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Simple and easy to use, this 4-bike rack is perfect for a family that travels. Its heavy-duty steel frame handles the extra bounce and sway that results from being mounted on the back of your RV.
Features:
Specs:
Built for RVs
The Swagman Original is built to withstand the added vibration and stress that comes from being installed on the back of your RV. The base has no moving parts, and the mast attaches to the shank with steel-reinforced brackets. These overbuilt components ensure that the rack can take any punishment that the road may inflict.
Steel Plates with Rubber-Cushioned Cradles
The rack has upper and lower steel plates with rubber-cushioned cradles that secure your bikes by the top tube. To install your bikes, set them in the cradles on the lower plate, place the upper plate over the top tubes, and tighten the plates together using the hand knobs.
Soft rubber padding inside the cradles protects your bikes from scratches and scuffs. The padding has grooves on the surface that prevent your brake and shifter cables from getting pinched.
A threaded hitch pin is included to help eliminate rattle in the hitch receiver during transport. To tighten the pin in your hitch, use a 5/8" wrench (not included). A clip is also included to keep the pin in place.
Available Security and Adapter Bar
An anti-rattle hitch lock (sold separately) is available to secure the rack to your vehicle.
You can also add a pair of padlocks (sold separately) to secure your bikes to the rack. The plates that hold your bikes in place have holes to accommodate padlocks up to 5/8" in diameter.
If you have a women's bike, kid's bike, or any other bike without a straight, horizontal top tube, you will need an adapter bar (sold separately) to properly mount your bike. The bar fits between the seat post and handlebar stem post of your bike to create a top tube so your bike hangs level on the rack.
Average Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (197 Customer Reviews)
Simple and easy to use, this 4-bike rack is perfect for a family that travels. Its heavy-duty steel frame handles the extra bounce and sway that results from being mounted on the back of your RV.I needed a bike rack that I could mount on the back of our travel trailer. I reinforced the bumper and welded a 2" receiver on. I looked for a rack that could carry 4 bikes and was strong enough to handle being on the back of the travel trailer without breaking the bank. I ordered this rack based on the fact it was recommended for use on the back of RVs.
I called on a Sunday and spoke to an actual person! I needed to know if it would arrive before a trip on the following Friday, which it did. The box was slightly damaged but the rack itself was not. I don't have much experience with racks but it seems this thing is very well built. Nothing fancy. Assembly was easy and quick. At first I was concerned about how far from the back of the trailer the bikes wound up, but it allows for the spare tire to still be mounted to the bumper with bikes on the rack.
I loaded up a large tube aluminum frame bike and my son's BMX bike with no issues. I like the grooves in the rubber holders as my bike has the cables running underneath.
We made a 300 mile camping trip with no issues. The clamping plate that holds the bikes down remained tight and held the bikes securely. The only thing I noticed was after returning home, the anti-rattle pin had loosened somewhat. I had torqued it down to the requirements called out for in the instructions (40 ft-lbs I believe), it might just be the fact it's new or maybe a lockwasher will do the trick. Nonetheless, I'm very please with this unit. Simple, strong and well-built.
We had it a year now on the back our our 311BHS reflection. Went on several longer trips and a lot of shorter ones with no trouble. We have 4 bikes on it 2 16" bikes a 20 I believe and then an adult one. It looks rough when they are all on it (the 2 16in bikes are upside down) but it works. Thank you
I'm kind of disappointed with the bike rack , the hold downs aren't the best for securing my ebikes and they aren't padded enough and scratch up the bike frames , I have to put extra material in to protect the bike
And also the spacing is too tight for 4 bikes like it's supposed to be
Chad
6/13/2022
Yes I use it on the back of my rv and the saddle where the frames rest doesnt accommodate the e bikes very well and the tires move around and dont have a way to secure without using extra straps or bungees and then with 2 e bikes there isnt enough room for 2 regular mountain bikes. I went off of the description and that it was rated for e bikes when I bought it over others because of that but I honestly kind of dont like using it but its hard to buy another when I already spent the money for this one
Jenny N.
6/13/2022
I appreciate the additional details about the experience with using the bike rack. If you have an E bike we typically recommend a platform style rack like part # Y36FR which can handle 66 pounds per bike; if off road or on an RV, 40 pounds per bike. It would only be able to handle carrying two bikes versus four to be able to be used on the back of an RV. I understand that you would not want to purchase a new rack and I wish that I had a more economical option to offer.
