Bike Rack

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ditsjets7

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2017
Posts
196
Location
Woodstock, NY
Hi all, I am looking for a Bike Rack that attaches to a rear hitch receiver. I would to find one that:

Carries 4 bikes
Is compatible with both my motor home AND my SUV/Mini van.

All three vehicles have the same receiver. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all!

Mike
 
I prefer the racks that support the wheels rather than the cheaper type you hang the bikes on. This prevents them from moving around in the wind or on bumpy roads and reduces the chance of damage.

Swagman is a well respected brand ans something like the XTC 4-Bike 2" Receiver Hitch Rack would do the job. Note that it needs a class 3 receiver which is a good thing given the weight of 4 bikes. They offer more expensive models with integrated locks but I get by with a cable lock and a receiver lock. They also have a very nice storage bag/cover which is a good idea if the bikes are expensive.

The one thing to look out for is can you mount it so that the bikes clear the spare wheel of the MH (if it is bumper mounted like a TT).
 
My motor home does not have a spare on the rear. I do not mind the rack where they hang as longs as they wont fall off. I would just like to buy one so I could use it on multiple hitch receivers.
 
ditsjets7 said:
My motor home does not have a spare on the rear. I do not mind the rack where they hang as longs as they wont fall off. I would just like to buy one so I could use it on multiple hitch receivers.

There are multiple failure points (mechanical and human) for external bike racks (and why I don't use them for my expensive bikes) but as long as you mitigate each one you will be fine: use a locking receiver pin (and a locking pin for any reducer), make sure the fold down mechanism is lockable, look for a lockable clamping mechanism. Having to lock them means you will be less likely to have one work loose (or be loosened/removed by some malicious person or thief).

I don't like the hanging ones because they use a single clamping mechanism and it works on the top tube of the bikes. This allows the wheels and cranks to bang off each other so you need to lash everything together (ideally to the bumper) to minimize movement. Also if your bikes have carbon fiber frames you have to be careful how much clamping force you use. If a bike has an odd shaped top tube then you may not even be able to clamp it at an appropriate angle (if at all). They are cheaper for a reason.

As long as all your vehicles have a 2" receiver you won't have a problem moving a rack between them. If one has an 1-1/4" receiver then you will may have a problem finding a 4 bike carrier (due to the weight). If you do find one, you can use a reducer for your 2" receivers -- however the bikes weight will be 6 inches further out and there will be more flex/bounce. In which case you may want to look for a receiver pin that can be tightened to reduce movement.

If you will need to access the rear of your mini-van and SUV you will need to find a rack that can either swing away or be lowered so you don't have to remove it and the bikes each time.
 
We just finished a 2 month camping trip using a cheap hang type bike rack that fits to our 2" receiver on our Honda CR-V. This worked well but I had to remove the bikes and rack to open the back door of the CR-V. The hang type racks will only work on bikes with a some what horizontal bar. They do sway a bit when underway but I didn't find this a problem. I did bungee cord the front wheels so they wouldn't rotate.

We have 2 electric bikes that I want to start using. The hang type rack won't work for these bikes as the bikes don't have a horizontal bar and the hang type rack I have is not stout enough to handle 2 60 lb bikes.

etrailer.com has a bunch of racks, I would call them.
 
I have an Allen Sports Deluxe 5-Bike, for approx 2-1/2 years now.  I hitched it with one of those locking anti-rattle pins so it's pretty solid.
Not as good in terms of bike stability as a wheel supported one perhaps
But I like it well enough.

I'd suggest getting the 5 bike rack even though you said only 4.  Much easier to hang the bikes when not trying to really pack them on.... especially the odd kid sizes, &/or if you have on the bikes any racks, baskets, etc....
 
On my RV I have a 2 bike rack. .NOTE I only have one bike so the "Get a one size bigger" well. works for me.

Now, I really need a 2nd one that goes on the car cause there are times where I'd like to drive somewhere then ride the bike about the event but... Mine is a hitch mount on the rv.

I needed to put a "Drop" type hitch on the RV to get things to line up for the car. It is attached with a blue ox anti-rattle clip (hitch immobilizer) and that makes it very very solid to the RV.

THe Drop was custom modified by Blue Ox to also hold the bike rack

The tow bar plugs into the drop hitch.

 

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