213RBSL-Has anyone installed a Bumper Cargo Carrier? - Dutchmen Owners
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Dutchmen Owners > Dutchmen Technical | Towing, Maintenance and Repairs > Modifications and Upgrades
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-12-2016, 05:06 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Loganville
Posts: 176
Georgia
213RBSL-Has anyone installed a Bumper Cargo Carrier?

Although the 213 has great storage space, I would like to put a 60qt cooler and my Weber 22" Kettle Grill on a bumper mounted cargo carrier. Those big coolers are a pain to put in my truck bed when already connected to the 213 (tailgate won't go down). Plus shifting a little weight to the rear should be a good thing...

Has anyone installed one of these before on a 213? I have read a few horror stories on here about installing something like this and then down the road the bumper metal tears & off comes the bumper. Called Dutchmen, they said I don't know - call the dealer. Called the dealer and they want to weld on a Reese Trailer Receiver for $400-S500 & then you still have to buy the Cargo Carrier?
__________________

__________________
Jeff & Sheila

2016 Aerolite 213RBSL
2013 F150 3.5 Ecoboost Tow Package
gjwinner850 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 05:13 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
snakebitten's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Alvin
Posts: 727
Texas
I don't trust standing on my 213 bumper. That has to be the cheesiest, make believe, "bumper" I have ever had mounted to anything on wheels.

(My teardrop has 5X the bumper. Stainless steel to boot)

OK, finally someone got me to bad-mouth my Aerolite.
I feel a bit queasy now.
On record, I LOVE this thing. But I'd be doing me some serious welding\reworking that whole bumper thing if I was going to use it for actually carrying weight. It's gotta be easy enough to do. Just throw some $cash at it.
__________________

__________________
2017 Aerolite 213 RBSL-ND
2018 Wolf Pup 17RP Limited (Tiny THauler)
2018 F150 King Ranch 3.5 Beast
2003 Ram 2500 Cummins (can't kill this beast)
snakebitten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 07:22 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Loganville
Posts: 176
Georgia
First let me say we love ours too! Not bad mouthing it, just have to say I would NOT have engineered it that way. But heck, I've been saying that at work for 22 years

But yes I was laying underneath the 213 yesterday checking out the bumper and how it mounts to the frame and I don't think this could take 200lbs bouncing on it going down the road!

But like you said I may just have to throw some $$ at it and fix that issue. I will let you know what I come up with.
__________________
Jeff & Sheila

2016 Aerolite 213RBSL
2013 F150 3.5 Ecoboost Tow Package
gjwinner850 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 07:41 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
wildwest450's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sparta
Posts: 1,726
Tennessee
Mines been carrying the spare tire and 2 bicycles and a rack that weigh in excess of 150lbs for many trips. I would think a few hundreds pounds should be fine. Especially if the dealer would weld a hitch to it. Get an aluminum cargo rack and go for it!

I want to say my dealer told me 500lbs, but it's been 2 years and a few coolers full of beer since then.
__________________
2014 Aerolite 213 RBSL
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
wildwest450 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 07:55 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
wildwest450's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sparta
Posts: 1,726
Tennessee
I just went outside and literally jumped up and down on my bumper, it's very solid.
Maybe they went cheap on the newer ones?

I bolted a receiver to the bumper for the bike rack.

__________________
2014 Aerolite 213 RBSL
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
wildwest450 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 08:00 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Loganville
Posts: 176
Georgia
Thanks Much Dawniewest! Bumper looks about the same as the 2016 213 and the brackets and welding looks to be about the same. I took photos, but have to set up a photo account somewhere to post photos here.. I think I will have to give it a try - after I hoist my big butt up there and bounce around a bit :-)

Thanks again!
__________________
Jeff & Sheila

2016 Aerolite 213RBSL
2013 F150 3.5 Ecoboost Tow Package
gjwinner850 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 08:11 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
hddecker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
Quote:
Originally Posted by gjwinner850 View Post
Although the 213 has great storage space, I would like to put a 60qt cooler and my Weber 22" Kettle Grill on a bumper mounted cargo carrier. Those big coolers are a pain to put in my truck bed when already connected to the 213 (tailgate won't go down). Plus shifting a little weight to the rear should be a good thing...

