RockyMounts BackStage 20k Mile Durability Review // Part 1 // Full-Time Truck Camping

[@mikeburrows2430]

if you could have a welded upright on your hitch extension to the truck,possibly square tubing into square tubing with a pin for removal,that would take away the up and down movement of the rack,would solve much less rocking.?

[@markczachowski3942]

Great information. I believe you can reduce some of the wear on the rack by reducing the weight of each bike. My ebike weighs more so to make loading easier I remove the battery from the bike. Also, thanks for the idea of shopping West-marine, I need an odd u-bolt for my mother in law’s 80 year old sickle mower. I will have to check them out.

[@corydriver7634]

I’d take it to a fabrication/machine shop while the bikes are loaded on it, show them what the problem is and what you want to do. They should be able to weld it up and come up with a permanent fix. I’d also consider some additional brackets between the hitch extension and the camper number.

[@Stonyboot]

To my surprise, the u-bolts have prevented any additional damage. I also added some shims to tighten up the hitch. At some point, I’ll find an appropriate hitch tightener, but it’s working well for now. If the degradation continues, I’ll look for a fabricator to fix it up properly.

[@misterrc51]

@@Stonyboot , try using some strap and pull up the rack and give it some help, I did it on my bike rack with extensions and you can see less movement.

[@sonofagreatsouthernland]

Great indepth review even though it wasn't happy ending YT calls for. Best of luck!!

[@Stonyboot]

Thanks! Buried in another video, the bike rack met it’s final demise. After 2.5 years and 60k miles, it finally got to the point that it wasn’t worth fixing. If that rack was used like normal, it would last decades!

[@sonofagreatsouthernland]

@@Stonyboot I'm starting the process of finding one...another car another set of criteria to work around.

[@recreationventuring]

I have a Rockymounts Monorail bike rack with a Curt 18" hitch extender on my camper. Thank you for the video I now know to keep an eye on the rail mounts.

[@Stonyboot]

Thanks for watching! Hopefully, you won’t have any troubles. I’m going to add some chains and build a bracket to stabilize the bikes. We still love the bike rack, it works so well!!

[@NZbluesky]

Thankyou for this video! Greetings from NZ. I purchased one of these for use on a small bus / motor home and Also to use on a Jeep JK. For 10 years I used a Fiama on the front of a bus and wanted to change because of wind drag with the bikes up front. When I first got the Rockymount I was thrilled until I looked at that exact issue you are having. After multiple emails back to USA manufacturer they said this is all normal. I got thinking well where we live and within in NZ we dont have flat straight roads. SO I have not used that rack until now. [nearly 2 years] Its been sitting there last year partly because of Covid. How ever I have modified The Bike rack and put Stainless eye bolts theough where the wheel arrchers pivot with the idea of strapping them up to the vehicle body. I seem to notice just that the whole bike rack contraption rocked and given time it would fracture and after seeing your video I was stunned to see a different part fracture than I thought would go first!? I also removed the main pivot bolt and replaced that with high tensile and Huge Flat washers each side and also shims inside that hinge pivot area to remove any minute movement.I also fitted a flat packer between the flat 2 surfaces where the large blue handle is as I didnt get one of those? Also put a machined [timber shim] flat packer between both swing arms housing which allowed any tiny movements to diminsh. [at this moment this is simply gaffa taped on between the 2 swing arms]There are a few other things I have done to hold it firm against the JK Jeep spare. Its a work in progress. Thanks for the U-Bolts idea & and your Video. NZdave

[@Stonyboot]

Awesome comment! Thanks for saying hi :) NZ is one of my dream destinations, such a beautiful country! I also have plans to put in some eye bolts to use as a anchor to tension the bikes to stop the movement. I have found a couple other tricks using a strap to hold the bikes together. This keeps them from moving independently and has pretty much stopped the cracking. The U-Bolts have also done their job! Only time will tell, but I think we are all set for many more miles. Can you explain in greater detail what you had crack? I'm having trouble visualizing what happened. Thanks!

