Thank you to those who shared.
I finally have some answers - direct from Forest River. I wanted to share the information I was given on the chance and someone else is searching this forum with a similar question.
I was able to speak to the head of the warranty department at Forest River, because I wanted to make sure that whatever I did was safe, recommended, and kept my warranty active. I was also directed by Forest River to call Lippert, which manufactures the frame and bumper of the Rpod, which I did.
The bike rack recommended by Forest River is the Lippert Jack-It bike rack that mounts on the front A-frame of the trailer. When I mentioned I was concerned about adding to the tongue weight or payload and that I thought I would have difficulty putting my bike on the rack, (the rack rides very high) the person I was speaking with agreed these were valid considerations.
Since the Lippert rack didn’t seem practical for my needs the next suggestion I was given by Forest River was to remove the spare tire and its mount from the rear bumper and attach a bike rack to the bumper in its place as long as the total weight of bikes and rack doesn’t exceed the weight allotted to the spare - 60 pounds. I was told this setup would not impact my warranty.
Since others had suggested welding a hitch to the frame, rather than attaching a bike rack to the bumper, I asked about doing so. The answer I was given was that attaching anything to the frame (not the bumper) would definitely void the warranty because the weight has the potential of twisting the frame.
Lastly, I asked about mounting a bike rack to my ladder, since these racks are out there. A ladder mounted bike rack is not recommended by Forest River.
Since it will be easier for me to store my spare inside my vehicle than it would be to store bikes, my plan is to remove the spare and attach a bumper mounted rack, which will keep the weight under 60 pounds. That means traveling with only one bike, not two, but since I mostly only ride my bike when traveling solo that's not an issue for me.
I just ordered the following rack:
Swagman Bicycle Carrier TRAVELER XC2 RV Approved Hitch Mount Bike Rack
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's "RV Approved" meaning it's rated to withstand the extra bumps inherent in a camper mounted rack. Many of the bumper mounted racks out there are not RV approved.
My plan is to also secure the bike to my ladder for a little bit extra security and stability, although the bulk of the weight will be on the carrier.
I thought purchasing a bike rack for my TT would be a simple process. It turned out to be more complicated than I thought, and I was surprised to discover there weren't better solutions out there.
Since bikes and camping go together so well I was left wondering why RV manufacturers don't provide the means for a TT to easily and safely carry bikes. It feels like a major omission, causing people to resort to less than safe means.
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