Bike Racks for RVs

[Volvo35]

I need a new bike rack (hitch mounted) as the last one bent. We are considering the Swagman Escapee (2 bike) rated for 60lbs. Anyone got experience with those (or other recommendations). We have a 32 ft Montana. Thanks!

[BB_TX]

Did it bend from the bouncing on the rear of the trailer? I know from seeing many going down the road that some ride smoothly and some bounce rather violently. I assume from differences in the rigidity of the hitch and bike rack attachment to the receiver.


Mine is pin box mounted so that I don't have to worry about it.

[mazboy]

go to a bike shop and learn your options.


etrailer is another good source.


my swagman, an older one, has rushed terribly over the years...of course we winter by the ocean too.

[timandsusan]

After asking for options on a bike rack for my Monty, I installed a receiver on the front of my truck and put the bike rack in the front. It is very stable, I can easily see the road and always see the 2 bikes. I did that about 4 years ago, so--I estimate about 16,000 towing miles and all is good. I leave it there when I am at the stick house.

[PNW Fireguy]

Got one of these:
https://www.swagman.net/product/e-spec-e-bike-carrier/
Specifically listed to support installation in a trailered vehicle (5th wheel). Has wheel cradles for both normal and fit tire bicycles. Just making first trip with it loaded and so far so good. All the crappy interstate through OK and KS providing real world testing.

[drknapp]

We have one of these:

Swagman XTC2 Hitch Bike Rack

It does tend to wobble a bit, but it's worked great for us so far. It comes with adapter plates so I can move it from the 1 1/4" hitch on the Montana to the 2" hitch on my truck when we reach our destination. We just recently went down 14 miles of dirt road with the Montana and it held up well. (We did have our road bikes on it though, they are a bit lighter than our Mountain bikes)

[PNW Fireguy]

Originally Posted by drknapp

We have one of these:

Swagman XTC2 Hitch Bike Rack

It does tend to wobble a bit, but it's worked great for us so far. It comes with adapter plates so I can move it from the 1 1/4" hitch on the Montana to the 2" hitch on my truck when we reach our destination. We just recently went down 14 miles of dirt road with the Montana and it held up well. (We did have our road bikes on it though, they are a bit lighter than our Mountain bikes)

Not to stir the pot but on the etrailer site that rack is not approved for usage on a fifth wheel or other towed vehicle.
https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Bike-...an/S64670.html

[drknapp]

Originally Posted by PNW Fireguy

Not to stir the pot but on the strainer site that rack is not approved for usage on a fifth wheel or other towed vehicle.
https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Bike-...an/S64670.html

Interesting, I'll have to check that out. I've been using it for nine years now.

Edit:
Looks like I may have been lucky. I withdraw my recommendation.

[Volvo35]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Did it bend from the bouncing on the rear of the trailer? I know from seeing many going down the road that some ride smoothly and some bounce rather violently. I assume from differences in the rigidity of the hitch and bike rack attachment to the receiver.


Mine is pin box mounted so that I don't have to worry about it.

Yes, it was due to the bouncing at the rear, as we were crossing from BC towards eastern Canada. We trust our new one (we went ahead with a Swagman) will stand up to the rigours as we are making the exact same trip in July. Thanks for your comments.

[AZ Traveler]

Have had good luck with our Swagman XC2.

[jeffba]

Swagman makes 2 similar racks. One is rated for use with towed vehicles and one is not.
when we had our TT I used the one that is not on the front of the truck. It did not hold up well.

When I ordered it the seller did not tell me it was not rated for use when towing.

Tried it since it was the only one I cold find that would handle my recumbent.

[WeBeFulltime]

I use an inexpensive Allen 3 bike rack that bolts into the receiver instead of just using a pin and it comes with the bolts. Works great and has NO WOBBLE. Been using it full time for almost 9 years.

[Zinnman]

We just purchased two of the "Rad" City E-Bikes. Because of their weight we needed to upgrade to another bike rack method. Rad warns you NOT to mount the bikes on the back as they sway to much. I hated hauling bikes on the back as they bounce around a lot and twice they have come loose.


Thus we added a hitch to the front of our F350 and used a Hollywood rack, a bit expensive but what isn't in this hobby.


We are very pleased and can see the bikes and the road.

