Hitch Bike Rack Recommendation for Rear of RV

Question:

There are two products the 4Square SafetyStruts and the HiLoHitch, which when combined, claim to be able to support a 4-inch bumper to securely hold a hitch mounted bike rack like the swagman XC4. I do not see these products on your site, but would like to know if you have any experience with these products? I have seen many positive reviews for them, but am still skeptical.

asked by: Jesse A

Helpful Expert Reply:

We dont' have the parts you mentioned so we don't have any firsthand experience with them, but since you said 4 inch square bumper that most likely means you are planning on carrying a bike rack at the rear of an RV which when you do this you have to be sure to use a bike rack approved for use behind and RV. If you are looking for a hitch to fit a 4 inch bumper though we have the part # E-100.

At the rear of a trailer or RV the ride quality is very rough when compared to the ride quality at the rear of a passenger vehicle. Reason being the suspension isn't as sophisticated and there is a longer distance between the rear axle and the rear of the trailer which exaggerates the movement of the trailer when hitting bumps. Because of that only a few bike racks were designed to be reinforced enough for that type of use. The XC is not approved for RV use.

For a 4 bike rack that is RV approved we have the Yakima LongHaul part # Y02476 which would work well.

expert reply by: Jameson C