Bicycle and Kayak Rack

Question

We own a Class C RV. We wanted to bring our two bicycles and two kayaks with us when we are not towing a car. We don't want to put them inside the RV either. I did some Internet research and a couple people use a trailer hitch rack and stand the kayaks straight up. We have a rack https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BJP4INA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 but didn't want to stand them up. I started to build a "stand-up" rack. It was way too unsteady for me. We couldn't lay the kayaks flat on the rack as they blocked the taillights of the RV. I had an epiphany. How about raising the rack... and while we are at it, let's get the bikes in on this.

So, my solution was to use a hitch extender/splitter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VGL7LG8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I bought some 2" steel tubing(3 feet tall) and welded a "female" hitch receiver on the top of the tubing. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CXXI4XC/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_17?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1RR21OH67WY5G on the top of the tubing. I also welded a male ball mount that I already had https://www.amazon.com/CURT-45030-Class-Ball-Mount/dp/B000P3WW12/ref=sr_1_25?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1504317420&sr=1-25&keywords=hitch+ball+mount to the bottom of the tubing.

The "splitter" allows me to use the kayak rack modified hitch along with a bike rack to bring the bikes and kayaks.

sacdan · Answer

http://s145.photobucket.com/user/sacdan/library/

2chiefsrus · Answer

nice!  easy to understand with your photos too!

passin__through · Answer

Nice work on the combo rack, sacdan. Do you have any trouble with side-to-side movement while underway? The reason I ask is because I built a vertical storage rack for our kayaks (Sundolphins, just like yours). It is just a 2x2 square steel tube column with two 3/4" sch. 40 pipe horizontal bars to hold the kayaks. The rack mounts in the receiver hitch in the back of our 5er. I found there was quite a bit of side-to-side sway and had to add extensions to the trailer frame on either side of the hitch receiver to use as anchor points that I could tie the column to with ratchet straps to eliminate the movement. Think of a triangle at the bottom of the rack, with its apex about 1/3 of the way up the column.

bob_e_ · Answer

How long are those kayaks?  Seems you could get into some trouble being over-wide.

sacdan · Answer

It does move a little. It has extra metal welded at an angle to give it support.

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