What To Do When Your Trailer's Rear Bumper Can't Hold The Weight Of A Cargo Carrier

Question:

Keystone technical support says they do not recommend attaching anything to the bumper.

asked by: Joe B

Expert Reply:

It's very common for RV bumpers to really only be there for cosmetic looks while having no real load bearing capacity so if your trailer's manufacturer states not to attach things to the bumper then you should follow their support. Since you still need to haul things you have two options; you can have a qualified fabricator strengthen the support for the bumper so that it can bear weight or you can install a frame mounted trailer hitch and use a trailer hitch mounted cargo carrier.

If you want to go with a trailer hitch then you'll need to measure the distance between the inside of your frame rails to see which hitch will fit. For example, the Curt Adjustable Width Trailer Hitch Receiver for RVs # 13703 can fit frame widths from 22" to 72" wide and has a 3,500lbs GTW capacity and 350lbs TW capacity.

expert reply by: Kevin C