[cgeis48]

I really like the Swagman XTC2; it's well made and sturdy. Once you get the rack mounted into the receiver you will notice that there are threads in the hitch-pin hole. Make sure you tighten the hitch pin firmly. It will help to minimize any wobble. Purchase the Swagman Anti-Wobble 1/2" Universal Threaded Hitch Pin from Amazon too.

[bigred715]

We have the. XC2 and it works fine. Traveled across U.S. and many trips from Oregon to Mesa Arizona. I'll switch to the front of truck when not towing and it works fine there also.

[PNW Fireguy]

Originally Posted by Zinnman

We just purchased two of the "Rad" City E-Bikes. Because of their weight we needed to upgrade to another bike rack method. Rad warns you NOT to mount the bikes on the back as they sway to much. I hated hauling bikes on the back as they bounce around a lot and twice they have come loose.


Thus we added a hitch to the front of our F350 and used a Hollywood rack, a bit expensive but what isn't in this hobby.


We are very pleased and can see the bikes and the road.

We purchased two Rad e-bikes as well and you are correct that Rad dissuades their customers from attempting to mount the Hollywood rack they sell onto a towable vehicle. It is the Hollywood rack that is the problem as it’s design allows the lateral movements and vibrations to fatigue the metal and eventually will fail. Rad has some history with this issue if you read through the FAQs you will find a answer that basically tells the potential customer to buy another rack if you are determined to mount it on a towable.

The swagman Xc family is also not rated or designed to be installed on a towable. However as this thread shows there are folks that use it that way and have not had a problem or one that they know about. The E-trailer website does a good job of identifying the designed use installations for the bike racks that they sell. The swagman documentation for each type of rack also does the same.

We were all set to get a Hollywood until I stumbled upon the information that is was not intended for towable mounting. Again I am sure some folks have them installed in their towable but with a little internet research there are some very disappointed folks that have experienced the failures Rad and Swagman warn about.

If you are purchasing new do your homework and choose wisely. If you already have one of the types not rated for towable installation count your blessings and check your equipment.

[GreG L.]

This is the one I bought, 5th wheel approved and is solid, just junked the bumper part.


https://www.etrailer.com/RV-and-Camp...an/S64663.html

[mtlakejim]

We have something very similar to the Swagman xc2 that we bought at Academy. Really like the ease of loading and the solid lock down which is also very quick and easy.


One other mounting option is to put it on the rear of your truck with a drop down hitch so that the bikes sit lower than the truck bed rails. Your 5th wheel will NOT touch the bikes while it is turning there is plenty of room. I like this option better than having them on the front as you don't get a lot of bugs stuck to them, they are protected from the rain/road hazards, don't have to worry about bumping them into something if you get too close and they aren't out there in front of you which always kinda felt weird to me. Due to the angle of the rear view mirror we can still see the bike seats to assure they are riding ok. But like having them on the front bumper, you can take them with you while unhitched from the 5er which is really nice if say you want to go into a town and ride around.....


But the biggest advantage to having them on the rear bumper is it is the lowest mounting point so you don't have to lift the bikes very high (one reason I would never ever mount them on the 5th wheel hitch).


Other good thing about the Swagman style bike rack is you can use it in any receiver regardless of which mounting spot you prefer (front of truck, rear of truck, 5th wheel hitch or rear of trailer).

[Leftie Canuk]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Did it bend from the bouncing on the rear of the trailer? I know from seeing many going down the road that some ride smoothly and some bounce rather violently. I assume from differences in the rigidity of the hitch and bike rack attachment to the receiver.


Mine is pin box mounted so that I don't have to worry about it.

We too used a pin box mounted rack. The DW kept an eye on the bikes, motion was virtually none, and the rack manufacturer provided some mounting brackets CNC cut to the specific pin box. I strongly recommend going the pin box route, and check out how the mounting is accomplished. I would go for bolt-on over welded onto the pin box structure.

[srclink]

We have had the swagman 2-bike carrier on our rig since we bought it in 2011. No problems at all. However, I was concerned from Day One about the weight hanging out there on such a light weight receiver. So I purchased a cargo strap with an attached ratchet for tightening (less than $8 at Walmart) that I loop between the base of the carrier then to a point half way up the the rear ladder. Snug it up just enough to provide a more stable arrangement. It's cheap insurance and certainly hasn’t hurt.