Has anyone installed one of these before on a 213? I have read a few horror stories on here about installing something like this and then down the road the bumper metal tears & off comes the bumper. Called Dutchmen, they said I don't know - call the dealer. Called the dealer and they want to weld on a Reese Trailer Receiver for $400-S500 & then you still have to buy the Cargo Carrier?
Snakebitten and dealer are right. The only thing I will ever put on my bumper is some thing light, not hanging over the tailend and doesn't rattle or bounce.

You don't want to have a stress fracture drop your cooler, bumper and all in front of that guy, that's tailgating you on the Interstate. If you go back far enough in the threads, you'll find a couple of folks have lost their bikes because of them clamp on receivers and the bouncy bike racks.

My approach has developed in a bit different direction, I started out thinking the receiver and cargo carrier. Bought the cargo carrier, went out and found a reciver that I could bolt on at the wreckers. Got everything together one Saturday, was about to start drilling holes and I just didn't like what I was building. So back off to the drawing board (Lazyboy), I mulled it over for months. Finally the answer jumped out, cut off the bumper, cut off the bumper hangers and them stupid scissor jacks. I'm running rails straight off the frame, through the fascia, mounting an A-framed style deck, then hanging the bumper on the end and sinking the clearance lights in the bumper. Got the steel, got the plan, just not sure if I want to weld it on to the frame or bolt it. Get that figured and my buddy with the big boy welder will weld it up.

Let's see if we can get the 411, I can't remember who it is that has something similar, but it can be swivelled up and locked into place. I think it was one of the AZ or CA members that did it.

What ever you decided, save your self to agrivasion and added cost of the dealer. Find yourself and small local frame and axle shop or cargo trailer builder. They will get you set up properly and you won't have to pay the dealer for sub-contracting the job out.
__________________
Jim

When I was a kid I was going nowhere fast, now I'm an old man I'm going everywhere slow.
hddecker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 08:18 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
hddecker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
Quote:
Originally Posted by dawniewest View Post
I just went outside and literally jumped up and down on my bumper, it's very solid.
Maybe they went cheap on the newer ones?

I bolted a receiver to the bumper for the bike rack.

Dawnie,

Keep watch on the steel around the welds. It takes awhile, but you will eventualy see stress cracks forming in the steel. The welds will usually hold, but the cracks start forming in the steel, right at the edge of the weld.
__________________
Jim

When I was a kid I was going nowhere fast, now I'm an old man I'm going everywhere slow.
hddecker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 08:29 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
wildwest450's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sparta
Posts: 1,726
Tennessee
Quote:
Originally Posted by hddecker View Post
Dawnie,

Keep watch on the steel around the welds. It takes awhile, but you will eventualy see stress cracks forming in the steel. The welds will usually hold, but the cracks start forming in the steel, right at the edge of the weld.
I will. If it starts to crack, i'll weld a gusset in there. It has to be able to hold some weight, or they wouldn't make it hollow for the sewer hose.
__________________
2014 Aerolite 213 RBSL
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
wildwest450 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 09:15 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
hddecker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
Quote:
Originally Posted by dawniewest View Post
I will. If it starts to crack, i'll weld a gusset in there. It has to be able to hold some weight, or they wouldn't make it hollow for the sewer hose.
That's a crappy job to fix, but they eventually rust out. Then you gotta cut the rot out and weld in a new chunk of steel.

If I stored my hose in the bumper, I would either plasticoat it or use a sacrificial zinc strip. I like the zinc strips myself, but they are getting hard to come by in the retail market. But you have one more maintenance item to check and replace the strips as they get depleted.
__________________
Jim

When I was a kid I was going nowhere fast, now I'm an old man I'm going everywhere slow.
hddecker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 11:27 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Loganville
Posts: 176
Georgia
Quote:
Originally Posted by hddecker View Post
Snakebitten and dealer are right. The only thing I will ever put on my bumper is some thing light, not hanging over the tailend and doesn't rattle or bounce.