[@NZbluesky]

@@Stonyboot Hi there. I have re-read my 1st remarks and cant find where I said crack? I have no cracking. With regards to movement between bikes I now use a Fiamma bike part so I can easily quickly lock the 2 bikes at an exact distance between each other.. In other words where you said you use a belt. And to stop the rocking back and forth towards the vehicle I also use a Fiamma bike part. How would I describe those... The Fiamma bike parts are an accessory with either a slight or larger bend in them. [you can get them in different lengths] They have a loop on one end and a circular round clamp at the other end. I clamp it to the rear wheel of the Jeep which has a strop and it. .... The sideways movement where you fitted the U bolts issue, I havent figured that out yet but mine is 80% less than yours. [I dont need to use a hitch extension] I hope this has helped a little. Regards

[@Stonyboot]

I was wrong. I read fracture as crack. What model is the Fiama?

[@NZbluesky]

@@Stonyboot here is the link to what I have used but there are other which are longer. www.rvsupercentre.co.nz/fiamma-bike-block-pro-support-arm-1-black

[@Stonyboot]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@Steveski70]

Hi I have idea for you that will support your bike rack. Think suspension bridge. Make extension tubing from your roof rack so it sticks out about 12” pass your camper towards back. Mount pe rmanent steel line 1/4 or 5/16 diam that reaches all the way down to the end corners of your bike rack. You could just install headed screw in bike racks and loop at the end of line will hook on it. In the middle of steel line install treaded line tensioner so you can adjust line tension, this line will stretch after a while as well. So during driving line will reduce that up and down sway and will not stress that much of the other bike rack components. Good luck!

[@Stonyboot]

Thank you for that idea. I’ll look around the bike rack and see what I can come up with!

[@hamrobert1469]

Hello Scott, I decided to start watching your video's from the beginning. Have you thought of trying a heavy nylon strap around the outer part of rack and bikes and then make an attachment point at the top of camper maybe by he door. Keeping the attachment point in a location to allow the door to still open of course. This may stop the bouncing affect.

[@Stonyboot]

Funny that you leave this comment now. I have someone coming to pickup my bike and bike rack tomorrow. We have plans for a whole new setup this summer. For now, I’m going to ditch my bike and rack and wait until we can assemble the next iteration. I was able to stop the bouncing with some turn buckles. I just never made a video about it

[@ConsidertheWonders]

Pretty handy road fix there. We keep looking for something for our bikes but haven’t landed on anything yet. Probably one of the harder decisions. Good job y’all 👍

[@Stonyboot]

Thank you. And I agree, it is one of the harder problems to solve. Are you leaning toward anything yet?

[@ConsidertheWonders]

Stonyboot no particular product. We have a camper and I’m not a fan of the weight on that back bumper unless I reinforce the bumper. Maybe in the front of the camper over the propane but those systems are a hassle (IMO). Ideally get rid of the bakflip on the bed and replace with a roll cover then maybe a bike rack over the bed of the truck. Still have access and have bike storage...but $$$$

[@Stonyboot]

@@ConsidertheWonders The number of options out there are mind boggling! Of course, there are ways to solve these problems, but they usually end up being far to much money for our tastes. We wanted to take a hybrid approach where we start with a good product, then modify it to suite our needs. We had bikes mounted to our travel trailer bumper and it held up very well. I made sure the bumper was a fully welded version and kept an eye on it. However, those bikes were really lightweight in comparison to what we have now. Good luck with your search!

[@stuh2]

I think if you also ran a cable from the hitch to the camper bumper , it would take a LOT of the wobble out. There is probably a few other ways to help with the strain. Maybe even a flexible strap from the rack to the ladder. I tried to paste a pic of where to attach it but there was no option.

