Bicycle Carrying Options

While it is hard to find a fixed Hitch Bike Carrier (Yakima), as most have switched to a swing away carrier, it still can be modified. I had an old Yakima 4 Bike Carrier that was used with an extension due to a spare tire. I took the 2 1/2" hitch tube, cut it shorter, drilled a new hitch bolt hole and painted it. It fits right into my Ranch Hand Front Bumper mount, closer to the Ranch Hand bumper now.

The next issue was the bikes were much too high while I was seated in the Driver's seat. I have a Ford truck with 4X4 and it already sets high. I took the Yakima 4 Bike rack, again, and cut off (shortened from the top) the vertical tube, predrilled the holes necessary for the cross bar that holds the bikes, painted it and it was good to go, with full sized adult mountain bikes and now out of the sight line for the driver.

b

We used to use a 4 inch drop when our front receiver was too high.
With our current SUV the bikes ride above the hood but we can see thru them just fine. We don't drive at night because the headlights glare off the bikes.
I can send you photos if you send me your email address since I don't know how to attach photos to this message.

I had the opposite problem. The add on front hitch on the truck carried the bikes too low, especially when crossing ditches or creeks. I got a Swagman Traveler XC2 two bike platform RV rack for two bikes with 2 inch receiver hitch. I had a welding shop cut and extend the hitch tube and raise the bikes about four inches. He used two inch tubing to do that by stacking it.

Bikes
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............ Hitch Hole end/Bumper

Don't know if this diagram will post right but here goes.

You might be able to do the same thing by dropping it.

Here's an option, however we now put them on our ladder as its a little handier.

Chuck

Harbor Freight 15" extension with built-in step. For our arrangement, it's nearly perfect. There's a 2" to 1.25" adapter to fit the bike rack that extends it farther, yet. I used a couple of hitch clamps (not in photos) to help take the sway out of the receiver/hitch connections. A ratchet strap (also not pictured) from the bumper around the rack and back to the bumper (triangle) eliminates the rest of the sway, keeping the bikes/rack solid.




Auxillary turn and brake lights on the rack:

bka0721 wrote:
While it is hard to find a fixed Hitch Bike Carrier (Yakima), as most have switched to a swing away carrier, it still can be modified. I had an old Yakima 4 Bike Carrier that was used with an extension due to a spare tire. I took the 2 1/2" hitch tube, cut it shorter, drilled a new hitch bolt hole and painted it. It fits right into my Ranch Hand Front Bumper mount, closer to the Ranch Hand bumper now.

The next issue was the bikes were much too high while I was seated in the Driver's seat. I have a Ford truck with 4X4 and it already sets high. I took the Yakima 4 Bike rack, again, and cut off (shortened from the top) the vertical tube, predrilled the holes necessary for the cross bar that holds the bikes, painted it and it was good to go, with full sized adult mountain bikes and now out of the sight line for the driver.

b

After checking out all options this is about the same as I had to do. I haul a boat along with camper most of the time so I had to modify what was available to be able to haul bikes in the front.

When we add a cargo tray as a generator station, extra water tank and fuel tank storage and steps I had the welder drill a receiver pin hole in the upper square tubing in the center of the cargo tray to mount our bike rack onto. Granted it sets back there with the other stuff but is higher than it would be coming out of the truck receiver so no ground dragging, and we can still enter and exit the camper without removing the bikes for stops here and there. Everything connects together with locking receiver pins. When towing a trailer with the FJ on it the tray simply mounts in it's receiver till we get where we're going to unload. The horse trailer we haul sometimes also, has a bumper receiver in the back for the cargo tray minus the bikes of course. Now that DOES require removal for my kids horse to enter and exit. Maybe look a bit like gypsies on occasion but it works fine.

I use this one, the brand is sportwing. It's made by Cequent the parent company of Reese. It's nice because it handles odd frames as it holds the bikes by the wheels. There is also some adjustment for height by moving the brackets although limited because of the wheelbase of the bike.



http://www.amazon.com/Highland-1375500-SportWing-Mounted-Carrier/dp/B004O5IDHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422565131&sr=8-1&keywords=sportwing+bike+rack&pebp=1422565134239&peasin=B004O5IDHE

Other than making it work on the front..drop hitch-modifying rack etc,
For some reason my 1st thought was a custom built rack incorporated onto the rear slide wall.

http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/weekly-blog/bike-solutions-for-truck-campers

if you have a rear seat , scroll to end of thread for pic.http://forums.trailerlife.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26397805/print/true.cfm