Bike racks

Cummins-a-pullin · 04-14-2017, 07:20 AM

Not sure if this is the correct section, but will be needing a bike rack of sorts. I have 3 options I am looking at and maybe yous with experience can help me out. Option 1: bike rack that fits in the 2" receiver on the back of the 5th wheel, this option worries me as I can't see the bike if the begin to get loose, also seems like there would be a lot more bounce back there. Option 2: mount a 2" receiver on the front of my truck and carry them there, this I don't like because it adds length to my nose, I don't have a great turning radius as I have a Mega cab ram. Option 3: put a cargo basket on the roof of the truck and carry them there, downside is I have to bring the bikes to the roof. I wish jayco still had the built in bike rack that was a sliding tray, not sure if it was only available on the tt, as a friend of ours has it and it works great.

SouthCo · 04-14-2017, 07:36 AM

http://www.swagman.net/product/trailhead4-rv/

I have the factory receiver on our camper and use the Swagman Trailhead 4 RV. It worked great all last season and so far this season. I have no concerns on whether the bikes will come off. The rack holds them very tight. The rack itself is very sturdy and is RV rated (whatever that means).

FeatherFam · 04-14-2017, 07:40 AM

We are in bike rack world again. We have been using our two bike Kuat on a 2" Draw-Tite front receiver. It has been very sturdy, but we do not like the extra length in the front, nor do we like are bikes taking the brunt of the bugs and gravel from the road (costly to the paint and a pain to clean).

We only have a 100lb rated rear bumper on the Jay Feather. I could look into beefing it up with some welded gussets, but I am no so sure that I want to do that. I like to see what's going on with our tow rig as we travel. Also, I am keeping mods to a minimum as we are still under warranty.

I am looking at the Lippert Jack It rack that Jayco is now using on the 2017 Flights, Feathers, Hawks, and Hummingbirds. I could go that route and use the Kuat when we are not traveling with the trailer. I would like to pull the Draw-Tite receiver from the front to shed weight, but it could also come in handy in a pinch. Anyone considering or considered the Jack It rack?

ShawnR · 04-14-2017, 07:48 AM

If you put the bikes on the rear of the RV they do bounce a lot. Make sure the hitch receiver is mounted solidly to the frame and buy a high quality bike rack. A backup camera might be a good addition so you can see what going on back there.

hunter444 · 04-14-2017, 08:17 AM

We have been hauling two bikes with the Swagman attached to the rear receiver. Some bounce zero problems. We have hauled out west twice and the northeast.Lotsa miles.

Bookemdanno · 04-14-2017, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthCo

TRAILHEAD4 dual arm, RV bike rack- Swagman

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShawnR

. A backup camera might be a good addition so you can see what going on back there.

I have same bike rack on the back of my 5er for the last 9 months without any problems. Supports 4 bikes and I watch with the backup camera.

jasonmiddlebrooks · 04-14-2017, 09:45 AM

My wife ordered the Kuat NV Base 2.0 with the NV Base 2.0 Add-on. Products | Küat Racks

It holds four bikes, has locks for each bike, can take individual bikes off separately, etc... The one draw back to this rack is it adds about 4' to our total length....

She does triathlons and know alot about these types of things so I went with her selection.

Our unit does have a factory receiver that supports up to 300lbs. Plus we have the rear camera that allows us to keep an eye on them. I also check them every time we stop too.

We made a 1700 mile trip with it the other week and was pleased.

dpi7800 · 04-14-2017, 09:54 AM

I utilized my dinette and made that my bicke rack. I had some old fork locks from one of my old trucks that I installed. I replace the flimsy plywood under the seat, beefed up the support for the frame work with some brackets.

Obviously this system is much more efficient with the quick release on the wheels.

Cummins-a-pullin · 04-14-2017, 12:35 PM

Thanks for all the help, i didn't realise they made a RV rated bike rack. I will be looking into these 2 companies. As far as the homemade rack, that's a great idea but I won't have a dinette, we ordered a party sofa.

mtdawg · 04-14-2017, 12:46 PM

I have used both the roof top and the receiver hitch versions. For me, the receiver hitch method works best. As I approach my declining youth, getting the bikes onto the roof has become more problematic. I'm very generous with belts and straps when securing the bikes and have never had a problem with them coming loose. As far as bouncing around, I doubt if it's any rougher than riding them down a dirt road or trail.