[@Stonyboot]

I have avoided attaching anything from the bike rack to the camper for several reasons. For now, it's working quite well. I made a few modifications that have pretty much solved the issues. I'll probably make an update video in the coming months. Thanks for the ideas 😁

[@richardseelye9938]

I just bought the same rack. I purchased folding handlebars for my ebike. That gave me the clearance I needed so that I did not need to purchase the extension. I have a sprinter so I did not need to stretch the rack back as far. I just had to keep it from smashing through the back window on bad roads and the foldable handlebars seems to have solved the problem.

[@Stonyboot]

Thanks for dropping by! The main reason for our extension is the overhang of the camper. It's common with Truck Campers. The rack has held up well since I made this video, I did some simple things to tighten up the hitch extension and prevent movement. At some point I'll make an update video, but for now, I'm putting some miles on it to see how it goes. Rocky Mounts products are awesome! Super impressed with their quality!

[@m3pedro]

Maybe instead of the ubolts....stop by and welding shop you might see along your travels and have them weld that seam.....will be much stronger and maybe more permanent. Also These shops are very creative and I imagine (as a fabricator myself) I could easily weld a few gussets here and there and make your rack much stiffer. something to think about

[@Stonyboot]

My thought were exactly the same thing. This approach was more of a temporary fix that fits the budget. I’ll be heading back towards home and will visit a friend with a welder. If I had my old shop (sold it) I would have fixed it up in no time. It’s tough doing things on the road with basic tools. After some thought and using the camera to get some different angles, I’m pretty sure I know the root cause and will be able to fix it long term. Either way, the existing cross beams need some love and a new plate welded on.

[@travt3975]

If possible considering moving the bikes up to the front of the truck with a aftermarket bumper and step hitch bolted to it or add a hitch to the front. Ditch the swing gate, and the extension.

[@Stonyboot]

I do have the option to put the bikes on the front, however, it creates so many additional issues. The bike covers will wear out quickly, it blocks the headlights and limits my off-road visibility. The bike rack on the rear is also a headache, but is less of a problem than being in the front. The bikes are e-bikes and need to have a cover and stay locked. We also drive at night frequently, so I just haven't found a good way to put them out front.

[@nevysadventuresllc9074]

You should find a fabricator and bring it to them and tell and show them what exactly is going on to see what they come up with. I am assuming they can reinforce it.

[@Stonyboot]

If it get's to that point, I'll just design a better option. For now, it's holding up great with the C-Clamp fix. It's working better than I ever expected!

[@chrisfolta8870]

get a TorkLift SuperHitch and a SuperTruss with the diagonal chains.

[@Stonyboot]

I thought about it, but... $$$. It's been working very well after a few changes I made. I'll also be adding chains soon.

[@jacktyler7599]

There are some very clever comments below. But Scott, is it possible there's a bigger root cause here? You've invested much effort and impressive creativity in order to pack 5 quarts of stuff into and around your Cirrus' gallon container. But my goodness, the weight...the laundry line of things hanging off everywhere...and likely some bulging lockers inside, too. To the bystander, it looks like you chose a camper for boondocking access but desire the lifestyle and accessories of a 5th wheel. Would a little Swedish Death Cleaning perhaps simplify your lives, your camper, improve your mpg, and aid your truck's suspension? Not being critical, just questioning what I'm seeing.

[@Stonyboot]

I understand what your saying. However, even with a 5th wheel, some kind of bike rack is still needed. The extension makes things a little tricky. 10,000 miles after this video was made, the bike rack is holding up very well! Those little U-Bolts seem to have fixed the problem!!

[@TF856]

I know that in some states like California if you have something sticking out 3 ft past the front bumper you have to have it flagged and four feet behind the back bumper you have to have it flagged.

[@Stonyboot]

That’s a good point. I do have reflective stickers as well as reflective markings on the bike cover. I’ll have to check to see if they are still showing properly after all these miles. Thanks for the tip.

[@orbea4]

Thanks for the review. Great video and composition of your story. Considering what that rack has been through, Rocky Mounts is an awesome bike for 99% of us. Have you considered a 1Up 2" Super Duty as a replacement. The rack is rated at 75 lbs per bike times two positions.

