Bike Rack?

nwminnesota

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Twin Cities MN
Hi guys,
What bike racks do you suggest?
I have a factory installed 2" receiver hitch to mount to. I would need it to hold 4 bikes (2 adult and 2 kids)
Thanks
 
The only 4-bike “RV/TT Approved” rack that I am aware of is from Swagman. It’s a 4 bike frame hanging type.

None of the wheel lock types are approved for RV TT use in configurations beyond two bikes.

I’ve been using the swagman without issue for 4 years.

At one point I thought I wanted a wheel mount type since we have 3 “female frame” bikes that are challenged on the frame hanging type of rack. I purchased a cargo rack and bungeed the bikes on, it worked but not as secure.
 
I've been running a Swagman three bike rack, and really like it.

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"RV rated" why would it matter? I don't really think there would be a big difference....
I didn't think so either. First year we took my sisters 4 bike rack and took the bikes to Florida with us. Got to Florida and admired the nice dents in my back wall from the handlebars of my bike. There is enough slack in a regular bike rack that a bump will allow the bike rack to swing back and hit your camper. I believe the RV approved racks have a stronger design to prevent that much flex/sway/movement of the bikes.

I no longer use my rear tow bar on my trailer.
 
Hi guys,
What bike racks do you suggest?
I have a factory installed 2" receiver hitch to mount to. I would need it to hold 4 bikes (2 adult and 2 kids)
Thanks

We bought an aluminum cargo/bike rack from Amazon. I like it because the bike tires are in slots and not just hanging like most bike racks. It does NOT shake when going down the highway.
Would buy it again...........
By the way it will hold 4 bikes.
 
"RV rated" why would it matter? I don't really think there would be a big difference....



Maybe it doesn’t. You asked for suggestions and have gotten some. I️ know my “RV rated” holds up. Let us know what u get and how it works out...
 
Anyone have any idea what RV rated would imply? I bought mine not so much because it was RV rated but because I’d seen it on this forum and the price was reasonable.


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If you ever get the chance to follow a TT with a bike rack on it, you will see just how much the bikes bounce. I bought the Swagman RV rated rack and the difference is that the receiver hitch frame portion is solid 1.25" steel! The upright section is also beefier than the standard units. A buddy at work just bought a standard Swagman rack and it is hollow.
 
I have 4-bike Swagman bike rack that we used for 12 years on a 35' TT. I'm not sure about RV rated but the bike rack itself never failed us in 12 years. With that said, we had to use shims to tighten the fit to our 2" receiver on the TT to stop the bounce in the bike rack. As a safety measure, I also ran a ratchet strap to tighten the rack up once the weight of 4 adult bikes were added. If you buy a Swagman, you will have peace of mind your bikes will arrive at the campground with you!
 
Maybe it doesn’t. You asked for suggestions and have gotten some. I️ know my “RV rated” holds up. Let us know what u get and how it works out...

Exactly that's why I asked the question I am learning to see what other people's experience is and if they have an opinion on if it needs to be RV rated or not. Also looking to see what people are using hanging from frame or wheel support. I am leaning towards a wheel support figured it will help or reduce bouncing. Not sure...
 
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Any rack made by Yakima or Thule. Never heard of an "RV rated" rack in all my 20 years of rv'ing with bikes. What governing institution does the testing and certification for an "RV rated" bike rack?
 
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All I use is a 4 bike hanger type rack. However, to stop the bouncing, I drilled a hole in the bottom of the receiver and had a friend weld a nut onto it so I could put a bolt in. This has worked great at getting rid of the slop between the bike rack and receiver.


