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Old 05-01-2014, 07:31 AM   #1
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bicycle storage

Our daughter recently bought a 2015 ST 270 BH fifth wheel. Because her truck has a short box, she had a sliding hitch installed. This effectively gives her no storage space in the box of the truck.

The model she purchased had the option of an outside kitchen or storage, and she chose storage. Unfortunately, there is no room for bicycles in this compartment. Due to the bathroom being in the rear, there is no basement storage under the front either. This model of trailer does not come with a ladder.

Any ideas on how to transport bicycles in this type of configuration? She has two kids so that means three bikes.
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Old 05-01-2014, 07:42 AM   #2
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Loneoak,

what's the tow vehicle?

That model is an ultralite, so rear bumper mount voids your frame warranty. The reason no ladder is because it is not a walkable roof. It's a fantastic trailer, one of, if the, lightest of its size on the market.

Not a fifth wheel guy, so don't know all the gadgets out there to mount the bike other than the ladder mount.
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Old 05-01-2014, 07:55 AM   #3
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It is a Ford F-150 Eco Boost with towing package.
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Old 05-01-2014, 08:10 AM   #4
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Hmm. nice truck!

There are a few other forum members in the Ecoboost club with 5th wheels who can also chime in, but I think your daughter is maxxed out on weight to do much else.

You might want to ping Mark (mark5w).

He tows a 5ver with the Ecoboost and may have ideas. He's posted some great advice.
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Old 05-01-2014, 08:15 AM   #5
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you could put the dinette table down and lay the bikes on it..after you put something like a carpet ,cardboard or old blanket over the cushions to keep them clean. Could store cardboard behind couch while camping.
Take the left pedal off and loosen and turn handle bars so bottom bike will lay flat. Worked for me on some campers.
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Old 05-01-2014, 08:28 AM   #6
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you could put the dinette table down and lay the bikes on it..after you put something like a carpet ,cardboard or old blanket over the cushions to keep them clean. Could store cardboard behind couch while camping.
Take the left pedal off and loosen and turn handle bars so bottom bike will lay flat. Worked for me on some campers.

Great idea Harley,

I didn't want to go there yet since I'm not that familiar with the 5vers, but I've done that in our old TT. Our dinette was in the slide, so only could get kids bikes in there.
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Old 05-01-2014, 08:29 AM   #7
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Loneoak,

I do have folding pedals for kids bikes I bought a few years back. They worked great and created space.
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Old 05-01-2014, 08:45 AM   #8
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Thanks, I will pass this along to her. Her dinette is in a slide. As a matter of fact, there are two slides in the unit, one with the couch and dinette and the other with the fridge & stove. This kinds of negates being able to stand them up. I guess the bed would also work, with appropriate protection.
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Old 05-01-2014, 10:18 AM   #9
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If they are kids bikes, you should be ok.

We had a hybrid trailer and never could get the kids bikes in the trailer. Rented them when we could.

I think not being able to carry the bikes is a small price to pay in order to tow that size of 5th wheel trailer with that truck. Ten years ago if you would of told someone your towing a 28 foot-decked out-2-slide 5th wheeler with a 6 cylinder (gas) truck, they'd laugh.

That is an awesome setup she has. But I'm biased to that truck



Not that I recommend it, but there are posts on RV.net forums where people installed bolt-on front end hitches and bike carriers. The hitch runs 150 bucks for that truck. Be wary though, if you cover your headlights you are 1)being not safe driving at night and 2)going to get ticketed for it.
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Old 05-01-2014, 10:21 AM   #10
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OhioMark, is your truck red? It looks like it. Hers is too. Her truck is a 2011 also.

What does ping mean?
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Old 05-01-2014, 10:22 AM   #11
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Found a snapshot of it..

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Old 05-01-2014, 10:25 AM   #12
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There are hitch mods out there, but you'd need to check clearance and the affect on your warranty.

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Old 05-01-2014, 10:36 AM   #13
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Nope,

Color is called "Golden Bronze Metallic". I call it Brown on an overcast day, Gold on a sunny day, and dirty when it rains.

Sorry about the ping term..Im a computer geek

What I meant is to send him a message. It can be public or personal on the forum.

He is also on the site team, so I guess he's sorta like a "hall monitor" for us kids!

Never met him in person but he is super helpful..and a fellow Ecoboost owner!

He tows a beast of a 5th wheel with the same truck your daughter has...like 34-35 footer.. Ford should make commercials of him towing with that setup.

Heck, I forgot, Lloyd is another site monitor with an ecoboost and big 5ver.. He knows his stuff too.


Guess I need to upgrade to a 5th wheel at some point..
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Old 05-01-2014, 12:01 PM   #14
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Thanks. My daughter upgraded from a TT to 5er because she wanted bigger bunks. She looked at bigger TTs but decided she did not want such a big "footprint". I asked her if she ever considered a 5er and she never had, so I found the floor plan she wanted with the ST. Other 5ers with large bunks were either too heavy for her truck and/or had too much weight in the box. The sliding hitch takes up extra weight in the box so that lessens what kind of trailer you can haul with this truck. (You may want to keep this in mind if you ever decide to go this route.)

She has never backed up a rig with a fifth wheel so tomorrow we are going out to practice for the first time. Should be interesting!
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Old 05-02-2014, 11:42 AM   #15
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I've heard the 5ver is a breeze to backup compared to a TT.

Actually, I found the shorter the trailer, the harder it was to backup.

For what it's worth, I going to install a wireless camera on the back of my trailer. You can get them for around $100 bucks plus installation.

They make portable ones too for around $180.


Seems like that past few weekend trips last summer I was backing into a tight spot at night in the rain. Stress level off the charts when the only thing you see behind you are the side markers.
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Old 05-02-2014, 03:48 PM   #16
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The practice went really well. She was good with the TT so she had to adjust to the difference in a 5er. The main difference in backing a 5er is the time lag between when you turn the steering wheel and the trailer reacts.
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Old 05-04-2014, 08:34 PM   #17
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Another option is installing a roof rack on the truck with bike racks attached to the load bars. I do this with my truck while towing my 5th wheel. Truck roof rack.jpg
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Old 05-05-2014, 06:12 AM   #18
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Has anyone seen an aftermarket bike rack like the Heartland and Jayco?
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Old 05-05-2014, 08:45 AM   #19
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Look at adding a hitch rack. Customer Service said voids frame warranty on Sunset Trail Reserves and Super Lites as of when I called them in April last year.
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Old 05-05-2014, 07:34 PM   #20
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Has anyone seen an aftermarket bike rack like the Heartland and Jayco?
Does that attach to the bumper or the frame somehow?
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