Adding Bike Rack on a R-Pod 202

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   An owner of a 2022 R-Pod 202 asked me at the Traverse City Rally whether or not he could put a bike rack on the rear of his unit.  I told him to either contact FR or the dealer he purchased it from and get it in writing that if they say he can.  Upon inspection it appears FR has done its homework and has made major upgrades in this area.  The side rails are much beefier and stout and the rear bumper is a hefty 4 x 4 inch piece of steel that is directly welded to the side rails.  Does anyone have experience and or advice on this?  Thank you.

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jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3237	Post Options Post Reply Quote jato Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Adding Bike Rack on a R-Pod 202 Posted: 20 Jun 2022 at 4:39am
	An owner of a 2022 R-Pod 202 asked me at the Traverse City Rally whether or not he could put a bike rack on the rear of his unit. I told him to either contact FR or the dealer he purchased it from and get it in writing that if they say he can. Upon inspection it appears FR has done its homework and has made major upgrades in this area. The side rails are much beefier and stout and the rear bumper is a hefty 4 x 4 inch piece of steel that is directly welded to the side rails. Does anyone have experience and or advice on this? Thank you.
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Post Options Post Reply Quote offgrid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 2022 at 6:09am
	The new big trailers are more heavily constructed but also need to be because they weigh more. So I have no idea what the additional rear load capacity might be on the big trailers but I think your suggestion was the right one, FR should have a spec for that.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Colt Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 16 Nov 2019 Online Status: Offline Posts: 383	Post Options Post Reply Quote Colt Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 10:29am
	Motion at the rear is pretty dramatic and bad for bicycles. My brother beat up two new $1000 bikes, but won't move to a tongue mount, or strap them inside.
	John '16 R-Pod 180

Tars Tarkas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tars Tarkas Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 3:29pm
	Checking with FR is the best bet, but even with a heavier duty frame there's still going to be a lot of bouncing on the back, especially with a two-wheel trailer. (Is the 202 two wheels?) And it may depend a lot on the bikes. One e-bike can easily weigh 70 pounds. And even a regular bike can easily cost $1000. There aren't a lot of easy options but I'd sure want to try to figure out something else. TT
	2010 176 FJ Cruiser

BuffaloRP178 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 03 Feb 2022 Location: Buffalo, MN Online Status: Offline Posts: 13	Post Options Post Reply Quote BuffaloRP178 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 06 Jul 2022 at 1:46pm
	We opted for a tail gate pad for our 2013 F150. Way too much movement way back there on our 2014 RP-178 & I'm just not comfortable with the 1 1/4" receiver hitch & not enough steel to hold it even though it's rated for 150lbs.

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Post Options Post Reply Quote offgrid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 06 Jul 2022 at 5:09pm
	Also hanging a lot of weight way at the rear is going to put more stress on the lightweight trailer frame which will bend at the axle attachment if it fails. That is the weakest point because the torsion axle is also putting bending stress on that point when it rotates up after hitting a bump. There have been a couple of frame failures at that location reported recently. And another reason not to do it is it will reduce weight back at the other end on the teeter totter (the tongue) increasing the likelihood of getting into a trailer sway situation. So for all these reasons just about anywhere else is better than the rear of an rpod for hanging a bike.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold