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This 4-bike rack is perfect for a family who travels. Anti-sway cradles secure your bikes by the top tube and seat post. Heavy-duty frame handles the extra bounce and sway that results from being mounted on the back of your RV.
Features:
Specs:
Built for RVs
The Swagman Trailhead is built to withstand the added vibration and stress that comes from being installed on the back of your RV. The base has no moving parts, and the mast attaches to the shank with steel-reinforced brackets. These overbuilt components ensure that the rack can take any punishment that the road may inflict.
Dual Folding Arms with Anti-Sway Cradles
The Trailhead has dual folding arms that provide excellent support for your bikes. They slope up to provide ground clearance for steep driveways and bumpy roads.
To fold the arms down, remove the pull pin at the top of the mast. This leaves a smaller footprint, so you can keep the rack on your vehicle to park in your garage. And when stored in this configuration, it doesn't take up as much space in your garage.
Anti-sway cradles with rubber straps hold your bikes firmly in place. Each set of cradles has three straps that secure your bike along the top tube and one that secures the seat post or downtube. This multi-point contact helps keep your bikes from rocking back and forth, reducing bike-to-bike contact. The soft rubber cradles rotate around the rack's arms to accommodate bikes of different styles and shapes.
A threaded hitch pin is included to help eliminate rattle in the hitch receiver during transport. To tighten the pin in your hitch, use a 5/8" wrench (not included). A clip is also included to keep the pin in place.
Available Seccurity and Adapter Bar
An anti-rattle hitch lock and cable lock (sold separately) are available to secure the rack to your vehicle and your bikes to the rack.
If you have a women's bike, kid's bike, or any other bike without a straight, horizontal top tube, you will need an adapter bar (sold separately) to properly mount your bike. The bar fits between the seat post and handlebar stem post of your bike to create a top tube so your bike hangs level on the rack.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (540 Customer Reviews)
This 4-bike rack is perfect for a family who travels. Anti-sway cradles secure your bikes by the top tube and seat post. Heavy-duty frame handles the extra bounce and sway that results from being mounted on the back of your RV.
Unfortunately, I cannot make a great review for this bike rack. Two issues. The first, even though it is ‘designed’ for four bicycles, getting three on there is more realistic. The second issue is that it hasn’t held up very well. One of the support bars that the bikes rest on actually bent. The bike rack is supposed to be able to carry four bicycles and we only used it for two adult and a child’s bike. I am considering replacing it with a supporting design instead of this hanging design.
Jenny N.
12/2/2022
This bike rack is a good entry level rack however with a hanging bike rack it can be a challenge to maneuver 4 bikes to hang properly. With a mix of adult and childrens bikes using bike adapter bars with the childrens and womens bikes will allow them to hang easily. I have linked the bars that we carry below. You mentioned that a platform rack would suit your needs better. I recommend part # HR1400Z for you. As the 4 bike platform rack is a bigger rack I also have a 4 bike hanging rack that gives more space to hang the bikes on. It is part # Y02476.
Swagman Trailhead 4 Bike rack on 2015 Nissan Xterra. Solidly built, easy to install and carry two mountain bikes. Stable at 75 mph and over bumps. An excellent value.
Allan
5/25/2018
The bike rack is very solid and easy to install. Weve enjoyed using it over a year. We just purchased a womans mountain bike for my wife and with the more sloped center bar, its a challenge to mount the bike. Others may also find this a problem.
Rachael H.
5/29/2018
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Wow. This bike rack is solid. I have it installed on my truck for now and will move it to the back of our Jayco 1207 before our trip.
Chris B.
5/17/2018
Still loving my rack and lock.
We use this bike rack extensively on the rear of our travel trailer. We carried 3-4 bikes for about 5,000 miles over 23 days without a single issue. The bike rack couldn't have performed better. I have a rear mounted camera that stays on while I drive down the road so I could actually see the bikes and rack to make sure they remained stable...and they did, even over some bumpy roads.
NOTE: trailer bumpers are not designed to hold anything other than a sewer hose. Visit a local welder to beef up your chassis and bumper before just simply adding a receiver hitch. You need to have a professional welder do this; pay the money...it will be worth it. Had a friend who's bike rack failed because the receiver wasn't properly mounted.
Mike L.
11/2/2018
The strength of the rear bumper will typically depend on the metal its constructed of and how the bumper is welded. Typically a continuously welded steel bumper is pretty strong.
Bike rack worked out very well. I had to buy a couple of additional hanging bars to compensate for a beach cruiser type bike to hang correctly.
Bike rack was assembled very well, it also has a non-rattle hitch pin which screws into the bike rack through the hitch.
The straps and holding bumpers are also well built. The holding bumpers rotate into 3 different positions to account for different frame types.
Johng
7/17/2017
Used it several times in the past year and am still fully satisfied.
