Using Dual Hitch Adapter For Bike Rack and Small Travel Trailer

Updated 05/01/2021 | Published 04/30/2021

Products Featured in This Question

Roadmaster Dual Hitch Receiver Adapter, 2 " or 8" Drop/Rise

(1010)

$234.71

Roadmaster Dual Hitch Receiver Adapter for Tow Bars - 2" Hitches - 2-1/4" Rise/Drop

(1010)

$230.29

Question:

I have a 2019 T@B Boondock Edge travel trailer. I want to modify my current 2X2inch ball hitch to accept a bike rack while towing. I recently met someone who uses a MAXX Dual Hitch Adjuster Part No. 70070 with a similar travel trailer and mounts his bike rack in the upper aperture. Do you recommend this? Do you have this part? Anything else I should consider? Thanks

asked by: David

Expert Reply:

You could use a dual hitch adapter like the MaxxTow # MT70070, however doing so will reduce the tongue weight capacity of your hitch by half. You'll want to take a look at the ID sticker on your hitch, and find the tongue weight rating printed there.

If the tongue weight of the fully loaded travel trailer plus the weight of the bikes and the rack they're carried on does not exceed half the listed hitch tongue weight, then you'd be safe to use an adapter like the # MT70070. If it does exceed half that rating, the extra leverage caused by moving the load further away from the hitch would increase the leverage applied to the hitch which could cause the hitch or its attachment points to the vehicle to fail.

If the tongue weight of the trailer plus the weight of the bikes and the rack DOES exceed half the hitch tongue weight rating, I cannot recommend using the extender. What you could do is install a front mounted receiver like part # 65070 and carry the bikes on the front of the truck.

The Roadmaster # RM-077-8 you'd looked at isn't designed for towing a trailer, so I couldn't recommend using that.

I've linked to a description video of the dual hitch adapter, plus to an install video for the front mounted receiver.

expert reply by: Mike L