Class I bumper hitch for bike rack

Question

Hello All,I just converted my tow vehicle from truck to van and so I lost my bed space for the bikes.  I have what appears to be a Class I (1-1/4") hitch welded to the bumper of my TT.  Is there a place to get technical support for what that hitch might be usable for?  In particular I'm considering a 1-1/4" to 2" adapter and then my 4 bicycle rack.  Is that hitch likely to hang on with that kind of bending load?  The camper is a 2008 Keystone Freedom Lite 279 TB.  This hitch appears to be stock or factory.  I don't know how to get a photo on here.I pulled the following from Reese, but they don't know how the hitch was installed, right?Class I - Light trailers and accessories only•Class I hitches are weight carrying (WC) hitches rated up to 2000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a 200 lbs. maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) •A Class I hitch usually has a 1-1/4" square receiver opening.•A higher class ball mount does not increase the towing capacity of the hitch.•Class I hitches usually attach to the bumper, truck pan or vehicle frame.

captainlarry · Answer

Here's the photo...maybe...

camp-n-family · Answer

Looks like it's only welded to thin steel plate under the bumper, not nearly strong enough to take the stresses of 4 bikes bouncing back there. The thin tubing of a class 1 hitch may not be either. You're going to need a proper 2" receiver welded to the frame rails. Even then, 4 bikes bouncing on a rack is sketchy. Trailers bounce a lot more than vehicles.

drewe · Answer

That does look like a class I or II hitch (hard to tell which from the outside). It looks like it's attached to an angle iron of slightly heavier stuff than a typical travel trailer bumper, but still doesn't look overly sturdy.

Likely it was meant for a bike rack or similar accessory, and I guess should work in that role. I would suggest getting a rack that has a 1 1/4" shank on it rather than using the adapter; such racks are not hard at all to find. The adapter would only add weight, looseness, and lever arm length and hence stresses on the mount. I'd also keep an eye on how it holds up and be prepared to discontinue use if needed.

fizz · Answer

It's the sway you have to worry about not the weight.
Find a way to attach the top of the bike rack to the trailer.
I have a stiff metal bar bolted to the rack and lagged into a trailer wall stud. Never had a problem after 1000's of miles.

tatest · Answer

My bike rack is designed for a 1 1/4 inch receiver. There are a lot of bike racks available like that, as the market is huge, with most minivans and small SUVs coming with Class I or Class II hitches.

You need to find out the rating of that particular hitch. 200 pounds max for Class I, 300 for Class II, but that is max, as installed it could be rated less than maximum for class.

I would not put a carrying load on an adapter that extends that class of hitch. The weight carried rating is about bending loads on the hitch, you don't want to give the load any more leverage than necessary.

Best lightweight bike rack I had was a bolt-on to a flimsy import car bumper (back when cars had exposed bumpers). It worked because the bending moments were carried by a pair of straps running forward to the front edge of the deck lid. There are bike racks today using the same principle, but on a TT you would need to find a place to anchor the straps. Or for a rack without straps, you might still improvise something to stabilize the top of the bike rack.

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Class I bumper hitch for bike rack

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