[@Stonyboot]

Thanks! The 1Up is on my radar. This rack is still holding up, but I have a new design in mind if it eventually fails beyond repair. The 1Up racks are really nice!

[@matthoneycutt7428]

You're likely very aware of this but I think the biggest thing that would help you would be a truss hitch (double stacked hitch). They're not inexpensive but should take out a lot of the pogo stick effect on the bike rack.

[@Stonyboot]

I agree completely. Cost is the obstacle for that right now. I’m going to have an update video about the bike rack in the coming weeks. it’s held up well, but is now staring to have more problems. I’m going to have a friend weld up some areas and then work on a replacement rack that should last much much longer. I may just use chains or cables to tension the existing extension to take the bounce out. There is always something to fix :)

[@TigerRagFishingTeam]

@@Stonyboot that's what I did to my extension. 2 cables to the bumper plate ball mount above the actual receiver hitch. Truss mount can be fabricated - weld another hitch below your current hitch - source it from a junk yard or craigslist. Get another extension and have the fabricator set it up for you.

[@lonniealbury6897]

Disappointing for all the money these racks cost, thanks for posting this still deciding which one to buy

[@Stonyboot]

Thanks for watching. I haven't posted an update yet, but the rack isn't doing well. Granted, I'm using it full time and its attached to an extension. It's a really extreme use case. I have a different approach to take when I go for a replacement. For now, I'm going to weld it in some places and hope it lasts a few more months. I'm leaning towards 1up, but have not made a solid decision yet.

[@ThatsRigginBaby]

I never thought about the bumps with it. I went CHEAP. Harbor freight $32 lol!

[@Stonyboot]

Sometimes cheap works!!! We are still looking for a "perfect" solution.

[@rickysea3459]

great channel

[@Stonyboot]

Thank you, we are trying to improve with every video ;-D

[@dfleischbein]

Just get a hitch receiver welded to the camper bumper, then you won’t need an extension.

[@Stonyboot]

I looked into that, the structure wouldn't support it without major modifications. Our bike rack is doing pretty well, lots of wear and tear, but I've got most of the problems solved. Next rig will be a diferent setup.

[@rickysea3459]

great. vid. did u use drone which one

[@Stonyboot]

Yes, its a Mavic 2 Pro! I love it!

[@JayA-pk9tn]

Have you looked into a front hitch and mounting the rack in front? Then you wouldn’t need an extension.

[@Stonyboot]

Yes defiantly! I'm all set up for it if i'm in a pinch. However, it block my headlights and visibility too much to be practical. It would also destroy our bike cover very quickly. The repairs I made in the video have held up extremely well, I haven't had any additional issues. If I do, I'll be looking at a different way to haul a bike.

[@ChronicSurfer]

I just installed this on the back of my Lance 990, and going to buy the u-bolts right away to help with stress. I also need to figure out a new solution for my step as it won't fold down. What type of step do you have?

[@sebmeunier3528]

Awesome video! We're trying to decide between the Thule Easyfold and this one to put at the back of our truck (no extension) and I'm leaning towards the RockyMountain. The only downside I can see is I'll have to remove the front fender on my e-bike. One question for you: you mention 2 bike covers in your description, the Oxford XXL and the Swagman. Are you using both or only one now and if so, which one? Would you still recommend it/them today?

[@Stonyboot]

Exactly! We removed my (Sasha’s) front fender, since the clamp actually broke it. And we use both covers at the same time! The oxford cover is waterproof, but short and it goes on top of our bikes to protect it from rain. And then we use swagman cover to protect our bikes from the road slime and make sure that our Oxford cover doesn’t fly away. Both covers have been working great so far, although Swagman got a little bit more abuse from being exposed all the time. The zipper is getting stiffer and we just have to lubricate it occasionally. It’s definitely not a perfect system, but it’s been working for us!