Of course either one will work well so it's a matter of personal preference I guess.

Jim

ROC-REQS · 04-14-2017, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cummins-a-pullin

Not sure if this is the correct section, but will be needing a bike rack of sorts. I have 3 options I am looking at and maybe yous with experience can help me out. Option 1: bike rack that fits in the 2" receiver on the back of the 5th wheel, this option worries me as I can't see the bike if the begin to get loose, also seems like there would be a lot more bounce back there. Option 2: mount a 2" receiver on the front of my truck and carry them there, this I don't like because it adds length to my nose, I don't have a great turning radius as I have a Mega cab ram. Option 3: put a cargo basket on the roof of the truck and carry them there, downside is I have to bring the bikes to the roof. I wish jayco still had the built in bike rack that was a sliding tray, not sure if it was only available on the tt, as a friend of ours has it and it works great.

We use a Swagman Platform bike rack attached into our 2" receiver on the back of our FW.

I chose the platform type bike rack because there less torque generated then with the hanging type bike racks.

I too worry about the bikes coming loose during traveling and the fact that they are out of site. To resolve this I'm installing a rear backup/observation camera.

If you consider add a 2" receiver on the front of your truck and mounting the bikes there, you may want to check see if the bikes would be in front of the lights and what DOT regulations are.

Prior to having our FW with the 2" receiver, I used to carry the bikes on top of the cab of the truck using Thule bars and bike rack. But as you mentioned, that was a PIA getting the bikes up there and off.

Hope this is of some help.

Cummins-a-pullin · 04-14-2017, 07:35 PM

^i like this setup, only thing is I have 5 bikes. I'm ok with 4 on the back and maybe I can squeeze the small bike in the bed, or it will have to go in the camper.

TxLoser · 04-14-2017, 08:45 PM

I'll give another thumbs up to the swagman products. I have one in my 2" receiver on my fiver and it works great. I only keep two mntn bikes on it though. It's made for three. I'd say it's made for three road bikes.

jasum · 04-18-2017, 02:42 PM

We bought an aluminum bike rack/ cargo tray on Amazon. So far it's been great and no problems. It will hold up to 4 bikes.

Aero_Dave · 04-21-2017, 07:31 AM

I will also chime-in on the Swagman. I have the Traveler XC2-RV 2 Bike Carrier with Bumper Adaptor. It's made for RV's. You do not need to use the bumper adaptor it comes with. Just make sure you get something that fits Directly into the 2" receiver. Do not get one that fits a 1 1/2" with an adaptor to fit into a 2" receiver. Those one’s cause problems.

Dave...

KYCAMPER · 04-22-2017, 07:21 AM

In shopping for bike racks the feedback I hear about this style (the kind where the bike is secured by a padded ratcheted hook over the horizontal bike rail) is that the padding tends not to hold up for long resulting in the exposed metal hook scratching the bike. Any experience with that happening?

SouthCo · 04-22-2017, 09:55 PM

The rack I mentioned in post #2 is completely secured by rubber and won't scratch anything. Not sure what type of rack your asking about....

Cummins-a-pullin · 04-23-2017, 06:35 AM

I am between the one mentioned in post 2 and this one. XP 4 Standard Hitch Receiver Bike Rack-Swagman
Either way I think the swagman has some great options and I don't think I can go wrong with that company.

Flapper · 04-23-2017, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonmiddlebrooks

My wife ordered the Kuat NV Base 2.0 with the NV Base 2.0 Add-on. Products | Küat Racks

As with almost all racks, the devil is in the manual...the only place you can find out whether it can be used on an RV. The Kaut you noted above explicitly says:

"Do not use this product on a recreational vehicle or trailer."

Swagman appears to only have a couple of RV allowed models. Yakima just came out with one model.

nisbitch · 05-01-2017, 05:41 PM

Has anyone used a Swagman S80600 4 bike rack? I have a Jay Flight 27bhs with the rear stabilizers right at the back of the frame. Looks like a pain to move them and add a hitch. This seems a lot more stable than a bolt on bumper hitch. Also good reviews on etrailer.
https://www.etrailer.com/RV-and-Camp...an/S80600.html

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