welds to break.  

I found out too last summer that the portable bar supports used for women's bikes (that allow them to be set on rear bike racks) will also eventually fail when placed on a bike rack that is sitting on the rear of a trailer.  We nearly lost my girlfriend's bike along the Needles Highway near Mt Rushmore.  Had we not stopped it was within inches of dropping to the pavement.  The pounding bent the grips that wrap around the bike frame via metal fatigue.  I also found failed welds beneath the bike rack saddles and this required beefing up the welds.  

Leave the bikes at home or buy a rack that mounts between the car and trailer as it will be much safer there.  This is the reason that the majority of bike rack manufacturers will not recommend, certify, nor provide a rack for the back of any trailer.  Lisa will vouch for this too as she lost two bikes off the back of her trailer out in Glacier National Park.   Others have reported accidents too.  Why risk losing your bikes or jeopardizing the safety of others out on the highway via a freak accident?   

source3

Michigan_Mike said:

 Yes, it can be done, but over time the pounding and whip-saw/fishing pole type action exerted on the back will beat any bike rack to death, eventually causing welds to break.  

I ordered up a bike rack from Australia made for offroad conditions. http://www.isi-carriers.com/isi-4x4-ed/bike-carrier.html

They also have a mount for the tongue of a trailer. http://www.isi-carriers.com/products.html

The bike rack in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHnsKEcpkP4 . And this was a good part of the muddy rutted road.

Verna

source3 said:

Michigan_Mike said:

 Yes, it can be done, but over time the pounding and whip-saw/fishing pole type action exerted on the back will beat any bike rack to death, eventually causing welds to break.  

I ordered up a bike rack from Australia made for offroad conditions. http://www.isi-carriers.com/isi-4x4-ed/bike-carrier.html

They also have a mount for the tongue of a trailer. http://www.isi-carriers.com/products.html

The bike rack in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHnsKEcpkP4 . And this was a good part of the muddy rutted road.

Andrew, my Swagman is made similar to this isi.... bike rack. What broke was the "hook" that holds the bike in place.  Not at a weld, but the metal broke.  That left my bike just moving front to back, hitting the vertical support.  Lucky for me, I had the bike closest to the rear of the SS so it didn't fall off the back, and I always used Velcro tie wraps to tie each tire to the tire oval (two per tire). At the time, I wondered why a semi-truck backed way off from me, so I know almost exactly when it broke, and it wasn't that rough of a road at that time.  Just the whipping action over two years of travels added up to it breaking.  Just some words of wisdom.

Michigan_Mike

Andrew, what are they asking for a rack system like that? I'd still recommend to anyone wanting to take bikes along to carry them between the trailer and tow vehicle. It's the safest place in my opinion and offers up less resistance than carrying them at the rear of the trailer.

source3

Michigan_Mike said:

Andrew, what are they asking for a rack system like that?

Ordered July 2013.

Item Code/Description Qty, Unit Price, (Excl GST) Total

1 iSi-ED-C - iSi Extreme Duty Bicycle Carrier - Compact 1 $ 586.36 $ 586.36

2 iSi-ED-HS - Extreme Duty Hitch Stabilizer 1 $ 31.82 $ 31.82

3 Upgrade - ED Multifit Pivot Base 1 $ 36.36 $ 36.36

4 Credit - ED Multifit Pivot Base 1 -$ 36.36 -$ 36.36

5 Upgrade - FAT Finger Frame Support Cradles 2 $ 9.05 $ 18.09

6 Credit - FAT Finger Frame Support Cradles 2 -$ 9.05 -$ 18.09

7 Courier 1 $ 167.27 $ 167.27

Invoice Total (Excl GST) $ 785.45

GST $ 16.73

Invoice Total $ 802.18

Receipt $ -

Outstanding $ 802.18

Not to hijack the thread, but.... this thing is over-engineered to handle the tough Australian outback.  

Once I have my T@B I am going to look at the trailer adapter.  Like you (Mike), I do not like the idea of having the bikes on the back of the trailer.