Rear wall failure due to bike rack loading?

[Rickartonrog]

I’d appreciate comments from you experts on here. The rear wall under the window on my 2016 Bailey Autograph 765 has cracked right through one of the dealer installed Fiamma bike rack attachment points (photo). We’ve only ever carried 2 ebikes minus batteries so about 38kg. The rack and load points are rated for 60kg. I’m a month out of the 6 year bodywork warranty. Do you think I’ve any comeback on Bailey?

 

[Aireworth]

Sure but one large speed hump, taken a little fast,will full load of bikes and crack....

The rack is tested but not the wall. Certainly not for dynamic loads.

So you're saying every motorhome manufacturer is factory fitting an accessory, knowing that at the recommended loading there is every possibility of catastrophic damage (and possibly a warranty claim) to their vehicles? I find that very hard to believe.

 

[Don Campbell]

Ask Bailey for, or get from their web site, details of the construction of the rear wall and placement of any reinforcing pads for carriers. If the dealer hasn't properly located any pads you would have a case, however I suspect it's down to no more than a fitter over tightening the mounting bolts. What do the fitting instructions say about torque settings (if anything) and how would you know if a torque wrench was used or not?

 

[DangerMousy]

It looks to me like it is too close to the bottom of the window so loads induced through the lower bar of the bike rack may have flexed the surface causing the crack?
I don't know if Bailey fitted the rack etc. but did they observe the fitting instructions?

Ask Bailey for, or get from their web site, details of the construction of the rear wall and placement of any reinforcing pads for carriers. If the dealer hasn't properly located any pads you would have a case, however I suspect it's down to no more than a fitter over tightening the mounting bolts. What do the fitting instructions say about torque settings (if anything) and how would you know if a torque wrench was used or not?

I'm pretty sure all Bailey Autographs come out of the factory with the bike rack fixing rails already attached.....so if its fixed incorrectly or in the wrong place then its Bailey themselves who have put it there.

If I recall correctly the Fiamma bike rack is rated 60kg but the Bailey handbook states that the rear wall is also rated at 60kg....so your effective bike rack payload is only around 50kg (to allow for the weight of the rack itself). We used to carry two ebikes on a rack on our 625 (also with a rear window) which weighed about 43kg....so technically within limits (as is the OP). We didn't have any problems with our rear wall....but watching on the reversing camera as you went over a speed bump it was scary to see how they bounced around!

 

[chaser]

The very first thing I did when we bought an eldis van was take off the bike rack, couldn't for the life of me see has that rear panel could hold anything.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MrTVR]

Out of curiosity, were the two e-bikes on the two rails closest to the wall or were they in the rails further away from the wall?

 

[Don Campbell]

I'm pretty sure all Bailey Autographs come out of the factory with the bike rack fixing rails already attached.....so if its fixed incorrectly or in the wrong place then its Bailey themselves who have put it there.

If I recall correctly the Fiamma bike rack is rated 60kg but the Bailey handbook states that the rear wall is also rated at 60kg....so your effective bike rack payload is only around 50kg (to allow for the weight of the rack itself). We used to carry two ebikes on a rack on our 625 (also with a rear window) which weighed about 43kg....so technically within limits (as is the OP). We didn't have any problems with our rear wall....but watching on the reversing camera as you went over a speed bump it was scary to see how they bounced around!

If you read further up the rack was fitted by the retailer, not Bailey. You seem to imply Bailey fit bike rack rails as standard but I would doubt that. If they are standard and were on the van when delivered you might talk to Bailey about it, but I suspect they are an extra and were probably not supplied with the van by Bailey or the OP would have said so.

 

[The Wino]

If you read further up the rack was fitted by the retailer, not Bailey. You seem to imply Bailey fit bike rack rails as standard but I would doubt that. If they are standard and were on the van when delivered you might talk to Bailey about it, but I suspect they are an extra and were probably not supplied with the van by Bailey or the OP would have said so.

I think what they meant was that the support rails come already fitted as they did on our Chausson. The rack then just fits on the rails. If thats the case it's not really possible to fit it incorrectly it just hangs on the top rail and fastens on the bottom. As said it's going to be Bailey that need chasing not the dealer. Sadly I suspect it's a poor design that they won't pay out for.

 

[Minxy]

I'd be surprised if 2 e-bikes, even with the batteries removed, only weighted 38kg, even a 'lightweight' bike can weight that so an e-bike is likely to be nearer 20kg without batteries.

Regardless I doubt if there's any point in trying to make a claim as there are so many get-outs for the dealer/Baily UNLESS you can categorically show that the rack was fitted incorrectly, but even then it's a long shot.

I can be repaired but that would mean not using the rack anymore as it's not worth the risk of damage again.

 

[DangerMousy]

If you read further up the rack was fitted by the retailer, not Bailey. You seem to imply Bailey fit bike rack rails as standard but I would doubt that. If they are standard and were on the van when delivered you might talk to Bailey about it, but I suspect they are an extra and were probably not supplied with the van by Bailey or the OP would have said so.

