How to Choose a Bike Rack for a Motor Home or RV

When traveling in a motorhome, there is often little to no room to transport bikes inside the coach. Since inside space is limited, the best solution is to carry the bikes on your motorhome's ladder, bumper, or hitch receiver. It is important to keep in mind that not all bike racks are approved for use on motorhomes. This guide will help you choose an approved motorhome bike rack to bring some two-wheeled fun along on your vacation.

Index

• Ladder-Mounted Racks
• Bumper-Mounted Racks
• Hitch-Mounted Racks

Ladder-Mounted Racks

One option for carrying bikes on your motorhome is with a ladder-mounted bike rack. These racks are designed to hang on the motorhome's rear ladder. The bikes are secured on the rack vertically, with the front tire closer to the ground.

Ladder-mounted racks are great for carrying 2, relatively lightweight, bikes. When your motorhome doesn't have a bumper or a hitch receiver, a ladder-mount rack is a great option. These racks secure to the rear-facing ladder rack, and can either be rotated or easily removed in order to use your ladder to access your roof.

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Bumper-Mounted Racks

For motorhomes that have a 4 inch x 4 inch or 4-1/2 inch x 4-1/2 inch rear, steel, continuously welded bumper, a bumper-mounted bike rack is a great option. It is important to make sure the motorhome's bumper is a steel construction with a weld that stretches the length of the bumper, otherwise the bumper may not support the weight of the rack and bikes.

Bumper-mount racks will allow you to carry 2 or more bikes without requiring a trailer hitch on the motorhome. A bumper-mounted rack also leaves the ladder completely open for roof access or other cargo storage at the campsite.

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Hitch-Mounted Racks

Hitch mounted bike racks are a great solution for carrying bikes on a motorhome. Many motorhomes come with a trailer hitch already installed, making a hitch-mounted bike rack an easy solution. Hitch mounted racks come in 2-, 3-, and 4-bike designs and both hanging and platform rack styles.

A benefit to hitch-mounted bike racks is that they will also work well on your vehicle when you aren't camping. Hitch bike racks fit standard 2 inch hitch receivers, just like those found on many vehicles. If you flat tow a vehicle behind your motorhome, a hitch mounted rack will allow you to transfer the bikes from the motorhome to the towed vehicle when you want to leave for the trail.

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Another option to use a hitch-mounted rack is to use a bumper-mounted hitch receiver. These hitches provide a 2 inch receiver at the bumper to allow you to carry a hitch-mounted bike rack at the bumper. Installing a bumper-mounted receiver won't require any welding or drilling like installing a frame mounted hitch receiver. These bumper-mounted hitch receivers also require a steel, continuously welded bumper.

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Have you considered a front mount hitch?

For Class C motorhomes, another option is to use a front mount hitch and carry a bike rack at the front of your motorhome. This allows the bikes to remain in the sight of the driver and reduces the amount of torque exerted on the rack and bikes compared to the back of the motorhome.

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Written by: Victoria B

Updated on: 5/8/2017