You don't want to have a stress fracture drop your cooler, bumper and all in front of that guy, that's tailgating you on the Interstate. If you go back far enough in the threads, you'll find a couple of folks have lost their bikes because of them clamp on receivers and the bouncy bike racks.

My approach has developed in a bit different direction, I started out thinking the receiver and cargo carrier. Bought the cargo carrier, went out and found a reciver that I could bolt on at the wreckers. Got everything together one Saturday, was about to start drilling holes and I just didn't like what I was building. So back off to the drawing board (Lazyboy), I mulled it over for months. Finally the answer jumped out, cut off the bumper, cut off the bumper hangers and them stupid scissor jacks. I'm running rails straight off the frame, through the fascia, mounting an A-framed style deck, then hanging the bumper on the end and sinking the clearance lights in the bumper. Got the steel, got the plan, just not sure if I want to weld it on to the frame or bolt it. Get that figured and my buddy with the big boy welder will weld it up.

Let's see if we can get the 411, I can't remember who it is that has something similar, but it can be swivelled up and locked into place. I think it was one of the AZ or CA members that did it.

What ever you decided, save your self to agrivasion and added cost of the dealer. Find yourself and small local frame and axle shop or cargo trailer builder. They will get you set up properly and you won't have to pay the dealer for sub-contracting the job out.
Thanks for your input. Yes that's the reason I asked if anyone had done this on a 213 before, because I read those other horror stories

The dealer said they would just weld a Reese Hitch Receiver to the bumper which in my opinion is not a much better solution than a receiver installed with U-Bolts around the bumper. Now if they told me that they would be installing a full frame mounted hitch/receiver, then that's a whole different ball game. Anyway I will be taking the TT back to them this weekend (fridge not working on gas) and will question them more on this.

We have a full weld shop at work and we can fab some pretty neat stuff there, so I do have a another option besides the dealer. If I am going to going to throw $$ at it, it will get done right and I will post some pics up.
__________________
Jeff & Sheila

2016 Aerolite 213RBSL
2013 F150 3.5 Ecoboost Tow Package
gjwinner850 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2016, 11:41 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
snakebitten's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Alvin
Posts: 727
Texas
Now your talking.

Be sure if\when you do something cool, ya get the pics up for the 213-platoon to show off with.

We need to hold our own with the Voltage-brigade. Those guys do some amazing things. Of course, they have basements, fireplaces, and central vacuum cleaners for crying out loud.

A distinguished group though, I'll admit. Some true gents amongst.
__________________
2017 Aerolite 213 RBSL-ND
2018 Wolf Pup 17RP Limited (Tiny THauler)
2018 F150 King Ranch 3.5 Beast
2003 Ram 2500 Cummins (can't kill this beast)
snakebitten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2016, 07:05 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
hddecker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
Quote:
Originally Posted by gjwinner850 View Post
Thanks for your input. Yes that's the reason I asked if anyone had done this on a 213 before, because I read those other horror stories

The dealer said they would just weld a Reese Hitch Receiver to the bumper which in my opinion is not a much better solution than a receiver installed with U-Bolts around the bumper. Now if they told me that they would be installing a full frame mounted hitch/receiver, then that's a whole different ball game. Anyway I will be taking the TT back to them this weekend (fridge not working on gas) and will question them more on this.

We have a full weld shop at work and we can fab some pretty neat stuff there, so I do have a another option besides the dealer. If I am going to going to throw $$ at it, it will get done right and I will post some pics up.
Believe me when I say it. If your going to do something with a proper frame mount, don't even talk to the dealer about it. Figure out how much weight you want to carry, now add 50%. I believe in overbuilding stuff, I don't like the mimimalist numbers game that are used to calculate axle sizes, tire sizes, towing, etc. I got tired of replacing cheap OEM stuff with, expensive OEM, cheap replacement parts. I will even go straight to the best and bypass the better replacement, when I can see the quality.

