Along with replacing the rivets with bolts can you add some flat steel stock bent to wrap around the bumper and bolt that to the frame?

John

Had a rear mounted bike rack on my '99 Starcraft for 8 years and it worked out well ... "we" went down many a road for a lot of miles.  This rack was for only two adult bikes and I think the weight of the rack and the bikes was something like 92 lbs.  Now, as everybody knows, or should know, that weight has to be compensated to the  forward part of the p'up.  In my case, an extra tongue mounted spare tire and carrying a full 7/gal water container as far forward as it would go did the trick. 

This bike rack was made by Top Line but I understand it is no longer available. One time I had called the factory for a replacement part and talked with a manager there who told me they were about beside themselves with complaints because of people not following the installation instructions.  The rack had to be attached to the main frame rails (not anything else); and the frame had to be the tubular, not the C-channel.

Should also add that not all p'ups lend themselves to this sort of a bike rack, in they are not all that balanced to begin with.  Can't tell you about the Jayco warranty ... Stracraft told me just not to come to them if it screwed up the rear part of the frame, but as for the rest of the warranty ... no problem.

I might also add that the rack was expensive for just carrying two bikes.  Found out later that I could have mounted a bike rack on the front of the TV for almost half the cost of the Top Line, plus carried more bikes.  Anyway, not the first problem and here's a pic ~

[img width=640 height=480]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h226/dww0825/DSCF02422.jpg[/img]

[quote author=Go Big! link=topic=1541.msg12453#msg12453 date=1334068961]
This already is "U" bolted so I'll replace with bolts and see where that puts me.

Dan Why Yikes?  ;D

because RV forums have hundreds of posts about new owners who attach bike racks to the rear bumper, only to see them bouncing on the road in their rear view mirror.
the reality is that ultra-lite trailers, like hybrids, have poorly welded bumpers that are really only good for putting a sewer hose in it.
the spare tire only works because it's up against the rear of the trailer.
remember, your trailer has NO shocks, so bikes held out and away from the bumper, begin bouncing and flexing the rack and the bumper. it won't take long, especially for a rack like yours, to get those cheap welds to fail.
the only successful way to carry bikes, on an ultralight, is to have a receiver welded and braced to the frame and bumper.
but this will void the frame's warranty.
if you contact Jayco, they'll advise you not to carry bikes the way you are. and they won't cover any failures.

Mike,

I keep in mind that the frame under the Jayco and StarCraft HTT's are barely able to support the body that its built on it.  When I looked in to adding a 2in spacer between the frame and the axles StarCraft (Jayco) basically said that any warranty on the frame would be void if any alterations were made.

That being said If i were in your shoes I'd look at other options.  I remember a while back seeing a bike rack that mounted to the front that did not interfear with the bunk door, i don't remember any specifics of it though.