On Monday, March 5, 2018 at 4:31:31 AM UTC-8, joesimmers wrote:
Very nice engineering and fabricating job Bumper!

Thanks Joe!

A couple of other considerations in choosing how/where to mount bikes on the Cobra, roof vs side. Bikes are relatively light, but at 73 getting a mountain bike up onto the Cobra roof would be a real chore, with my side mount it's easy.

With the side mount, the trailer wall lower flange provides a solid mounting surface that requires no more reinforcement than washers on the mounting bolts. For a roof mount, wind loading and moment arms would require more attention to reinforcement to prevent flexure and possible metal fatigue on the aluminum topped version.

When I carry the bikes on the back of my motorhome, if I don't use covers, they can get filthy. At least in good weather they stay clean on the trailer, so I haven't bothered to cover them. The side trailer mount also has them tucked in and mostly out of harm's way to all but the most determined side attacking, insurance-free, "road kamikaze".