Fiamma Bike Rack Failure (1 Viewer)

[Steely Daniel]

Hi
Just wondered if I am very unlucky, or if this is a common problem. We have a 2017 Roller Team with Fiamma four bike rack ready fitted at factory. Returned from France about three weeks ago. I had taken two bikes with me on the rack. Unloaded bikes on my return and attempted to fold up the rack. This turned out to be impossible.
The rear of the rack had become misaligned because the two aluminium brackets which allow the rack to fold had become bent or twisted.
This appears to me to be a constant stress on the brackets over the two weeks and 2400 miles that has caused the failure. If not, the only other explanation I could imagine would have been an impact to the rack when we weren't in the van. However we were never very far from the van apart from when it was on a campsite.
The two bikes were electric bikes, with batteries removed, so well under the maximum load of the four bike rack.
I would be very interested to hear if anyone has had a similar problem.

 

[MitchandJenny]

That does not appear to be "stress".
It looks more like it has had a "nudge" from the side ! ! ! !
By you or who, is above my pay grade to say ! ! !
Mitch.

 

[BKen]

From the picture it looks like somebody has smacked it or you caught it when reversing rather than the bikes damaging it ..far to distorted for bikes weight to do that ....IMO

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[Steely Daniel]

If it was hit that is probably better in my view. If it is the rack failing I would obviously not want to get it replaced and put the bikes on it again.
The other thing that confuses me is that I had an all over bike cover over the bikes, which showed no damage or abrasion and if it was hit I would have thought it more likely that it would have been ripped off the back of the van. The bikes themselves didn’t have any damage.

 

[Rockcrawler]

Definitely looks like it's had a shunt

 

[tacr2man]

Its made of alli and would not take much of a nudge to bend , as its designed to take a load in a particular direction , not the one it has been subjected to which looks like side impact when possibly turning JMHO

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[Podney]

But if it was hit,would there not be signs of damage at the brackets which hold it on the van. Just a thought. And very strange that no apparent damage to the bikes or cover.

 

[John Stanton]

Friends of ours also have a Roller Team with the four bike rack which they have used regularly for at least a year now. In fairness they don't use electric bikes just two adult and two children's bikes but they have no issues to my knowledge, and it does look to me like more of an impact than stress damage as most others here have said.

 

[gus-lopez]

The other clue ,when looking at the photo ,is that the aluminium tube is no longer straight. It should be parallel with the bike wheel support angle. It is as though you might have got it hooked on something whilst pulling away & it has pulled it out of shape. Have a look on the inside of the outer tube.

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[JFD]

Just a thought: How did you load your bikes? If you loaded them onto the last two rails (the easiest to reach!), then the weight of two electric bikes that far from the attachment points might well become an issue when manoevering round sharp bends, or dropping a wheel into a pothole! The manufacturer's loading figures probably assume a more even distribution.

 

[DBK]

Just a thought: How did you load your bikes? If you loaded them onto the last two rails (the easiest to reach!), then the weight of two electric bikes that far from the attachment points might well become an issue when manoevering round sharp bends, or dropping a wheel into a pothole! The manufacturer's loading figures probably assume a more even distribution.

I think you might have it there. Add a sleeping policeman or pothole hit at speed and that would do it.

 

[Steely Daniel]

Many thanks for all the helpful suggestions as to what may have happened to the rack.
Just to clarify, the bikes were not on the two rearmost positions. They were on the second and fourth positions counting away from the van.
Because the rack is quite high off the ground I now think the cause was probably a high vehicle reversing into the side of the rack at low speed while it was manoeuvring, probably when we had left it in a car park.. This would probably explain why there is no sign of any impact or damage to the bikes or the van. Basically a low speed, high torque, shove on the side of the rack.
I am very grateful that the bikes and the rear of the motorhome survived unscathed. Losing the rack was probably the best result and I should tell myself that I was lucky!

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[Minxy]

Definitely a 'shunt', they are surprisingly 'soft' and easy to distort without too much difficulty (don't ask!) but are capable of holding bikes safe and secure if the rack is 'square', so gently knock/push it back into position and check the brackets etc to ensure they are not damaged/creased/cracked and if so replace/repair & brace them.

Once repaird put your bikes on and go round the block with your t'other half in the car following you .. you'll be shocked at just how much up/down movement there is in the rack as you travel especially if you go over speed bumps!!!

Oh, just another suggestion ... weight your bikes too, whilst the rack is meant to carry 4 bikes the weigh of bikes varies enormously so just having 2 on might still be taking you near the limit.

 

[Steely Daniel]

Definitely a 'shunt', they are surprisingly 'soft' and easy to distort without too much difficulty (don't ask!) but are capable of holding bikes safe and secure if the rack is 'square', so gently knock/push it back into position and check the brackets etc to ensure they are not damaged/creased/cracked and if so replace/repair & brace them.

Once repaird put your bikes on and go round the block with your t'other half in the car following you .. you'll be shocked at just how much up/down movement there is in the rack as you travel especially if you go over speed bumps!!!

Oh, just another suggestion ... weight your bikes too, whilst the rack is meant to carry 4 bikes the weigh of bikes varies enormously so just having 2 on might still be taking you near the limit.

Thanks for the advice. I agree now that it looks like a nice person did a 'shunt' and run when I wasn't in the van. I will try straightening but the two main alloy pivot brackets and the 'u'shaped alloy tube at the rearmost point of the rack may not be salvageable, so will probably need replacing.
I think Fiamma do a specific rack for two eBikes, so I am going to see if the mounting points match the brackets that are already on the van and possibly take the opportunity to upgrade the rack.

 

[Mikey RV]

You can buy all the parts from Fiamma to repair I think.

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[haganap]

I had a failure once in France when I hit a sleeping policeman and the rack threw back and went through the rear window. I pesonally would check all your mounting brackets making sure they are still all secure and firmly sealed. It's very easy to get water ingress in fitted accessories.
I've never had a bike rack since and opt for a tow bar with mounted bike rack, much safer and more secure for bikes.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Ours snapped

 

[Louis]

Definitely a 'shunt', they are surprisingly 'soft' and easy to distort without too much difficulty (don't ask!) but are capable of holding bikes safe and secure if the rack is 'square', so gently knock/push it back into position and check the brackets etc to ensure they are not damaged/creased/cracked and if so replace/repair & brace them.

Once repaird put your bikes on and go round the block with your t'other half in the car following you .. you'll be shocked at just how much up/down movement there is in the rack as you travel especially if you go over speed bumps!!!

Oh, just another suggestion ... weight your bikes too, whilst the rack is meant to carry 4 bikes the weigh of bikes varies enormously so just having 2 on might still be taking you near the limit.

Yes quite, I think 60kgs total for that rack

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[mitzimad]

definitley looks like its had a push sideways they are only ally and easily straightened take the u shaped bit off and youll need a vice and some timber to protect it. With out the u shaped bit in place the hinges will pull round quiet easily