Works very good. I've used it many times on short trips and a few long trips over 150 miles.I was most impressed that when I first ordered the rack for my camper, I was told after it had arrived that the original rack would not work as intended and could fail under the right conditions. After reviewing other racks online I called customer service and was told the correct rack to buy and if I paid to send the original one back etrailer would send the right one to me with free shipping. That's what I call great customer service, Thanks again.
Edward
5/29/2017
It,s been a great bike rack with no issues, would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a bike rack to buy.
We love our new bike rack!!! And since I bought the wrong kind to start with from another web site, the technical info I received from etrailer was the key in picking out one that would work on the back of our camper. So far it's been flawless....
Carl O.
8/12/2020
At the one year mark, we continue to be very pleased with our bike rack. while we havent used it with our camper as much as we would like, we did use it last month and it continues to be flawless.
Sturdy product. Used for the first time recently behind a travel trailer, in the Adirondacks - New York. It held strong over bumpy mountain passes.
Very speedy delivery 3 days, to Canada, over July 1st and July 4th holidays.
Mike B.
7/28/2015
Its still going strong....Its handled lots of rain and some long hauls. Excellent product one year in...
I purchased this to attach to my travel trailer. I haul 4 full size bikes on it every time we go camping and it hasn't failed me yet. I didn't send in a review because I wanted to put it to the ultimate test when we went on a 2500 mile round trip camping trip. This bike rack performed flawlessly. It's fairly easy to attach the bikes to it, even when there's 4 of them. The ONLY thing I am trying to upgrade is the lock washer that holds the bike rack to the hitch. With the bouncing weight of the bikes, the split lock washer smashes completely because I tighten it a LOT and it just can't take it. I'm looking for a flat washer that has teeth in it instead of the split washer. Overall though, this bike rack is fantastic! I would definitely recommend it and will buy it again if I need to.
Nothing extravagant about the product. It does what is purchased for: transporting a bike via bike frame.
I had to get this for my fat bike did not fit on my bike rack platform. I saved money going with this and it does the job. It isn't as secure as some of the other options but to be fair those "security" options on products such as Thule aren't hard to bypass.
If you want security use a cable and/or chain and anchor it to the tow-hitch through the frame. Speaking of security the loading pin is nothing more than a bolt that I tighten using a wrench. So the form of security in that sense is the thief not having a wrench or at least not the right wrench to do the job.
So in the end it does what I need it to do. Nothing bad and nothing great about it, just right for the job. Like a meal that solves the issue of you being hungry, but isn't all that satisfying.
I should have watched the videos as the issues I have with the unit are now easily spotted.
(1) It is not easy to work a bike to the inner most mounting location. You're twisting and turning to get over and around the mounting brackets. (2) The bikes are held on by the main tube which also has brake lines running by. The brake lines are held to the tube in such a manner that any bump on the road will slightly twist the lines which rub against the tube and ultimately seem to stretch the brake lines.
On a positive side, the bikes are held out far enough to miss a bumper mounted spare tire.
Find an RV mount that supports bikes by the wheels.
Sturdy. Reason I didn't give it a 5 is because my Trek 8.1 male hybrid isn't a step through, but doesn't have a bar running parallel to the ground either... somewhere in between. Makes the bike a bit of a struggle to load past the rubber keepers. All my other bikes work great. Ok... so I copy and pasted the photo from Trek's site. But it illustrates my issue.
Bill K.
6/7/2016
Ive only used it twice in the past year. My Trek Hybrid doesnt fit well on it. My Giant road bike fits well.
Well built bike rack rated for 5th wheel. Great to do business with.
Kevin M.
9/23/2019
Great! The one exception is the locking, anti-rattle hitch pin. The head of the bolt is neither standard or metric. I have to put it on with a crescent wrench which works but not convenient. The videos state that either a 7/8 or 19mm socket will fit depending on which locking pin you purchase. 15/16 or 24mm is what actually fits the bolt. If a had a 23mm socket, it would probably be a better fit. Love the bike rack and the ability to lock it in place, just not happy that the bolt was not the size that was stated on the videos.
Jon G.
9/30/2019
My wife and I have been more than pleased with the bicycle rack purchases to be used primarily on the back of our 5th wheel. We have traveled from Kansas to Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, without a speck of trouble, and have used it on the rear of my truck when traveling shorter distances from the campsite to get to trailheads. The fold down function is especially handy and prevents inadvertent head knockers when the trailer is at camp and the bicycles are not attached. The tie down straps are sturdy, and I would recommend this product to others.
I bought this bike rack because it was the only one I could find that was rated for the back of a camper. I wanted a 2-bike rack, but this company only made a a4-bike rack, so my son very obligingly cut it down to a 2-bike size with pipe cutters. Kids are handy.....