Never had a catastorphic failure with anything that I've overbuilt or rebuilt. I've worn stuff out the needed repair or replacement.
__________________
Jim

When I was a kid I was going nowhere fast, now I'm an old man I'm going everywhere slow.
hddecker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2016, 07:40 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
hddecker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
Quote:
Originally Posted by snakebitten View Post
Now your talking.

Be sure if\when you do something cool, ya get the pics up for the 213-platoon to show off with.

We need to hold our own with the Voltage-brigade. Those guys do some amazing things. Of course, they have basements, fireplaces, and central vacuum cleaners for crying out loud.

A distinguished group though, I'll admit. Some true gents amongst.
But most of us TTers don't have to suffer the pains of all the electronic gear, that goes wrong, exactly the at the wrong time. And what's with the sync the slide motors because you didn't hold the button in for 5 seconds after the slide stops. No thanks, I like push button, slide goes out, let go of button. Push button slide comes in, let go, well you know.

I got this thing, I love technology, when it's push button, it does what you want it to do. If not, did anyone see my sixteen pound sledgehammer.

Slide won't work, no problem, wife's shoulders haven't started siezing up yet. Crank it out, camp, crank it in, go home fix, make it better than new, pour three fingers, sit back and sip.
I like simple, I like easy to fix and I love go bigger than the OEM or go home.

I certainly do agree, they are a pretty good bunch, even them that crossed over to the Dark Side of the Class A, B and C's are a good bunch.

We even got us a good bunch of them Texans, I like their take on life. Work hard, ride hard and party hard.
__________________
Jim

When I was a kid I was going nowhere fast, now I'm an old man I'm going everywhere slow.
hddecker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2016, 10:24 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Thom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Youngstown
Posts: 712
Florida
Just curious, when is the last time you heard of a voltage owner that had to stradle the toilet to take a shower?
Thom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2016, 01:59 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
GTWags's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 101
Oklahoma
Low blow Once i get in the shower I can stretch out though!
__________________
2016 Aerolite 213RBSL
2013 F-150 5.0l tow package
GTWags is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2016, 03:10 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
wildwest450's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sparta
Posts: 1,726
Tennessee
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thom View Post
Just curious, when is the last time you heard of a voltage owner that had a properly working slideout?
Fixed that for you.
__________________
2014 Aerolite 213 RBSL
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
wildwest450 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2016, 05:10 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Thom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Youngstown
Posts: 712
Florida
Quote:
Originally Posted by dawniewest View Post
Fixed that for you.
ZZZZactly why I am an ex-voltage owner...
__________________
Thom & Rose
DD-250 ALUMNI
The problem child: 2014 Voltage 3950
The problem solver: 2017 Tiffin Breeze 32BR
Thom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2016, 05:17 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Loganville
Posts: 176
Georgia
You all are a hoot! I really enjoy this forum!
Will let you all know the direction we take and if it's a home build will document and share with all. After 30 years in the forklift service world I realize the value of overbuilding something so that it will hold up and last!
Thanks again for everyone's responses!
__________________
Jeff & Sheila

2016 Aerolite 213RBSL
2013 F150 3.5 Ecoboost Tow Package
gjwinner850 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2016, 06:32 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
snakebitten's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Alvin
Posts: 727
Texas
Woah....wait a second!

I firmly believe blessed is the peacemaker.
I didn't mean to .................

As far as straddling the toilet to get in and out of the shower.......well, we gotta give it to the Voltage guys. They're right about that. And WE did whine about it too. In fact, it is a valid complaint.

But give and take goes both ways. hddecker is dead on with the slide comparo.
Those threads are painful to read. All\any of those victims have my sympathy.

You won't catch me challenging anybody that has a full on Freightliner tractor pulling their castle-on-wheels! (I've seen the pictures) Nope. Instead, I salute.

(albeit, as I blow by them at 75mph. I'll have camp setup and coffee waiting when they arrive. Here to serve)
__________________

__________________
2017 Aerolite 213 RBSL-ND
2018 Wolf Pup 17RP Limited (Tiny THauler)
2018 F150 King Ranch 3.5 Beast
2003 Ram 2500 Cummins (can't kill this beast)
snakebitten is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dutchmen RV or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2020 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.
×