Mounting Bike fork mount

[thewwkayaker]

I searched bike solutions on the forum and found a few of you mounted a bike fork mount system on the back of your FWC. This is what I plan to do but I need to know that I will safely hit the frame.

Given it's a small camper - 2006 Eagle, and the bikes are mtn bikes with 15mm axles and fairly long wheelbase I have to put the mounts at the top of the camper below the popup.

Can I assume that the top of the camper, excluding the popup, has a frame member running all around? Any idea on how wide a member it is? I want to make sure when I mount them I'm on the most secure part of the camper.

Did others put a plate on the otherside (inside) or just wide washers?

For the back wheel, I will simply use a tie down strap to pull it against the bumper of the truck and a 2nd tie down strap between bikes to pull them together as the back wheels will rest against the narrow part of the camper and bumper. I'll have to losen the stem to turn the bars so that we can get into the camper and the bars won't stick out past the truck sides but this system will be way lighter than my hitch rack (North Shore Rack - works great but heavy and would be in the way of the door).

 

[Lighthawk]

I put a plate on the inside, using a length of 1/4" aluminum stock.
On the refrigerator side, I drilled through the refrigerator cabinet wall, so didn't need a plate.
Like you, I just use a strap to control the rear wheel.

Not sure about the thickness of the top plate of the frame.
If you do some searches, you can probably find a photo of a camper frame.
Even with a plate, you'll want to bolt through a frame member to keep from crushing the outer/inner walls
when you tighten down the mount.

Not a great photo, but you can see the bikes mounted on our Hawk here.

 

[rustytinbender]

I mounted the same type on my hawk and hang a bike on the back. Instead of washers I would use a piece of aluminum or stainless bar stock on the inside. I am attaching a photo of the rear frame which shows you where the top tube is that you should drill through for support. If anyone needs more details I can take more pics of what I have done.

 

[Vic Harder]

What may not be obvious in that picture is that while the top horizontal piece looks to be about 4" tall, it is a chunk of "c" channel. The aluminum is only 1/8" thick, but the "C" channel holds a chunck of 1/2" wood in it once built/assembled. The 1/8" isn't strong enough to hold the bike onto the back, nor is the wood beefy enough (some kind of laminate in mine, but not plywood).

I would drill all the way through and back the bolts with big washers or an aluminum plate as the guys above did.

 

[thewwkayaker]

Rustytinbender - great photo! It looks like there is a 1x1 bar on top of the wider frame (4"??) piece (and the roof is another 1x1 bar) - I'm guessing on the sizes from the picture.
Vic Harder - you say the 4" frame above the door is C channel? So it's not a tube then?

Would the 1x1 bar be a better frame piece to bolt to or would it be too hard to correctly mount to? I guess the lifting walls are attached to that.

If I go for the 4"?? wider part - should I measure down 1.5-2" (would 1.5" be enough) from the top. The higher the better for me - not sure if the Eagle is shorter but my bikes have a very long wheelbase.

And yes I do plan to grab some 1/4" plate - I kinda figured that but wanted to hear what others are using.

The fridge will be a bit of an issue getting behind it for the mount backet and bolts/nuts. I think perhaps I can go just above the counter over the fridge. Hopefully it works out well - the bikes are worth as much as the camper

Thanx everyone.

 

[Vic Harder]

This is a project I plan on doing this summer too, and I can relate to the cost of the bikes/camper. How are you planning on locking them up? The top tube you say is 1", it is a square tube. But the roof screws into it from the outside, so it isn't really available for you to screw your fork mount into it.

And you are correct, the wider piece is NOT a tube, it is just one sided (outside is flat against the siding) and the inside is open with a 1" or so lip (the "C" part) on the inside. With the inside paneling off, you can just lift that piece of wood out of the C channel, it isn't attached.

Measuring any small distance below the roof on the outside you should be good. But, looking closer at the pics Lighthawk posted, they are indeed at least 2" down. I'd ask him why.

 

[bryanmichaelmeyer]

I am not sure how to upload a photo in resplys. But I used an old tray I had laying around and a bike fork mount. See Pic here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15c31PPF5m7wJ4NJZCLqGV2xud8O3yxKg/view?usp=sharing

 

[bike4mee]

Nice plate bryan for mounting the fork mount too. I have had this system for years and it has worked great in all kinds of rough roads. I do have a plate on the inside. Locking fork mounts are good, but any pliers can loosen the nut on the skewer. I have put and extra u-bolt about where the crank is so I can add a large u-bolt lock. Of coarse that ubolt could be cut real easily. New through axle forks would take an adapter or just mount the right fork mount for your bike

 

[thewwkayaker]

I have been looking for an old tray but no luck yet for the rear wheel. I was thinking of just making one with a piece of abs pipe split down the middle but right now I'll just use a strap and likely attach the strap to something inside the truck.