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LhtLf1AIU8qfkXHOjMkqIIUZX6QwF-z3KssdwYYZXJu6YauRmnJHtHkxrKF8wnHQh_h_YdeTs0dC2480yICtjbtU-F4sAZWL9_CBI0vKsOsvKHti_Z0pN2GonV7POvbqVZ6J5kbKq3GsBaCPE9C2j8T4Fn9WjZElVIE-29KSwBLvvhU7lVxo6VWmKBpRY_ZcinFVNRAoKEh_gidPdFrxfe0bGr5g0SYsK9l0mFVMDHJdYgxIR24yi1YcGdUvEWta9Of8anN8CzAi46zmLvsBuVi9b_crprZcfVGCMS0kVDUOliGsUVLYFxHqlvx-w7iW_it3JShGJTx_LO9NHr3DjKgraz7L9aQXBbL8BTou_y-SJAPj-hbqKBo_eB-8jO8zil0TuhJBj-LHhJU5VNa9tSV1v6HZYAaPYcS92q9MvlvZLSCtPpA3uW_t11ySt6N-ZCLVIfrlgj3SSrinqaCjiB0_GHNYb1CbLh1lJrUFfOhsUc4646QZgyObjLQpywRcJYlVv5PbmlMyOl3eb1erIS-F3DOAWCQwWJME45FLW60yDgQ4zykSS2UHQclc_cuNfXESED_UHHnR2_zQXM3j8EvgToGcS4E_EmsaDPc0Ng=w1455-h1091-no
Any rack made by Yakima or Thule. Never heard of an "RV rated" rack in all my 20 years of rv'ing with bikes. What governing institution does the testing and certification for an "RV rated" bike rack?



Bike rack will have more up and down motion on the rear of a camper/trailer as opposed to your motorhome. Not saying anybody needs a special bike rack however.....
 
Here's the problem. The forces created by heavier suspensions and increased distance from the axels to the hitch receiver found on travel trailers can create a much harsher environment than a regular passenger vehicle. Read that as more shaking and "whipping" (up and down action) putting a heavy torque load on the angle brackets, bolts, etcetera. RV rated means the manufacture has tested the rack to stand up to the additional pounding the rack will take without failure and will stand behind it.

I use the Yakima LongHaul, which is a new rack. I had purchased a Yakima Dr. Tray, which holds 2 bikes and will tilt down for easy loading/unloading. Price about $500. I was contacted by Yakima after posting a positive review where I mentioned it was for the back of our TT. Yakima contacted me and recommended I go with the LongHaul due to it's RV rating. They arranged for me to return the Dr. Tray for a full refund and I went with the LongHaul $300. There has to be something when a company wants you to return a more expensive item and recommends a less expensive model.

The LongHaul is a bike rack designed, built, and thoroughly tested to stand up to the long miles and rigorous demands of RV and travel-trailer use. Durable, stable and secure, the LongHaul carries four bikes with ease in the SuperCush ZipStrip™ cradles. The LongHaul is easy on and off, includes folding arms and a built-in bottle opener. Exceptional security is built in with a full SKS security package (built in steel cable) that locks your bikes to the rack and the rack to the vehicle plus a lock for the hitch pin. Both locks are key matched. Holds up to four bikes.

Then there's the issue of mounting. The square, hollow 4 inch bumper on the back of most units and it's mounting brackets are rated for about 100 pounds (that is from Jayco). It's made of thin steel and not a structural support. Figure your spare, if mounted on it, comes in at about 50lb, the bumper weighs maybe 10-15 lbs, for a total of 65 pounds. The mounting brackets for the bumper are relatively light steel and probably welded to the frame (mine where). So while towing with a bike rack plus any bikes, the bumper is subject to torque, and can twist when the rack is bouncing, even when not carrying any bikes.

A decent rack weights at least 25 pounds, so you overload the bumper with anything more than an all plastic trike. Check out this video of someone who worked on a bumper that broke down:

I've beefed up the mounting with a second set of brackets rated at 500lbs to support the spare, the rack and 2 bikes. These brackets fit tight around the bumper, allowing no twisting and are bolted to the main I-beams of the trailer frame. Since adding the brackets and the RV rated rack, we've been able to verify the rack doesn't bounce anywhere near as much, the rack has no torque when it does bounce and is solid. Plus the bikes aren't getting whipped around (that torque thing again) anywhere near as much as they had before. And when we haul bikes on the back of pickup, we don't feel it whipping and shaking like another we had used.

One last thing to add, no insurance company I've been in contact with (RV, auto, home) will cover the damage or lose due to overloading the rear bumper or the damage/lose of any bikes that where being carried on an overloaded bumper.
 
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