[@sebmeunier3528]

@@Stonyboot Thanks! I already ordered the RockyMounts. Your link to the swagman shows an unavailable item, I found another one but for 110$, so for now and for 20 bucks I'll give a try with just the Oxford ;)

[@Stonyboot]

Thanks for letting me know. I’ll review that link and fix it.

[@sebmeunier3528]

@@Stonyboot so, the D day arrived and we're gone with our bikes. An issue we have with the rack is that the hitch pin is too short for our 3'' + sleeves receiver.... Or your receiver is a 2'' thanks to your extension? The oxford is definitely not adapted to our bikes, mine is way too tall

[@Stonyboot]

I had to buy a 3 inch hitch pin and I use an adapter too. The factory hitch is 3” and comes with a reducer. It’s always the details the get ya.

[@guywood67]

Would there be some way of mounting a shock absorber between the rack and the truck to stop the back and forth motion?

[@Stonyboot]

I've solved the issues with some braces and a simple ratchet strap. I haven't made a video about it yet though. I have some new plans coming soon and don't want to over engineer something that will be replaced. 50k miles and its still holding up with a couple welds and other fixes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJeUoIqXr9trerc

[@AmericaBound]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Stonyboot]

Thank you ❤️

[@colonel_angus]

I’m sure you did your research, but I’ve got a Thule. What made you decide to go with Rocky Mounts?

[@Stonyboot]

I had a Thule Apex XT Swing 4 and it broke within about 15 of installation. It didn’t swing wide enough to clear the side of the camper and The other issue was the way it held the bikes. It wouldn’t handle both of our bikes due to different frame geometries. I did a ton of reading and found what I was looking for with RockyMounts. It swings wider, supports the bike from the bottom and accommodates fat tires. Their build quality also seemed to be much better. Aside from the fatigue cracks, which is expected with a hitch extension, it’s held up well for the last 33k miles.

[@041319701988]

I would love to do what you're doing.

[@Stonyboot]

What would be your ideal goal? What do you want to do?

[@041319701988]

@@Stonyboot I would love to travel...but I also want to have a sense of home (Like a RV or camper). It would also be awesome to have some financial freedom. Sadly, I work to live because so many talk about medical insurance and retirement. I can't see giving up a steady income 🤔

[@Stonyboot]

@@041319701988 We liked having our "home on wheels", it gives us a sense of consistency that we wouldn't get staying at hotels or AirBNBs. We planned and saved for years to accomplish this, we are still trying to figure out the financial side of things, but we are making progress! Insurance was a hard thing to solve, however, we were able to find good insurance at an affordable price. I'd be happy share some of what we did to make it all work. Feel free to contact us through our Instagram, Facebook or email. You can find contact info on our website www.stonyboot.com/contact/ The insurance piece will vary from state to state, but there are lots of great options!

[@jeffreykeeran654]

There are organizations that offer on site and overnight employment for 6 weeks and a couple can earn $15,000 stocking for Walmart and moving aisles.

[@Stonyboot]

I've never heard of that! Do you have a name or something specific I can search for to find the information you are talking about?

[@rayng4336]

I would tie 2 cords on each end of the bike rack and secure it to the roof of your camper really tort.

[@Stonyboot]

I did consider this, but I don’t want the stress transferred to the camper. I was able to use some steel shims to tighten up the extension and it’s helped a lot. Also, those simple u-Bolts have helped up very well. No additional cracking as of now. It’s still a work in progress 😁

[@rayng4336]

@@Stonyboot if your swing rack eventually breaks, would you consider getting another? It is convenient, but the weight and extension issue is a zero sum game.

[@Stonyboot]

The swing portion is fine, it was just the cross braces cracking from the front to back motion. I would buy another, however, I have another design in my head to solve all the issues and probably last forever. But, I’ll let this existing setup play out as long as possible. Overall build quality of the RockyMounts rack is awesome!

[@kingair350]

what kind of bikes do you have

[@Stonyboot]

I (Scott) have a BH Big Bud Pro fat tire E-Bike. Sasha has an iZip cross over bike, I forget the model number. They have been great!