As for theft - I'll use a cable and lock to the hitch for times when we just run into a coffee shop or grab groceries but if we leave them for any real length of time I'll put them inside the camper. The door has a deadbolt and with curtains drawn you can't see if there is anything worth stealing. A pain but at 6k a bike it's worth the effort.

 

[rustytinbender]

Here are a couple more photos of my mount on a 2011 Hawk

 

[rustytinbender]

and for the rear tire I picked up a used track from a roof rack, cut it down and drilled holes to match the holes on the corner trim on the camper bottom. Removed the existing screws, used some longer screws and washers to shim out the track.
The photo with the bike on it is from last November 3rd in Rhinelander, Wisconsin

 

[rustytinbender]

I have since modified my bike hanging setup to carry a fat tire bike. These photos are from March 22nd when I was rear ended on the freeway in Salt Lake City. My hitch extension/step saved my truck and camper form extensive damage. I am going to start a new post to show the heavy duty hitch extension/step/ camper protector that I just built.

 

[rustytinbender]

One more post, the fork mount I used you can put a lock through, just search for:

Delta-Cycle-Hitch-Locking-Mount

 

[thewwkayaker]

I don't think they make a 15mm axle fork lock. Limited to the 9mm axle.

 

[Kokopelli]

From another post on this topic - here is a locking fork for 15mm axle:
https://www.rei.com/product/116602/rocky-mounts-drive-shaft-hm-truck-bed-bike-mount

 

[thewwkayaker]

I can't see how that would work - the 15mm axle can still be unscrewed - maybe requiring more force but still doable. Nothing prevents the axle from turning. The axle itself would need to be locked so it can't turn. Drill a hole thru the axle handle and put a u-bolt next to it then use a small lock to lock the handle would work - but small locks aren't very strong. I think the only safe thing (other than hiding it in the camper itself) is to use the bike chains and special bike locks and lock it to the hitch.

 

[coloradoclimber97]

I can't see how that would work - the 15mm axle can still be unscrewed - maybe requiring more force but still doable.

I have this mount and the axle doesn't turn once it's locked down - even with force. I was skeptical of the locking mechanism when I purchased it, but it does work securing the bike to the rack.

 

[thewwkayaker]

I have this mount and the axle doesn't turn once it's locked down - even with force. I was skeptical of the locking mechanism when I purchased it, but it does work securing the bike to the rack.

Good to know thanx

 

[thewwkayaker]

Just wanted to say that the fork mounted rack on the camper is bomber! The bike(s) don't move at all. I have to losen the stems to rotate the handlebars inward - should maybe have mounted the mount sideways but it's not a big deal. A strap thru the hitch pull the wheel into the camper side (which has a wooden bumper). Did some rougher roads and the bikes didn't flinch! Since the backwheel is at the height of the truck bumper I don't have to worry about hitting the bike wheel (racks and throwing the bike over the tailgate have on big waterbars caused the bike wheel to hit the ground!) Can easily get into the camper anytime. I put the wheels on the roof with a strap. Use a long cable and lock for a quick lock otherwise they go inside the camper.

Thanx for the ideas!

 

[pghjon]

Just wanted to say that the fork mounted rack on the camper is bomber! The bike(s) don't move at all. I have to losen the stems to rotate the handlebars inward - should maybe have mounted the mount sideways but it's not a big deal. A strap thru the hitch pull the wheel into the camper side (which has a wooden bumper). Did some rougher roads and the bikes didn't flinch! Since the backwheel is at the height of the truck bumper I don't have to worry about hitting the bike wheel (racks and throwing the bike over the tailgate have on big waterbars caused the bike wheel to hit the ground!) Can easily get into the camper anytime. I put the wheels on the roof with a strap. Use a long cable and lock for a quick lock otherwise they go inside the camper.

Thanx for the ideas!

Are you supporting the frame in some way besides just attaching it by way of the fork? if not, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you are going to have a failure in that headtube sooner or later. That's gotta be a lot of repetitive force on the tube especially when traveling down unimproved roads. If it were me I would figure out a way to attach the bike in at least one other spot.