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Expert Answers about Ford RV and Camper Bike Racks


  • Recommended Hitch Mounted Rack to Carry 4 Bikes on the Back of a Camper
  • There is a lot more movement at the rear of a trailer or an RV due to the longer wheelbase. This causes additional stress on hitch mounted accessories. Many bike racks are not designed or rated to handle the additional stress. With that being said some bike racks are designed and rated to be used on the back of RVs and trailers. One of the top such racks is the Yakima LongHaul # Y02476. The LongHaul can carry up to 4 bikes and includes locks for the rack and the bikes, just like the...
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  • Carrying Bikes Horizontally Behind a Ford Okanagan Camper Van
  • This rack is designed to maximize space behind an RV and minimize damage from road debris and wind by placing the bikes fully behind the RV while its in motion. I don't recommend mounting the bikes horizontally on this rack as the bikes could stick out past the side of the RV into the next lane of traffic and become a hazard for other drivers. If you're looking to mount your bikes horizontally, I recommend instead a hitch or bumper mounted rack. Swagman offers two Platform style bike racks,...
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  • Bike Rack Recommendation for 2014 Forest River Highwall Pop Up Camper
  • To use a bike rack on your towable camper, you'll need to install a frame mounted trailer hitch receiver instead, like the Curt adjustable RV and camper hitch receiver # 13703, which fits trailers with frames between 22 and 72 inches. For a three bike rack, I recommend the Swagman Original # S64152-2 or for a 4 bike rack, I recommend the Yakima LongHaul # Y02476, both of which are approved to be used behind an RV or camper, like yours.
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  • Why Cant the Kuat NV 2.0 Base 4-Bike Platform Rack be Used on a Trailer
  • The reason that the Kuat NV 2.0 Base 4-Bike Platform Rack part # BA22B-BA02B cannot be used on the back of a trailer is because the manufacturer says not to. The reason they say not to is because of the pivot point this rack has. The amount of movement that a hitch mounted accessory on the back of a trailer is going to be faced with is far more than that of a hitch mounted accessory on the back of a vehicle. The reason for the has to due with the increased distance from the rear axle. This...
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  • Can the Stromberg Carlson Bike Bunk Easily be Uninstalled for Front Section on Pop-Up Camper
  • To install and uninstall the Stromberg Carlson Bike Bunk Trailer-Mounted Bike Rack Carrier for A-Frame Trailers # CC-275 on your pop-up camper would simply be a matter of taking the bolts off that secure each leg to the brackets that install on your trailer (see attached video). It is a very simple process that will work well for what you are looking for. Please keep in mind that this bike rack carrier has a weight capacity of 100 lbs, has a 2 inch receiver opening, and should only have...
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  • How to Install the RV Bumper 2 Bike Rack # S80500 on a 3 inch Wide Bumper
  • What you would need to do to install the RV Bumper 2 Bike Rack # S80501 on your 3 inch fully welded bumper would be to come up with a 1 inch spacer to fit between the attachment point of the rack and the backside of the bumper. This rack requires at least a 4 inch wide bumper so the plate/adapter would be the best way to make this rack work. I attached a review video for this rack for you to check out as well.
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  • Bumper-Mount RV Hitch for Use with Swagman RV-Rated Hitch Bike Rack S63381
  • The Swagman Locking Anti-Rattle Threaded Hitch Pin # S64027 provides two functions. It has a threaded shank to match their 2-inch hitch bike racks and that can be tightened to reduce the play or wobble of the rack in the hitch. It also includes a key-operated lock that prevents removal of the threaded pin even if it were loosened with a wrench. We do offer 2-inch bumper-mount hitches that can allow use of a bike rack on an RV. All such 2-inch hitches are displayed on the linked page. These...
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  • Can Swagman Bumper Mount Adapter Mount Underneath Bumper
  • I spoke with my contact at Swagman and was informed that the RV 2 inch Receiver Bumper Mount Adapter, # S64025, cannot be mounted underneath of the bumper because the bolts included with the receiver are not designed to handle the tongue weight required of it in that position. One option we have for mounting a receiver under the bumper of your camper is the RV Bumper 2 inch Trailer Hitch Receiver, # E-100. However, you cannot exceed the limits of your camper bumper. The bumper towing...
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  • Recommended Bike Rack for Use on a 5th Wheel Trailer
  • Not all bike racks are rated for use on the back of a 5th wheel trailer because of the extra stress that occurs with items hanging on a hitch there; bike racks that are rated for this use typically will have a reinforced or solid shank. The Swagman Quad # S64FR does not have a reinforced shank that would make it rated for use on the back of a 5th wheel trailer. The best solution would be to use the Yakima Long Haul # Y02476, which will carry 4 bikes and is rated for use on the back of...
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  • Mounting Adjustable Width Trailer Hitch on Puma Ultra Lite Camper
  • I'm attaching the installation video for the Adjustable Width Hitch # 13703 to this answer, but as you can see at about 5:00 into the video, the side plates of the hitch are going to sit directly on the ledges of your I or C beams of the frame of the trailer. For that reason, you're not going to be able to mount it lower than those plates are going to sit. I don't know if the black water tank will come into play as much as I would worry about the stabilizer jacks being the part that keeps...