[@eltinygarcia7358]

I think she wants to call sancho....lol!!!!

[@Stonyboot]

😂

[@alansarrol4803]

bruh a 20” extension is the only reason this thing is failing on you

[@shwndh]

Dude! That rack is being to the limit! I would get everything welded and remove all slop. The U-bolts are a great idea but the plate needs to be thicker and rewelded. But really, you need a stronger rack like the Thule T2 Pro or Classic.

[@Stonyboot]

We just did an update video about the rack. I welded up some areas and have some other plans to take out the slop with chains. We might eventually just skip the bikes since it keeps us shorter and it’s one less thing to think of. I’d miss them, but we don’t ride too much anymore.

[@donmeyers3090]

Ok, I can't get through this whole video. I made it about half way and just have to beg the question (because it's driving me nuts) - Why the hell don't you just put on a front mount trailer hitch and put the bikes in the front? I put a front hitch on my F350 and it was cheap, easy and built like a tank. SURELY, it would solve all your problems.

[@Stonyboot]

Thanks for the comment. It’s an option, we have a front hitch and might try it out. A few reasons prevent me from going that direction. 1. Visibility and blocking the headlights. 2. The bike covers won’t hold up for very long, I have looked at the spandex style that seem to last longer, but they are not water proof. 3. Engine cooling may or may not be a problem. I suspect that it will be fine. We found a nice place to call for a few days. I’m going to take it all apart and experiment with the options. My biggest issue is visibility, but it might work out fine. Time to test it out!

[@m3pedro]

@@Stonyboot I carry my dirt bike (Honda 450) on my front hitch and havnt had issues with cooling or vis......FYI

[@Stonyboot]

@@m3pedro what about headlights and night driving?

[@MTB_Rider_96]

When I do X-Country trips, I always use several bungee cords to dampen out the movements of the bike rack. Problem Solved. Also, the weight of ebikes is at least 50% of the problem - or maybe having heavy ebikes is more like 80% of the problem! I question why young healthy people would even consider ebikes. Do yourselves a huge favor and get real, old-fashion, human powered bikes. Get way more exercise and drop 1/2 the weight. No, I'm not Anti-Ebike. Not at all. Ebikes have their place - like a urban commuter bikes and for elderly folks (like 75 or older), and for people with physical problems. But for the young and healthy - I don't get why you would choose an ebike.

[@Stonyboot]

I have since solved the last bit of movement with some turnbuckles and a ratchet strap, bungees didn't provide the strength I needed. E-bikes allow us to do more than we could without. I spent 20 years riding regular mountain bikes, having some extra power has been a game changer. Keep in mind, you can ride the bikes without assistance. When I want to venture up a steep hill, that would normally require me to walk/push the bike. I can easily climb up and throughly enjoy the process. You don't have to get why we chose e-bikes, that wasn't the point of the video. Both bikes are under the rated capacity for the rack and the real issue is the hitch extension. Plain old mechanics is the problem, not the choice of bike.

[@johnonthespot6227]

I would never have imagined carrying bikes would be this complicated!!!

[@Stonyboot]

We didn't expect it to be so complicated either. With an unlimited budget, we could easily solve the problem. But we are trying to find out own inexpensive way to solve our quandry!

[@PERKO1966]

If you still have not got it fixed, I could suggest these. An Australian company that I believe now has an office in America. Extreme heavy duty bike carrier racknroll.com.au/product/rack-n-roll-ebike-carrier/ Hope it helps

[@Stonyboot]

Thank you! I’ll check them out and see what they offer. I love seeing new products to solve problems 😁

[@PERKO1966]

@@Stonyboot Love to hear what you do. Good luck

[@Stonyboot]

I’ll put out a video when I get some kind of solution. Still searching!

[@user-jz9yh3qi4u]

Wht p general

[@Stonyboot]

We’re not sure what this means