The Swagman Original is simple and sturdy. While certainly not the best rack on the market, it's one of the few 4 bike racks durable enough for the back of an RV and it's also one of the cheapest racks on the market. The metal is thick. After a year of at least 200 miles per month, I expect it to last a lot longer.
I've had no major issues with this rack. On one 200+ miles trip, we had it mounted on the front of the truck. It was a windy day. The bottoms of the bikes leaned back towards the truck and the whole rack would lift a bit when the wind hit right. It looked worse than it was. Adding a ~$20 U-bolt style anti-rattle do-hickey solved the lifting issue but the bikes still lean a bit on windy days.
etrailer service was excellent, as usual. Swagman quickly replaced the original without hassles due to a bent (from the factory) threaded stud and a rubber cushion that split after only 3 uses. The rack is very sturdy. Be aware that installation and removal requires tools because of the threaded receiver pin.
After researching several racks with the ability to carry 4 bikes, I was pleased to find this one which is much more substantial and more reasonably priced than others. Although it is intended for use on an RV and doesn’t swing out of the way of the tailgate on our suv, the strong construction and piece of mind on long trips is a reasonable trade off. Be aware that this rack requires use of the included anti-wobble hitch pin so you have to have a socket or wrench available at all times to install and remove it. Also be aware that the bike holder cradles are fairly close to each other which may present a challenge when positioning 4 bikes, especially if your bikes require an adapter bar. Great rack overall!
I have been using this rack for a couple of seasons. Maybe a total of about five trips with the bikes mounted behind my trailer to a "CURT 4" BUMPER RECEIVER". I was so happy that I found a system to carry four bikes on my trailer. However the last trip that I used this product I lost all four bikes on Interstate 95. The pin/bolt sheered and I was dragging the bikes for a few miles before I realized what had happened. The situation was extreemly dangerous. I had to get out of my tow vehicle on the highway and disassemble the mangled bikes. I have come to realize that carrying bikes behind your trailer is very dangerous and this product is not adequate to do the job. I feel that the manufacturer should not be recommending to their customers that this product can be mounted behind a trailer. Please do your research before mounting or carrying anything behind your trailer.
Patrick B.
11/21/2012
Some advice to anyone who may be using this rack. Please note that the weight limit is 35lbs. per bike. Always load the heaviest bike closest to the vehicle or trailer and the lightest bike on the cradle furthest from the vehicle.
Jim J.
7/28/2015
Had a bad experience with this product myself. Installed a trailer hitch on the back of my Fifth Wheel so I could use this rack. I put four mountain bikes on this rack and drove 145 miles. got out of the truck and the vertical bar had bent about five inches and bikes were all scratched up and heading for the pavement. product not strong enough for trailer usage.
Rachael H.
7/29/2015
I purchased this bike rack to be used on the back of our motorhome less than 10 days before we were to leave for vacation thinking that it would never be here in time. According to the information I found on the etrailer.com website, this is the rack that was recommended for a motorhome. The ordering process was simple, the rack was delivered promptly and we used it to carry 4 bikes on vacation, about 900 miles. It slipped into to trailer hitch and I used one strap to secure it. The rack did not sway or move during travel. I would recommend it to a friend and I would recommend etrailer.com, also.
I purchased this bike rack to be used on the back of our motorhome less than 10 days before we were to leave for vacation thinking that it would never be here in time. According to the information I found on the etrailer.com website, this is the rack that was recommended for a motorhome. The ordering process was simple, the rack was delivered promptly and we used it to carry 4 bikes on vacation, about 900 miles. It slipped into to trailer hitch and I used one strap to secure it. The rack did not sway or move during travel. I would recommend it to a friend and I would recommend etrailer.com, also.
I purchased this bike rack to be used on the back of our motorhome less than 10 days before we were to leave for vacation thinking that it would never be here in time. According to the information I found on the etrailer.com website, this is the rack that was recommended for a motorhome. The ordering process was simple, the rack was delivered promptly and we used it to carry 4 bikes on vacation, about 900 miles. It slipped into to trailer hitch and I used one strap to secure it. The rack did not sway or move during travel. I would recommend it to a friend and I would recommend etrailer.com, also.
