Seasucker Bike Rack- Any brave souls yet?

ADRawli

I’ve seen some posts indicated T@bbers we’re thinking about it, but is there anyone out there who’s actually dared to use one of these with their T@B or TV? 

https://www.seasucker.com/


I did/am.  I just ordered the 3 bike setup.  I’ll try to add pictures later this week when I get it installed, but curious if anyone with actual usage has anything to say:  yeah or nay.  It doesn’t feel like something for the feint of heart, at first thought, but it seems like a lot of reviewers absolutely love them. Just want to hear from the T@B community.  Thanks. 

Cbusguy

When I was in college they had a ski rack that used suction cups I got one for Christmas as I was driving a VW Dasher at the time ....... Long story short,....all the money I made instructing went to replace the skis that fell off the car when suction cups failed.     

When I called the company they had already went out if business.

Your bikes if your comfortable with the risk and liability


I would never put that on the trailer skin as it is thin aluminium and not like the skin of a car.  Will probably leave suction cup imprints

ADRawli

@Cbusguy I have similar fears, so will take it cautiously for sure.  I’ve heard/read a lot of skeptics, but reviews are mostly great from users, with the few naysayers being upset because the curve or groove of their roof did not provide a flat surface for the vacuum cups, or they got a defective pump out of the box damaged during shipping, or their bike had specialized fork size and wouldn’t fit, and such.   But did not as of yet hear of one experience with it falling off.  I agree that the T@B seems too thin skinned, and so never really anticipated mounting it there, but my tow vehicles roof should work well.  And the ease of moving it to any of my other vehicles as well is also a big plus. I’ll provide more thoughts upon delivery and after trial/experience.  

This made me laugh:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mBZN1Snhtvs&feature=youtu.be

Sharon_is_SAM

Not to mention, if your bike comes off while towing, it will damage the TaB.  

Cbusguy

IMO reviews can't be trusted any more.     I get my feed back reading various forums and seeing what other long time members say....I ignore new members reviews as it is more than likely one of those paid reviewers or review company.

ScottG

Sharon_is_SAM said:

Not to mention, if your bike comes off while towing, it will damage the TaB.  

Not to mention if your bikes come off while towing, it might damage my T@B.  ;-)

I might be a fuddy-duddy, but give me heavy-duty lashing straps and steel bolts any day!

4ncar

I agree with @Cbusguy, anybody can say good things, if asked or paid.😒. I have no immediate experiance, however, glazing contractors are using suction cup “technologies “ that allow them to lift & install large & heavy plates of glass. There have also been a few adventurists who have scaled buildings with the same.  All I am saying is suction cups have been successfully used in commercial type applications for quite a while now...still a little unsettling, I get it...lol

Cbusguy

@4ncar it is one thing to put a suction cup on a new or clean piece of glass it is something else to put it on the roof of a car after camping all weekend.  

4ncar

@Cbusguy winded & paper towel prep? I’m not advocating for, just saying that suction cups have been used successfully in commercial applications. Just a thought climbers use same commercial suction cups on “dirty”:surface. https://youtu.be/1rP5ONSxlP8

ChanW

That was weird. The other Seasucker discussion 'closed' while I was typing a comment. Is this a controversial subject?

I've used some cool 2"-3" suction cup hooks on our Tab for hanging towels (available online). They use a lever action to enhance the suction.

I did learn that their suction was too much for the interior walls (shower etc) because those walls are covered with vinyl 'contact paper'. The suction cup sucked the paper from the wall and left a little round stretched-out mound.

They work ok on the exterior, but I'd be cautious with them. 

Homebodyatheart

@ChanW that’s really good to know! Yikes!

ScottG

Not sure why the original discussion got closed--I think it happens some times when one of us mods slips with a drop down menu.

Anyway, I've reopened it and merged the relevant threads. Carry on!

Homebodyatheart

@ADRawli suction cups on your TV sounds like the better plan. Here’s a pic of the cross section of the Azdel that covers your Tab. Outside coat on one side, wallpaper inside. It’s that and the aluminum framing that makes it all so much lighter. Good luck and we look forward to pics! 

ADRawli

@Homebodyatheart. Wow!  Hope you didn’t go out and cut up your T@B just for those pics? That would be just a bit over-the-top.   😳

Haha, it’s great info though, and confirms the “no-go” for any slight notion or idea on the back of the trailer for the anchor point.  I’ll be posting more once the unit arrives later this week (I hear all you thinking “glad it’s them playing with fire and not me”).   🙂

Homebodyatheart

@ADRawli actually they’re from NuCamp. BTW if I remember correctly the Yakima racks on the back of the Boondock models are factory installed so the infrastructure is correct.
Oh, and trust me... I can wreak my own havoc like the best of ‘em!