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  • How to Get More Clearance When Using Swagman XP 3 Bike Rack on 36-Foot Trailer
  • First, thank you for your recent purchase from etrailer of your Swagman XP Bike Rack for use on the rear of your trailer. This rack offers a good amount of clearance from its hitch pin hole - 13-1/2 inches. Few RV hitch bike racks offer more clearance between the hitch pin hole and the upright mast of the rack. The Swagman Original # S64152-2 provides 14-inches. The trouble with using ANY type of adapter or extender in a hitch is that this action will have the unavoidable side-effect...
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  • Compatibility of Stromberg Carlson Bike Bunk with Trailer Front Fold-Out Camper Bunk
  • With the upper crosstube removed, the height of the Stromberg Carson Bike Bunk # CC-275 above the trailer frame will be reduced by the height of the tube, approximately 2-1/4 inches. This will still leave the arms of the Bike Bunk approximately 31-1/4 inches above the trailer frame. The best recommendation I can make is to remove the Bike Bunk # CC-275 from the trailer when you need to lower the camper's bunk. This will ensure the Bike Bunk will not contact the trailer.
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  • Do I Need to Remove the Stromberg Carlson Bike Bunk to Open Pop-Up Camper
  • It's highly likely that the Stromberg Carlson Bike Bunk # CC-275 will limit your ability to open your pop-up camper fully when it's attached, but it's extremely easy to install and remove as needed. Depending on how much clearance you needed to open up your pup and fold out the beds, you would either remove the top bar or you'd just detach the entire bike rack from the frame altogether.
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  • How to Tighten Nut on Ball for Swagman Towing Bike Carrier 64675
  • There are a couple of options on tightening the nut on a ball installed at the end of Swagman towing bike carrier # S64675. First, if the nut is the same width as the opening at the end of the carrier then the walls of the shank will prevent the nut from turning. The ball would have to have wrench flats to turn it. The second option is a ball that has a long enough shank to go all the way through the bike carrier shank to thread on the nut on the outside of carrier. Ball # 19254 for example...
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  • Mounting Bikes on Surco Ladder-Mount RV Bike Rack SP501BR
  • Since most RV ladders are mounted on one side or the other (rather than in the center) it is likely that parts of your bikes could extend out beyond the sides of the RV if they were installed horizontally on the Surco 2 Bike Carrier # SP501BR. It is possible that in some specific circumstances a small child's bike, for example, might be mounted horizontally on such a ladder-mounted bike rack but this is unlikely to be the case with any adult bike. You want to ensure that the loaded bikes...
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  • Difference Between RV Approved Bike Rack and Bike Rack for Standard Car Truck or SUV
  • The Swagman Dispatch # S44FR as well as the Swagman XC 2 bike rack # S64650 are actually RV approved bike racks, so if you need a rack for use behind your motorhome, you can definitely use the # S64650. A vehicle is an RV if the horizontal distance from the rear axle to the hitch pin hole, tow ball, or back of rear bumper (if no hitch receiver or tow ball is present) is 72" or greater. The longer the distance, the higher the leverage. This is directly related to an increased amount of...
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  • Transporting E-Bikes with 2014 Ram 2500 that is Towing Camper Trailer
  • As long as you are okay with your E-bike having some smashed bugs on it a front hitch like the # 65063 installed on your 2014 Ram 2500 with the Thule EasyFold XT part # TH903202 would be your best option when towing your camper. The EasyFold is not rated for the rougher ride quality at the rear of campers which is why it's not recommended to be used there.
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  • Can The Hitch-It 2 Bike Rack Be Mounted To A Ball Mount
  • The Hitch-It 2 Bike Rack for Straight Tongue Trailers # LC731138 requires a 2" to 4" wide trailer tongue to mount to. If you're referring to attaching it to a ball mount shank then it would need to be at least 2" wide in order to have the base clamp tightly to it. If you look at the base # LC731157 it has different positions for the bolts to sit depending on if you have a 2", 3", or 4" wide frame. The bolts need to be snug up against the frame to prevent any shifting of the rack. If you...
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  • Does the Swagman RV and Motorhome Bike Rack S80605 Fold Up When Not in Use
  • There is no folding mechanism on the Swagman RV and Motorhome Bike Rack # S80605. This is because any such mechanism or hinge would become a weak spot. All racks designed for use on an RV or motor home are built to withstand the extreme forces found at the rear of such vehicles. These are the same forces that cause the last seat in a school bus or roller coaster to have a rougher ride than seats that are more forward. We do offer RV-approved racks that have arms that can fold up when...
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  • Does RockyMounts BackStage Bike Rack Allow Rear Camper Shell Window to Open
  • That's kind of hard to say since we don't know how far out your hitch sits from the rear bumper/camper shell or the width of your handlebars but I would say you have very good chance that with the RockyMounts BackStage bike rack part # RKY10002 tilted you'd still be able to open the rear window of you topper. Worst case scenario you could utilize the swing away feature of this rack and you'd for sure be able to access the rear window.
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