Bike rack for recumbent e-Trike ,,, My solution

[michaelmac]

I had a real challenge because the rack was on the back of my RV and had to be able to swing , so we could open the back doors of the van.
A picture being worth a thoudand words ,,,,here's what I did

 

[Art Deco]

I had a real challenge because the rack was on the back of my RV and had to be able to swing , so we could open the back doors of the van.
A picture being worth a thoudand words ,,,,here's what I did

Your picture didn't post. Maybe new members can't post pics immediately? Please try again after a few text posts, I would like to see what you have, since I have a Sprinter conversion.

 

[michaelmac]

see if this works
Don't know why they have me as a new member ... been on for years
m

 

[Art Deco]

Got it that time. Did you build the rack or modify one or ...

 

[michaelmac]

I modifed a rocky mount swing away rack ... thinking it through was the hardest part. I like working with PVC easy on the bikes and light. The part that was hardest to find/.figure out was the bumper hitch adapters that form the slide supports for the front tires.

 

[Art Deco]

Is the conventional bike riding on a PVC or a metal frame? Looks like a lot of weight for plastic.

 

[michaelmac]

Hi
The 2 wheeled bike is on the rack it self. In the pic you can just see the black cup like thing that the front tire sits on, most of the weight of the trike is on rhe second rail of the bike rack ,,,,as the rack was/is designed for. And a bit of the trike weight is on the back bumper, the2 wheeled bike is at 48 lbs without the battery and the trike is 54 lbs without the bat. ... soo we're under the 60 per bike ,,,,even with adding a bit of weight wiht he mod.
But from what I understsnd adding that much weight that far back can effect the handling. althought I don't think we are near toung weight?
We did weight out the whole rig with a full load ,water ,food , tools bikes ,us and we are under gross weight. We have put about 3k miles on in this Conf. and everthing seem OK,
What do you think?
Take care, be safe , have some fun
Michael

 

[Art Deco]

I don't know enough yet to have many thoughts. Just started looking at racks and found this thread helpful...

eBike Storage on an RV Motorhome

My thought is this thing looks like an expensive pain in the rear. I carry a bike or two on the rear of my class A and I use a good rack (1Up USA), a custom made to fit bike cover, and good locks. Never had a problem. Do you drive with the cover on? Or just at the campground?

electricbikereview.com

 

[rich c]

Cardboard? A second issue is the sunlight attacking the PVC and making it brittle. PVC and UV do not play well together. Keep it on all the time and sooner than latter it will shatter. One big pothole in a few months and that outside bike mounted on the cantilevered PVC is on the street. Maybe it's the camera angle, but the mid drive on the trike looks crooked. Is there a twist in the boom?

 

[michaelmac]

If you have 2 wheeled bikes then you would not need to Modify. I just did the mod. so I could carry my trike , I just could not find a bike rack out there that met my need . No we don't cover the bike , we do cover the motors and electric parts. I dont like all that flapping around back there . Not sure this would work at all on a class A

 

[michaelmac]

Cardboard? A second issue is the sunlight attacking the PVC and making it brittle. PVC and UV do not play well together. Keep it on all the time and sooner than latter it will shatter. One big pothole in a few months and that outside bike mounted on the cantilevered PVC is on the street.

 

[rich c]

see if this works
Don't know why they have me as a new member ... been on for years
m

Says you joined on May 2019, with 24 messages. Average message rate of once a month must keep you in the new category. Just guessing.

 

[J.R.]

I had a real challenge because the rack was on the back of my RV and had to be able to swing , so we could open the back doors of the van.
A picture being worth a thoudand words ,,,,here's what I did

View attachment 85987

As Rich said the sun will start to degrade the pvc pipe pretty fast. My industry used a lot of pvc, we used an exterior grade pvc that has UV protection added to the extrusion.

Weather-Resistant PVC Tubing | Durable PVC Pipes

Weather-resistant PVC pipes from Crescent Plastics withstand outdoor environments like patio furniture or deck railing without sacrificing quality or versatility.

www.crescentplastics.com

What Are the Effects of Sunlight on PVC?

You wouldn\'t believe some of the crazy things people are making out of PVC these days. We are always amused at new creative uses for it, and sometimes that leads to unexpected questions about using PVC pipe and fittings. Whether you find yourself using PVC for recreation or for plumbing and...

www.commercial-industrial-supply.com

Something as simple as an exterior bonding primer (PPG Gripper) and a quality exterior latex paint (they protect against UV) would help.

 

[michaelmac]

rich c ... must be because I'm sort of in-active.
Did I answer your cardboard Q. ///?
take care
m

 

[michaelmac]

J,r, ... tanks I'll keep that in mind for trplacement.
Thanks
m