E510 Bike Rack Refurb/Replacement

[John Barrett]

This old motorhome has a neat three bike rack. Unfortunately the hinges are rusty, the surface has delaminated near the hinges, and it is VERY heavy, weighing as much as one of our electric bikes! I am on the horns of a dilemma: repair it, or discard it and make up a couple of simple folding irons and crosspieces. I have a man cave/machine shop in my garden.
Opinions?
John

 

[StitchesnFluff]

Love it! Never seen one of those. I would personally mend and repair it

 

[John Barrett]

Love it! Never seen one of those. I would personally mend and repair it

On reflection I tend to agree with you!?

 

[JockandRita]

Hi John.

We had one on the rear of our Hymer E690, which I managed to maintain over our 14/15 x years of ownership, with the aid of quality sealant all round the edging, to help prevent delamination, and a rust cure product for the hinges, which were then kept well lubricated.

The upper plastic layer began to crack around the base of the stainless steel sliding guides, so after supporting the rack from underneath, I used a resin matting which I cut and shaped to fit around the guides. This then cured using natural ultraviolet light, to form a rock hard support and base plate.
I was loath to let the rack deteriorate, to the point it became unusable, and I was always wary of the possibility of it failing with the bikes on top, and the possible disastrous results for following motorists. OMG.

If it was me, I'd be repairing it. I know of someone who's hinges snapped, and he had them welded back together.

Good luck with the project. As I'm sure you'll be aware, it's the preparation that leads to the best outcome.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[John Barrett]

Hi John.

SNIP

Good luck with the project. As I'm sure you'll be aware, it's the preparation that leads to the best outcome.

Cheers,

Jock.

Thanks for the sound advice. It is sitting in my workshop right now!
John

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[pj650]

Hi John
We had the same thing many years ago on our S 650.The rack collapsed on our way to France.
Thankfully I was able to put the bikes on the roof.
The damage to the rack looked exactly like yours.Luckily for us Peter Hambilton was able to repair
ours at a fraction of the price that Hymer UK quoted,and was probably stronger than when it was new.
You are lucky enough to have a workshop,so I’m sure you will make a good job of it.
It is definitely worth repairing,and it keeps the van original.Good luck ?
Peter,

 

[John Barrett]

Hi John
We had the same thing many years ago on our S 650.The rack collapsed on our way to France.
Snip
It is definitely worth repairing,and it keeps the van original.Good luck ?
Peter,

John

I' m glad that I am not alone!

 

[John Barrett]

Rack problem fixed
The problem with this rack is the huge downward moment at the tie bar mounting, so an additional tie was required. It also needed some penny washers at the lower part to fix the delamination, all waiting for the correct colour paint!
My partner's son Simon is MD of Sportsboat World, and a world class yachtsman, and he suggested Spectra cord. Apparently this lightweight 3mm cord has a BS of around one tonne! Some stainless eyebolts and spring hooks later, we had a perfect fix. Load the bikes, and pass the hooks through the spokes and Hey Presto! We tried it and it works a treat, the rack remaining quite stiff whatever the load. To finish it we just have to put the splice in the hook end.
I'm running out of jobs!
John