No, the OP said the dealer fitted the bike rack.
Our Bailey (and every other Autograph I've seen) already has the attachment rails factory fitted, but its the up to the buyer to source and fit the actual rack. The Bailey decals are even designed to blend the fixing rails into the design.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Minxy]

Forgot to say, before you do anything else, get a drill and a small bit and put a hole at the end of the crack so that it doesn't spread further.

 

[cakey]

I haven’t read all the comments so could be repeating somebody else’s comment. Has the rack been fitted in the right position, ie where the reinforced strips are?. I done know but feel sure they will be there somewhere. I had an after market rack fitted to my Swift Bolerofb and spent a lot of time making sure that I new and the company doing the work also new where the strong points were. It was a nerve racking experience even having been supplied with a drawing of the dimensions by Swift. There wasn’t a lot of room for error.

 

[Tali]

I’d appreciate comments from you experts on here. The rear wall under the window on my 2016 Bailey Autograph 765 has cracked right through one of the dealer installed Fiamma bike rack attachment points (photo). We’ve only ever carried 2 ebikes minus batteries so about 38kg. The rack and load points are rated for 60kg. I’m a month out of the 6 year bodywork warranty. Do you think I’ve any comeback on Bailey?

Check with Bailey where strong points for Cycle Rack are sited for your van and check with actual position used . If rack mounts fitted somewhere else then dealer must accept liabilty , if sited as Bailey stated then more difficult unless you can really prove no overloading.

 

[The Wino]

Check with Bailey where strong points for Cycle Rack are sited for your van and check with actual position used . If rack mounts fitted somewhere else then dealer must accept liabilty , if sited as Bailey stated then more difficult unless you can really prove no overloading.

But as has already been said in post 39 it seems Bailey prefit the horizontal rails in fact if you look at the OPS post you can see the decals mentioned in post 39. All the dealer has done is assemble the rest of the rack and hang it on the prefitted rails. I did ours its dead easy and I would have thought impossible to get wrong especially as the bailey rack even has different coloured end caps to match the van!. I did hear though that the dealers do charge a fair bit for whats a very easy DIY job.

 

[Tony50]

I’d appreciate comments from you experts on here. The rear wall under the window on my 2016 Bailey Autograph 765 has cracked right through one of the dealer installed Fiamma bike rack attachment points (photo). We’ve only ever carried 2 ebikes minus batteries so about 38kg. The rack and load points are rated for 60kg. I’m a month out of the 6 year bodywork warranty. Do you think I’ve any comeback on Bailey?

Could be fixings not tight enough , causing flexing , We had a bike rack on a Chausson 718 , went over numerous sleeping Policemen in Spain sometimes far too fast everything in Motorhome use to jump up and down ,no problems , I would suggest if your rack can take 60 kgs. and you did not overload I would expect Motorhome manufuctuers to have tested vehicle in hard conditions and overloaded by around 30 %. I suspect fitter ,but how you prove it is another thing, or they might admit their fault, give them a try , If we were at fault we put it right FOC. took attitude sometimes you mess up and lose in Garage trade

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Aireworth]

I'd be surprised if 2 e-bikes, even with the batteries removed, only weighted 38kg, even a 'lightweight' bike can weight that so an e-bike is likely to be nearer 20kg without batteries.

A lightweight road bike is under 8kg nowadays. We have 2 ebikes together without batteries they will weight less than 38kg

 

[EuroTrotters]

Ours used to flex like mad. So I removed the rear seats and put a reinforcement bar on the inside

 

[Crazylegs]

We once pitched next to a chap who as it turned out was a caravan and motorhome damp repairer. His firm apparently did a fair bit of work for the dealers and Motorhome depot.
He was of the opinion that rear mounted bike racks were the cause of many damp problems to the rear wall and claimed to have repaired dozens of vans. He said the damage often isn’t visible but inspection for the cause of damp usually revealed a failed panel seal .The stresses and strains induced by hitting pot holes and speed control bumps too fast are probably incalculable. It certainly made sense to me, so we have avoided using our rack as much as possible.

 

[Dunslow]

What do the fitting instructions say about torque settings (if anything) and how would you know if a torque wrench was used or not?

Manufacturer get out clause no. 1.
I had insurance for products I made, including use in the US, and the conditions of the insurance were;- In the instructions for mounting it had to say "tighten bolts to manufacturers specification". In our instructions, there was no mention of torque figure or torque settings, and no one for 10 years contacted us for a torque figure. Additionally, if we were to have any claim (none), we were to ask what torque figures were used, where that figure came from and then can we have the torque wrench. Once we had the torque wrench we were then to ask for the calibration cert. We had no product issue for the 10 years, but those were worded stipulations for the insurance. (hand made performance vehicle parts and exporting to US / World).
I would have thought that if the rear wall is sandwich construction that there would be spacers to tighten to, bonded in? otherwise the outer skins just compress the "sandwich filler" (insulation) and are never tight?

 

[Blaydon]

Hi there. When we bought our latest van, we were advised not to use the wall mountings for the awning. They were fitted by the manufacturer but we were told they can damage the wall over time.
Manufacturers fit things that sell units. They give guarantees for a couple of years so damage or failure after a few years is not their problem.
If you want to keep your vehicle a long time, think how you use things that might fail.