PeteRissler

I have two sets that I use on my Ford Fiesta St.  I have the Talons. The front has 3 suction cups and hold the bike down well. The rear holder only has one suction cup and I had it come off once but the front held the bike on. I now use 2 suction cups for the rear. Whenever you stop just check the cups, there's a marker to check to see if it has lost vacuum. I'm not sure if I would use in on the trailer. My version says to use it only on a flat surface and not at an angle. I believe they have one called the hornet that can be use on angled surfaces. They are real easy to steal so you need to take extra precautions. 

ADRawli

@PeteRissler Thanks for the advice.  Received the Seasucker Bomber 3 today. I’m impressed with how “quality” it feels. It’s ready for the car, but I didn’t get a chance to put it on yet. Trying to noodle around the security piece. I think I may just get a 10 foot cable and thread it through the bikes and the two holes in the mount itself.  I can’t decide if it needs to run through a window mounted secure point (Seasucker makes one) or not, as just the idea of 3 bikes and a carrier all chained together makes the quick ‘snatch-and-grab’ a bit more problematic...I hope.  I’m also pretty sure I wouldn’t want to travel with the cable installed, so likely use for only when the car and bikes will be out of line of site for any period of time.  

This is a stock photo, but exactly how ours looks after I put it together.  Same hole configuration, clamp position, etc.  
Oh, and BONUS that it matches our TV/T@B color scheme as well.  👍🏻👍🏻

ADRawli

Well, it’s official.  I’m either a Seasucker sucker, or a cutting edge razor dancer.  Looks cool, was pretty easy to put on, and very easy to remove... almost too easy when done the right way.  I don’t know if that translates to “easy to fall off” or not.  Jury is still out and will be until I’ve had some time and miles taken together.   It really does seem to be secure, and for a quick run around the block test run, it stayed solidly attached.   But that’s nothing compared to the hundreds of miles and bumps and shakes it must endure to gain my full trust.  The only comfort (a term used loosely at this point) is that there are 7 or 8 of these suckers (officially “vacuum cups”) and when they're secured they each individually rate at over 200lbs, so that’s a lot of redundancy for 70 lbs of bikes and carrier.  I do also like the fact that the 5 on the main unit are all held together by the mounting board, which minimizes the sway force that would be transmitted to any single cup if it were directly coupled to the bike.  

Time will tell, and I’m a big fan of the look, but not a full believer yet of its true usability. 

trimacon

ADRawli said:

Well, it’s official.  I’m either a Seasucker sucker, or a cutting edge razor dancer.  Looks cool, was pretty easy to put on, and very easy to remove... almost too easy when done the right way.  I don’t know if that translates to “easy to fall off” or not.  Jury is still out and will be until I’ve had some time and miles taken together.   It really does seem to be secure, and for a quick run around the block test run, it stayed solidly attached.   But that’s nothing compared to the hundreds of miles and bumps and shakes it must endure to gain my full trust.  The only comfort (a term used loosely at this point) is that there are 7 or 8 of these suckers (officially “vacuum cups”) and when they're secured they each individually rate at over 200lbs, so that’s a lot of redundancy for 70 lbs of bikes and carrier.  I do also like the fact that the 5 on the main unit are all held together by the mounting board, which minimizes the sway force that would be transmitted to any single cup if it were directly coupled to the bike.  

Time will tell, and I’m a big fan of the look, but not a full believer yet of its true usability. 

So did these survive test of time, how did they work out? 

ADRawli

@trimacon  It took more than a year and about 4 or 5 trips before I finally felt brave enough to drive off with bikes on top on my car.  The first 100 miles, I think I stopped every 15 minutes to double check the seal, but upon arrival at our destination (about 150 miles), not a single one of the seven suction cups had even budged a millimeter.  We’ve since done at least 3 more such journeys with the bikes on top, and after the last trip, I got home and realized I had barely thought of the bikes the entire time.  I’ve been through rain, cross-wind, and many hard bumps, and nothing seems to phase this thing.  I am graduallly overcoming any fear of this thing falling off. 

The only thing that bothers me just a bit is securing the bikes when we’re parked (stopped for lunch, groceries, etc).  They really are not locked to the car and I have yet to lock them together and to the SeaSucker, which was my original plan to at least discourage someone from running off with one bike or the other (they’d have to take the whole thing as a package).  So I find I worry more now about coming back to missing bikes while stopped than I do about losing them while moving.