Carrying Bikes on an RV While Flat Towing a Jeep

Updated 03/25/2019 | Published 03/22/2019

Question:

We have a class C motorhome which tows our Jeep Cherokee and we want to mount our bikes when traveling. With so many options on bike racks we want your opinion on which way would be best for us. Our Jeep has a standard hitch we could mount from, but we dont want to possibly scratch or damage the paint on the vehicle, same goes for any mount on RV. Both the RV and Jeep are new so we dont want any damage to either. We could put them on the roof of our Jeep, but were wondering how that would work with wind resistance. Our bikes are very light road bikes so weight isnt an issue with any mount.

asked by: B R

Expert Reply:

I recommend using a hitch mounted bike carrier on the back of the motorhome with a dual adapter like part # RM-077-6. The correct hitch adapter you need depends on if you need a rise or drop in order to tow the Jeep level. I've linked our complete selection for you.

You could use a hitch mounted rack on the back of the Jeep but there's a lot of movement on the back of a towed vehicle and most racks aren't rated to handle the additional stress so your rack choices would be very limited. You could also use the Jeep's roof, like you mentioned but loading is a lot more of a hassle and there is the added wind resistance as well.

You didn't say how many bikes so I've linked all of the bike racks we carry that are rated for the back of a motorhome for you. One popular option that carries 2 bikes is the Thule Doubletrack, part # TH92BJ. It's well liked because the arms can be ratcheted down to almost any frame style bike so it'll carry a lot of styles. Since your bikes are light the 35 pound per bike capacity will be plenty and plus it includes locks for the rack and for the bikes.

expert reply by: Charles S