Recommended Bike Rack Options for Rear of Camper Trailer

Published 01/14/2016

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Question:

Could you recommend a full swing away receiver mounted bike carrier for use on the rear of a pop-up camper? I was thinking of something like TH9031XT, TH9027, Y02465, Y02464, SR2415, or 51953. Ideally the bikes could still be loaded on the carrier while we set up the trailer. I saw mention on a QandA for a RV hitch that due to the extra bounce and motion of the rear of the trailer, it is best to get a bike carrier that is made to handle it. The post answer also stated it would be a good idea to add a bungee cord from the carrier to the bumper to keep down any excess play. The other requirements for the bike carrier is that wed like to carry as many bikes as we can, especially kids bikes, and we dont care if the carrier folds up or not.

asked by: Adrian G

Expert Reply:

You are correct that any accessory item to be installed on the rear of a trailer (or a motor home) must be built specifically to handle the vertical and lateral forces that are found there. Standard bike racks that are made for use on a passenger car with a hitch receiver cannot withstand these forces. The greater the distance from the rear axle to the rear of the camper (where the rack will be) the greater the stresses placed on the rack.

We do offer RV-rated bike carriers in various types including hitch-mounts like Swagman S64400, and bumper-mounts like Swagman # S80600 , and also roof-mount and ladder-mount varieties, among others. The linked page will show you all. These include both hanging style and platform style racks up to a 4-bike capacity. However, none of these racks offers a swing-away feature. This is because that swing mechanism would not be able to handle the forces at the back of your camper.

The two linked articles on RV bike racks will give you a good starting point for deciding which rack type will best fit your camper and your bikes.

expert reply by: Adam R