Jack-It Bike Rack experience

Does anyone have good or bad experience with the Jack-It bike racks that bolt to the 3 bolt pattern of the tongues trailer jack?
My concern is that on a 320 T@B that the 3 bolts are only ⅜ bolts with a maximum torque stamped on the jacks pad of 15-20 lbs.
The nuts underneath are welded on, so not easy to replace.   Has anyone had any failures using the Jack-It rack with 2 medium weight bikes attached?

Comments

  • BaylissBayliss Member Posts: 1,299
    @DukeHewett, I have had the Jack-IT on my 2019 320S for about 2 1/2 years and have not had any issues.  This link includes photos and my comments:

    https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/11049/bike-rack-for-2015-t-b-320#latest

    There was a post on the Facebook T@B Camping Trailers Group on August 4th of this year where one owner posted some pics of a weld failure, but that may have been an isolated situation with a poor welding job.  Just search that Facebook page for "Jack IT" and it should come right up.  I have kept an eye on mine and have seen no issues after four long trips carrying a pair of full-sized bikes, including on some rough roads.

    Here is one photo of the weld failure that was posted on Facebook:


    2019 T@B 320 S Boondock Lite2007 Toyota Tundra 4x4
    (Alde: 3020; Refrig: Isotherm Cruise 65 Eleg; Battery: BB 100Ah LiFePo4; Solar: Renogy 100Ah Suitcase; Victron BMV-712; Pwr Cntr: PD-4135KW2B; EMS: PI-HW30C)
    Greg & Marlene (Tucson, AZ)


  • Dutch061Dutch061 Member Posts: 765
    Difficult to tell but it appears that the metal tore rather than the weld breaking. If so, the weld quality was fine and the material should be thicker. Of course that is my opinion, but I overbuild everything that I do. 

    Brad
    2020 400 BDL aka "Boonie"
    2022 Black Series HQ19 aka "Cricket"
    2021 F-250 Tremor with PSD aka "Big Blue"
    Concord, NC 
  • AnOldURAnOldUR Member Posts: 1,272
    @Dutch061, I was thinking the same thing, but it could also be that the steel was not properly tempered after welding. I'm not a welder, so hopefully someone else will have a better explanation.
    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler

  • BaylissBayliss Member Posts: 1,299
    edited November 2021
    Now that you mention it @Dutch061 and @AnOldUR, I believe you are correct in your observation that the issue is a "steel" failure rather than a "weld" failure.  Unfortunately, the individual who originally posted the information about their experience has not posted an update on Lippert's response about what may have caused the break, or whether they replaced it under warranty.  Here is a better shot of it from that same Facebook post:


    2019 T@B 320 S Boondock Lite2007 Toyota Tundra 4x4
    (Alde: 3020; Refrig: Isotherm Cruise 65 Eleg; Battery: BB 100Ah LiFePo4; Solar: Renogy 100Ah Suitcase; Victron BMV-712; Pwr Cntr: PD-4135KW2B; EMS: PI-HW30C)
    Greg & Marlene (Tucson, AZ)


  • manyman297manyman297 Member Posts: 1,185
    We’ve gone a season with ours. While we didn’t bring bikes on every trip we did bring them on a 1700 mile trip and it did really well. I do recommend buying the aluminum spacer plate All Pro sells that mounts under the Jack It. I tried the stacked washers trick and the rack was extremely unstable. 
    2021 400 BD
    2020 Tacoma TRD Off-Road 
  • Dutch061Dutch061 Member Posts: 765
    Steel definitely let go and not the weld. In my opinion, the steel needs to be heavier gauge.

    Brad
    2020 400 BDL aka "Boonie"
    2022 Black Series HQ19 aka "Cricket"
    2021 F-250 Tremor with PSD aka "Big Blue"
    Concord, NC 
  • TABNewbiesTABNewbies Member Posts: 90
    Less milage (500 miles) for us and going OK to date. I do agree with @manyman297 for peace of mind for the All Pro spacer despite both our washer attempts. I guess also need facts for the actual loading weights of individual situations for failures and I believe a lot of happy Jack-It users overall judging by YouTube.