So I’ve owned this bike rack for a year. I travel for three months in winter with my Scamp camper and the rack held up perfectly!! Superior product for sure. Dealing with Etrailer has been pleasant and professional. This year I ordered a bike cover from them. There was a short delay with the order and I received a call from the saleswoman about this matter just letting me know the expected delivery date and was that going to be a problem for me. It wasn’t, but i sure appreciated the call.
Am I happy with products and service? You bet!!! Great company.
Thanks, Etrailer!!
This product was recommended by etrailer for the back of a travel trailer for its stability. It attaches securely to the rear bumper and attaches to the hitch with a locking bolt. It is extremely stable and transfers easily to the back of my Jeep. Customer Service was excellent when I had some questions. They recommended I purchase the model that does not fold down side the travel trailer bounces so much. I traveled for 3 months with bikes in tow with no problems.
I bought this bike rack to use with a Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver Class III for a Crosstrek 2018. So far no issues, pleased with the purchase. I am also using the Swagman Anti-rattle Hitch/cable Lock, which was easy to install. My only complaints are 1) the pin that allows the top part of the rack to be folded becomes easily stuck when removing/inserting and 2) depending on the bike frame, it may not be possible to mount on this rack. Regarding number 2, I have a mountain bike that does not fit on the rubber cradles. I was able to remove the outermost cradles (they slide off after removing the safety screws) and placing the bike on the horizontal polls themselves (with some padding using rags and reinstalling the cradles to prevent bike from sliding). Overall these are minor comments and for the price I really can't complain.
This is an excellent bike rack, with little or no swan on the back of a trailer. Do your a favor and research; the torque of a bicycle on the back of a trailer is different than that on a car. This type of rack is what you need if you are hauling back from your trailer, rv or fifth wheel. Best of luck!
Great bike rack. I used it on the back of a rented Cruise America RV and drove over 1200 miles round trip including onto the Playa at Burning Man. We had 3 bikes one of which was a heavy electric bike and the rack worked perfectly. I did need to use a bar for the 2 girls bikes. One might have worked without it but it was borderline and I had purchased the bars just in case.
Great 4 bike rack for use on a RV (especially when the receiver is 2-3" under the bumper as most Cruise Am RVs are.)
After 3 trips (1,200 miles) have found this product to work well on our trailer. Pin on fold down top rack is an extremely tight fit which is great. Torqued the threaded hitch bolt and everything is still tight and no wiggle. I did remove the 4th bike holder so I have more space for our three bikes.... road bike, women’s 26” and girls 24”. Rick solid product. Arrived day 2 after order.
I received the product in excellent condition. I have used it once and have mixed reviews.
The bike cradles are not as good as those on my Yakima but I believe that they will work fine. The bike does rock more than I expected.
The assembly was straight forward but concerning. The main bolts in the base called for a 45 foot-pound torque spec. There were two bolts that needed to be installed. These torqued out very well. However the next sentence in the instructions were to ensure that all of the bolts were "tight". Given that the bolts were all the same size I assumed the 45 foot-pounds was also the target. The vertical tube is slightly buckled as it started to crush well before I hit 45 foot-pounds.
I looked around for a long time for a sturdy bike rack to put on the back of my motorhome, because I already had 1 bike come loose from a popular brand name rack while only on my car. The Swagman 4 bike, 2" rack is very sturdy. The bolt really tightens it to the hitch. Although I wish it tilted down to be able to get into the diesel engine compartment to check fluids while the bikes are on. But I would rather have the security than the convenience. The double straps on each cradle are secure. Being able to rotate the cradles allow accommodation of a bunch of frame styles.
I bought the 4 bike rack to hold 3 bikes - 2 for me, 1 for the wife - so I removed the 4th cradle. That gives a lot of room. I'm not sure how you could put 4 bikes on the rack unless they were perhaps all road bikes.
I haven't actually been out on the road with it yet.
This carrier has survived use on the back of our 5th wheel. Seems to be constructed well. I have only had 3 bikes on at one time though. Depending on the bikes frame configuration some are harder to get positioned due to the triangular rests.
Ordered the Swagman Trailhead 4-bike rack on-line from e-trailer, best price I could find, plus they upgraded my shipping at no extra cost. The rack is very well made and works great behind my 5th wheel. I Would definitely recommend this bike rack and e-trailer.
I ordered the Swagman 4-bike rack for 2" hitches. The sales person on the telephone was very courteous, and recorded my order and credit card information in a very friendly and efficient manner. And, as she stated, it was delivered very soon thereafter. I have already used this rack, and find it to be high quality, well built, strong, and suitable for my needs. I am very pleased with this etrailer.com experience, and will be a return customer in the future.
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Condition: Installed
Notes: Item has been installed/test fit.
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Jenny N.
11/25/2022
I have reached out to Swagman about your experience with the bike rack. They wanted to know the makes and models of the bikes that you use with the rack. Also, I wanted to ask if you were using a bike adapter bar with any of the bikes?