Re: [A/S] how do you carry bikes?

[NotoriousBuz@xxxxxxx]

Yes, this is a question right up there with the meaning of life. Depending on 
the weight of your bikes, how you feel about wrestling with them, rental at 
the destination site, vehicle you own, how much faith you have with certain 
type of carriers, the joy of bicycling can be reduced to an additional pain 
in the keester. Before we switched to airstreaming I thought after 10 years 
of roof racks, bumper mounts, untold $ custom manufacturing a rack for the 
pop up....my prayers were answered. Reese came up with a 4 bike rack that 
also had a hitch. With that, and the rack on the pop up carrying 5 bikes, and 
a canoe was almost a snap. Unfortunately (as far as bike carrying goes) one 
year later we purchased our A/S. Now back to square one. Front mounted racks 
are flimsy and tend to throw off the weight distribution, and I feel cut back 
on the all important cooling. Roof racks of good quality and high $ will 
carry bikes safely and have locking features to help keep thieves at bay. 
Only problem is getting them on top of a Suburban or SUV especially a 2500 or 
heavier suspension package requires a ladder or levitation. You are right 
bikes on the bumper of an A/S that has droop not a good idea. Even if it has 
been corrected I have learned the years in that time period are not designed 
for the extra weight, and seven bikes...... Some times we will rent depending 
where we go, yet you do miss them around the camp. Now to answer your 
question, I have always had full sized vans since the mid 70's. With the ease 
of pulling the front wheels from them I can fit 5 bikes in easily with room 
for additional items. Another solution would be a pick up with a crew cab, 
(I'm assuming with 7 bikes you have plenty of bodies to fill them). I know of 
some that put their bikes in the trailer, not my first choice they tend to 
bang around, damage things, and when you stop along the road for a break you 
have to crawl over bikes. Just a side note, at the Region 2 rally a fellow 
driving a Ram pu with a Cummins pulling a 34 ft slide out, drove a full dress 
Harley up into his truck bed that had a cap on it, plus carried 2 bicycles. 
All done with the precision of a surgeon.  So anything is posable. 

J.L.Dietz  #4361