Rack is stable but cotter pin to too weak, even thought the rack is bolted to hitch. The cotter pin should go through the bolt not around, just in case.Otherwise, great!
Jim
11/16/2013
I agree that the cotter pin is weak. Doesnt seem right that it goes around the pin, instead of going through the pin.
Patrick B.
11/26/2013
Was pleasantly surprised by the sturdiness and ease of assembly. All materials were heavy duty and efficiently designed. Would recommend this trailer hitch mounted bike rack and accompanying bike frame adapter bar for women's, children's, and alternative frame bikes to anyone .
This is the most terrible bike rack ever owned. I carried this on the back of my RPod with 2 bikes. First of all, this rack is a two-person job putting the bikes on this rack. Not easy at all. We were on a 15 day trip and the pads are completely worn out following the trip, plus I lost a pedal on my one bike. Shaked the life out of the bikes. I would not recommend this bike rack to anybody for any reason. Sorry design. Go with the one that clamps down not on a rack, not one that you have to turn 3 knobs 100x each to tighten them down. Worthless item. Not worth any amount of $. Sure made a mistake purchasing this worthless item.
seems like a no-nonsense heavy-built rack. Exactly what I wanted.
The four bolts that hold the frame together seem to be strong tempered steel, which is great. And the clamps for the bike seem very strong and simple too.
But the pin bolt, which everyone complains about, seems like it's indeed a weak point. I never trust simple clips to hold a pin in. And the pin is actually a bolt with threads. If you thread it in, it defeats the purpose of the bolt being loose so it can float around. And I would expect the stress to be greater on the threaded side, causing the bolt to bend. And anyways, vibration will eventually loosen the threads on the bolt and now you're hoping the catch pin holds.
I ordered a heavy duty locking pin. I think it's a great bike rack, but they should really sell it without the pin, which gives it negative reviews. The price is decent without a pin.
Nice product! The only complaint is the bolt that screws into the car hitch does not stay tight by the time you reach your destination. I just wish they came up with something else to keep it secure. I was a bit paranoid my bikes might come off while driving. Ladies have a man tighten it it’s his strength because yours will not do.. sorry.! Other than that it’s a nice product good idea. Fix the bolt problem though..
Works great for the price. Have looked a long time for a bike hitch but didn't want to spend $1,000s. Definitely recommend!
The box came in pieces and luckily the ups drive saved a box with no info that fell out being it was the mounting bracket. The security pin is a joke there is no hole in the pin as has to clip on the outside which I will have to fix there was also no spacer to help the unit from bouncing. On the other side I really like how the bikes are screwed down to hold them to the mount. Very easy to put together as well. Would given 5 stars if package was together and if there was a hole in the pin for the clip with spacer.
So far, so good. It was shipped quickly, and it installed easily. I did take the advice of another reviewer and placed lock washers on to reduce the risk of loosening bolts. I had a welding professional look at the bumper to assure me that it was strong enough for the rack. I would say this is the most important step before anyone connects any rack to the back of a camper.
Bike rack came in a few days and in good order. Four bolts and rack was together. Slipped into receiver on my trailer and ready to go on trip next week. Rack is tight in receiver and looks to be very strong.
Pretty good product but if you have are women's bikes to haul just save yourself the trouble and get a rack that wheel fit them without a adapter that you have to purchase separately
We purchased the Swagman Bike Rack for our trip to Michigan. The rack was great. The method of attaching the bikes is very secure, ingenious and does not allow the bikes to move at all. This is the first bike rack (after three others) we have confidence in.
We will now tke our bikes on every trip.
Thanks
Very solid. I see why there is a big difference in RV rated bike racks and non rated RV Bike racks. Good price and fast delivery. Thank you!
Once again, I am completely satisfied with my entire experience with ETrailer.com! The free shipping and the manner in which inward advised of the shipping status was terrific. I recommend ETrailer to all my friends.
Good for a man's bike. Frame on 2 of three of my girls bikes don't fit over bolts.
Sturdy. Easy to take on and off. I use it all the time just for me because it's easier to put on and take off than the strap-on carrier I use with our other car.
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Jenny N.
6/13/2022
You mentioned that they were not the best for securing your e bikes and I wanted to ask if you could send a picture of the bikes on the bike rack. I would say that since they are e bikes, a rack like this one may not work the best for you. Do you use the bike rack on the back of a motorhome?