Looking for recommendations on a two bike rack

[Hemi_Joel]

Hi, I'm looking for recommendations on a bike rack to hold two bicycles to bring them with on road trips. I have a triple slide camper, and the roof access ladder is mounted on the rear slide. I'm not sure that I want to hang the weight of two bicycles on that. So I'm thinking of a receiver hitch mounted bike rack on a hitch extender.

Has anybody got experience with any of these?
Is there any particular brand and model that is best or most suitable for this application?

Anything I should be aware of before I buy something?

Thanks, Joel

[covered_wagon]

JoeChiOhki wrote:
Here's my review on a swing away two bike locking hitch based bike rack that I used in the past with my camper:

New Swing away Bike rack for Behind the Camper

Matt, mine swings the bikes out and around the corner of the camper to the side. I got a new Yakima swing away for 300 bucks because only the carton was damaged. I get lucky once in awhile.

[Hemi_Joel]

Thanks for all the replies! Great information so far.
In my situation, the entry door to the camper is on the side of the camper. So I don't have a concern about the bicycles obstructing entry. But if I mount them on the back, the rear slide out hitting the bicycles is a concern. If the bicycles are mounted low low enough to clear the slide when it opens, they could hit the ground on a steep approach, if they are high enough to clear the ground in any situation, the slide will hit them when it opens. So something movable would be necessary.

[jamesinkster]

In our situation, a swing-away rack wasn't ideal (we already have a North Shore Rack, which also gets out of the way...). We didn't like having the bikes hang that extra length off the back, on an already long rig. Also, we use a hitch-step, not stairs, so access to the camper is much harder with a bike rack plugged in

[JoeChiOhki]

Here's my review on a swing away two bike locking hitch based bike rack that I used in the past with my camper:

New Swing away Bike rack for Behind the Camper

[covered_wagon]

Look into what is called a 'Swing Away Bike Rack' Love mine because it swings out of the way nicely on the rear hitch. My bikes swing away from the back door and reach around the corner of the camper. Mine is a Yakima swing away with a Thule hanging bike rack. There are a few brands with varying dimensions so you want to scrutinize each one. Most importantly look at all the critical reviews about each one. Also any videos too.

[jamesinkster]

We didn't want our nice bikes on the front of the truck, and wanted to keep our hitch for a step/tray, so I mounted appropriately sized Kuat Dirtbag fork mounts onto the rear wall of the camper (reinforced with a large 1/4" thick stainless plate):
https://www.kuat.com/product/dirtbag/

It's a bit finnicky getting the right mount alignment (you have to stagger the mounts vertically or your handlebars will conflict), but otherwise a no-brainer.

We remove the front wheels and keep them in the camper.

Works great.

[jimh406]

In my experience, a front hitch keeps the bike out of the way for the most part. I find a rear hitch to get as dirty or dirtier from the dirt/dust. I live on a gravel road, the back of our cars is alway noticeably more dirty than the front.

As far as hitch goes, I have a Capstone. You will have to add a front hitch to carry on the front. New brands are coming out all of the time. I would get something that has hoops big enough for a fat tire bike in case you go that way in the future.

[rinkmom899]

We have a host mammoth and use a kuat NV 2 with a ramp. We use a 48" Reese extension and carry 2 Verve 3 e bikes. (55lbs each) We are able to open our slide with the bikes on the rack. At times we also add a Malone kayak trailer by using an over under hitch. Just be sure to take bikes off the rack before you try to take camper off the truck.

[mike_kellie]

You can find assorted drops for hitch heights. I inverted a 6" drop I had to a 6" rise that fit our Jeep better

[Hemi_Joel]

I could triangulate the mounting of the bike rack with ratchet straps going from the center of the rack out to the corners of the truck to keep it stable, either on the front or the back.

[Hemi_Joel]

I did some measuring tonight. If the very bottom of my bicycles wheels were level with the top of the receiver hitch, the slide would just barely clear the top of the bicycle. So I could open the slide without even thinking about the bicycles. But with my 4-ft camper overhang plus my hitch being pretty low, I think that the bike rack would drag on the ground when leaving a steep approach onto a level road, like some gas stations and stuff are. So I'd have to arrange it so it was higher up. But then it would hit the slide. So maybe one that would permit the bikes to fold down for opening the slide.
Or else I could go with the front mount idea. I have an old receiver hitch that I am not using that it looks like I could probably adapt to the front of the truck.
I do have a concern that if I mounted the bikes on front and put covers on the bikes it would block airflow to the radiator and intercooler.

[mike_kellie]

He's asking to transport 2 bicycles outside the camper, not storage. There are many types of carriers that utilize different anchor points. Let's help him out-

[theoldwizard1]

Simple solution, store the bike inside.

[RickW]

I use a glideaway rack on the back hitch with an extension tube. I can move it out of the way of the TC door without removing the bike.

The bike(s) hang from 2 horizontal bars. A temporary cross bar would be needed for a non crossbar bike. This might not be suitable for heavy ebikes. I shortened the bars on mine from 4 bikes to 2.

I travel with a cover on the bike and also attach 2 camcleat straps between the rack bars and the TC rear jacks to reduce bounce. I use anti rattle clamps on each hitch connection.

[Grit_dog]

Hemi Joel wrote:
Do they get very dirty or beat up by rocks and bugs and stuff on the front?

Same as your bumper, grille, hood, windshield...