33 replies to this topic

[BillTheHiker]

I have looked online at a wide variety of hitch racks. This one from Ironton is suspiciously inexpensive:

http://www.northernt...22240_200622240

it is a 4 bike hitch steel rack for 2 inch receiver for only $40 with max load of 120 pounds -I only need to carry two bikes and will be under that max.

 

Anyone familiar with it?

[RicoV]

It looks like it'd be fine if you stick to pavement, but all bets are off the moment you venture onto unimproved roads.  Folks often underestimate the varied kinds of stresses that bikes can undergo when they're suspended on these or other manner of solitary mounts.  I recommend to anyone who'll listen to give some time and attention to ponder his particular camper config, and to then build 'flex' into the bike mounts so that the bikes more or less float through the bumps.  Also give a little thought to the departure angles your rig is likely to come up against in your travels, and purchase your mount(s) accordingly.  Good luck with your setup!

Rico

[BillTheHiker]

It looks like it'd be fine if you stick to pavement, but all bets are off the moment you venture onto unimproved roads.  Folks often underestimate the varied kinds of stresses that bikes can undergo when they're suspended on these or other manner of solitary mounts.  I recommend to anyone who'll listen to give some time and attention to ponder his particular camper config, and to then build 'flex' into the bike mounts so that the bikes more or less float through the bumps.  Also give a little thought to the departure angles your rig is likely to come up against in your travels, and purchase your mount(s) accordingly.  Good luck with your setup!

Rico

Excellent point. Are you suggesting I need to modify any rack I buy to handle rough roads, or is adequate flex built-in to some brands?

[RicoV]

Anything you can do to keep the bikes themselves from absorbing hits and vibrations is a good thing.  The possibilities are endless, but for low-tech cheapo solutions the main thing I looked at were a wide variety of lengths and styles of bungees.  I use them in several apps and configs to offset and distribute stresses on my mounted mtn bike, and if a desired bungee is too long I just tie a knot or more into it.  My solo bike mounts (off my Grandby's rear overhang) were a custom fab of stress-modulating hardware from Ace that didn't break the bank and are more function than form, but multi-bike solutions like yours probably take more thought and resources to accomplish.  But you'll make it work well I trust.

Rico

[Happyjax]

Would some of that pipe insulation/pool noodle stuff on the bar where it mounts help absorb some of the shock? Not having done any off roading I never really think about the stresses placed on our stuff both in and outside of the camper. Still learning

[Bseek]

RicoV's comments made me search to see if he had ever posted his homemade mount. It is posted here: http://www.wanderthe...e-mount-on-fwc/

[Squatch]

My 2 cents is posted at the bottom of this page.

http://www.wanderthe...ndations/page-3

[Taku]

We have been using the Yakima Swingdaddy (spendy, but worth it when you want to get the bikes out of the way) and a Thule (don't know the model) that simply swings down. Have used them on many thousands of miles of highways and two tracks without any issues to the rack or bikes. What I would recommend is buying a good bike cover - having taken our mountain bikes down miles of dusty road, especially in the red rock country in Utah, having a moderately clean bike that doesn't have a thick coating of dirt on it is worthwhile. I would say a rack like that would likely work well for quite a while, just depends on how much use you want to get out of it and if you are willing to repair it if need be.

[BillTheHiker]

One problem I see with commercial racks I looked at, including swing away designs, is there does not appear to be room for a step or stool for getting into the camper door. Do you know of one that would allow that?

[idahoron]

When I have mine on I don't off road.  The bikes are road bikes so no need to drag them into the desert. I use a step adapter and then I go into the step with the rack. My rack will drop down for easy access to the camper. The step allows a little room for throwing something into the camper if we are shopping.