If you're anything like us, There's no way you will leave home without your bicycles when you go camping with your teardrop trailer. Even if it's just for the weekend. You get to explore a lot more in a shorter period of time. If you need to use the restroom or have a shower, you can hop on your bike and you're there. Want to go into town or grab an ice cream at the local campsite convenience store ? Take the bike.
But where do you put it ? My first teardrop trailer I built, I installed a roof rack, placed the solar panel in the middle and 2 bike racks on either side. That was fine for a while, but I always had to stand on a milk carton to reach for them.
Then, I was always looking in my rear view mirror checking to make sure they didn't shift after hitting a bump in the road or a set of train tracks. I also found It was a lot better when the wife would help me take them down, securing the front wheels as I brought them from the roof of the teardrop. Sometimes I would drag a picnic table beside the trailer just to make it easier to load after camping.
The biggest problem I also had was if it rained, I always wanted extra protection for us and the trailer, so we put a portable tent over it. Well guess what ? The bicycles had to come down first. What a pain. Forget the roof rack idea, I thought. I'll just leave that for my solar panels. I could'nt put the bikes on the truck, Thats where the canoe goes. Well I sold my first trailer and began thinking where to put my bicycles next. In the back ? I could make a hitch behind the galley. Hmm, I thought to myself, No way.
What if we want to stop for lunch somewhere ? Now I have to move the bikes just to grab a sandwich. And if anybody stops us ( Which usually happens ) and wants to see the galley, again, I have to move the bikes. Then comes my neighbour. "Why do that" ? he says, "just get a curt clamp on bike rack". A what ? This I had to see. He bought one for his truck. I never noticed it before. I ran over to his house, thats right I said ran: and BAM.
The "Curt Clamp-On Bike Rack". What an invention I thought. Where can I get one ? The next morning I drove to the dealer in Aurora Ont, picked up my very own "Curt Clamp-On Bike Rack" and travelling with our bikes has never been better. The bike rack attaches to the back of your ride without hogging your trailer ball. It's Capable of holding up to 3 bikes. It Clamps to your 2" ball mount shank, and you can still use your hitch for your trailer. Well my questions were answered with this awesome invention. So if you ever run into the same problem as I have, then may I suggest you consider the Curt Clamp-On Bike Rack. It's worth every cent/nickle. And the best part. I don't need my wifes help and she doesnt need mine to load and unload the bikes.
You can also dismount your trailer and keep on going with your bikes still attached to your mount. Man, for a minute there You would almost think this was a paid advertisment ? Nope. Just another "happy camper" who finally knows where to put my bicycles. :-)