    2021 T@B 400 BD T@bitha with 2016 Highlander
    Juliet and Andy in Massachusetts
  • swiftwaveswiftwave Member Posts: 30
    I had a Jack-It on my T@B 400 for only a few months.  When two bikes were fastened to it, the forward bike would contact the canopy of my pickup truck during sharp turns.  I removed the Jack-It and sold it before I had a serious bike/canopy mishap.  I now carry bikes on the roof of the canopy.
    I believe the Jack-It could work well, without any contact with the tow vehicle, if there were more clearance between the forward bike and the back of the tow vehicle.  My truck's canopy simply does not provide this clearance.
    I used ratchet straps on either side of the Jack-It, down to the aluminum tubes on the T@B's front cargo rack, in order to reduce the Jack-It's sway.  This worked well and I imagine also reduced metal fatigue that would otherwise result from the bike rack swaying back and forth while loaded.
  • CharlieRNCharlieRN Member Posts: 438
    My experience with the Jack-It on my 320 has generally been positive. While the washer-spacer method is probably OK, I opted to bite the bullet and buy the All-Pro aluminum plate. The installation is quite solid and there are not any significant clearance issues.
    The reason for the quantifier about clearance is because I cannot open the rear hatch of my TV with the Jack-It in place. This was not always the case, and is because I sweiched TV's from a Volvo XC-90 with a split rear hatch to a Telluride that has one-piece. It's an inconvenience, but one I'd face if I used my Saris rack as well.
    I've toyed with the idea of fabricating a rack to go across the top of the cargo box. While that solves one problem, it creates another since it will deny access to the cargo box with a bike in place. The Jack-It is probably the best solution for me at the moment.
    2021 T@B 320 S Boondock / 2022 Telluride - Phillies/Eagles/Flyers Country
  • CharlieRNCharlieRN Member Posts: 438
    Bayliss said:
    Now that you mention it @Dutch061 and @AnOldUR, I believe you are correct in your observation that the issue is a "steel" failure rather than a "weld" failure.  Unfortunately, the individual who originally posted the information about their experience has not posted an update on Lippert's response about what may have caused the break, or whether they replaced it under warranty.  Here is a better shot of it from that same Facebook post:


    The fix is a pretty easy one that could be done by any competent welder. That said, in my view, it's clearly a manufacturing issue that I'd hope Lippert would own up to and send out a replacement. Will be interesting to see what Lippert does.
    2021 T@B 320 S Boondock / 2022 Telluride - Phillies/Eagles/Flyers Country
  • patandjeffpatandjeff Member Posts: 16
    edited November 2021
  • Dutch061Dutch061 Member Posts: 765
    Now that is a poor quality weld!

    Brad
    2020 400 BDL aka "Boonie"
    2022 Black Series HQ19 aka "Cricket"
    2021 F-250 Tremor with PSD aka "Big Blue"
    Concord, NC 
  • manyman297manyman297 Member Posts: 1,185
    Yikes, gonna keep an eye on ours now. I take that extension off when the rack isn't in use. I noticed it was getting surface rust on the inside so I started stowing it in our shed.
    2021 400 BD
    2020 Tacoma TRD Off-Road 
  • DukeHewettDukeHewett Member Posts: 41
    Thank you all for your experience and advise.  I had a source for ½" aluminum plate so decided to make my own adapter plate instead of paying $80 for one.  Actually, I was able to make mine wider and give a bigger footprint on the deck than the ones you can buy.  Making the adapter plate was actually pretty easy. My primary concern was using the ⅜ bolts to hold the tower down.   So I replaced the bolts provided with the rack with grade 5 bolts AND grade 5 washers.    While I was not able to remove the existing nuts that were welded on, I double-nutted the existing with grade 5.   I really appreciate the pictures you provided showing the very poor weld (I hate to even call it a weld).  I'll keep my eye peeled for the beginning of any failure at that point.   
  • manyman297manyman297 Member Posts: 1,185
    Glad you were able to make your own plate. I priced out some aluminum locally and by the time I bought the plate and put the time into it, it made sense to just pay the $70 (at the time). Not sure why aluminum was so expensive when I was sourcing it.
    2021 400 BD
    2020 Tacoma TRD Off-Road 
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