What Hitch Bike Rack do You Recommend for 2 Bikes on a Travel Trailer?  

Question:

Expert Reply:

For a great bike rack for your travel trailer, I recommend the Swagman Escapee Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount # S64693. The Swagman Escapee was produced with brute force in mind. Not only does it have a 60-pound per-bike weight capacity, it also is manufactured in a way to withstand the extra force/torque exerted on the rack when mounted on the rear of a travel trailer. Another great thing about it is the wheel-mount attachment style. With this style, you do not have to purchase an additional bike frame adapter bar for women's bikes, step-thru bikes, or children's bikes. As far as theft-deterrence, the Escapee comes with locks to protect the bikes and the rack itself. Since the rack only weighs 65 pounds, you have plenty of weight capacity available.

If you need a hitch receiver, I recommend the Adjustable Width Trailer Hitch Receiver for RVs, 22" to 66" Wide # C13704. The Curt hitch includes adjustable brackets that are compatible with frames 22-66 inches wide. In order to make sure it will fit your frame, I recommend measuring you frame from left to right. Also, the Curt receiver comes with a gloss outer coat over the base powder coat that provides superior rust and corrosion experience.

expert reply by: Bob C

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Cheryl F.

1/1/0001

Thank you for your response! My bike does have fenders. I can remove them if needed. Do you have a recommendation for a rack that would work with fenders? Also, I saw on your site, Bike Rack Adapter for Stromberg Carlson Hitch Mounted Cargo Carrier. We also have a cargo carrier, and I was wondering if this would also work for our e-bikes, or if you would recommend this as a safe option? I also looked at the cargo carrier you recommended for the bike adapter, in case ours did not work. Thank you, and look forward to your response.

Cheryl F.

1/1/0001

I have one more question. We have put a 2 inch receiver on the bumper of the travel trailer versus a mounted hitch directly on the RV. Does that make a difference? The warranty on the RV is voided if we put a mounted hitch on the RV.

Bob C.

2/24/2022

Thanks so much for that information! As far as your bike with fenders, we do have a rack that completely avoids the wheels and is rated to use on a travel trailer. For that route, I recommend the Swagman E-Spec Bike Rack for 2 Electric Bikes - 2" Hitches # S94FR. The E-Spec is designed for brute strength and comes with a mighty 70 pound per-bike weight capacity. If your bikes are women's-style frames, step-thru frames, or children's frames, you need a bike frame adapter bar # 64005 to use with the E-Spec. This bar provides a straight, horizontal plane that is required to attach to the ratcheting hooks of the rack. Also, if you have fat tires that are between 3-5 inches wide, you need the Swagman Fat Tire Adapter Kit # S64679. As far as the Bike Rack Adapter for Stromberg Carlson Hitch Mounted Cargo Carrier # CC-125, even though this might technically work on your cargo carrier, the bolt holes are designed to go with the mesh-style platform on Stromberg Carlson cargo carriers like the # CC-100. For this reason and the fact that the adapters are frustrating to adjust to match the length of your bikes, I recommend going with the E-Spec. Also, the adapters only fit bike tires up to 2-1/4" wide.

Bob C.

2/24/2022

The only difference a bumper-mounted receiver might make compared to a frame-mounted receiver is the weight capacity available (depending on the model of hitches used). However, since the E-Spec only weighs 60 pounds and your bikes are a total of approximately 77 pounds, I recommend the Stromberg Carlson 2" Motor Home Hitch Receiver for RV Bumpers # BA-100. This hitch clamps right onto standard 4 inch x 4 inch or 4-1/2 inch x 4 inch RV bumpers. It also comes with a 200 pounds weight capacity, which is plenty of capacity that you need for your application. In order to make sure your bumper is compatible, I recommend measuring the height and width of your bumper to make sure the brackets of the # BA-100 fit.