Can 70 lb Recumbent Bike Be Towed with Hitch Bike Rack Behind 5th Wheel Camper

Question:

My camper has two welded 2”X 4” x10” box beams that the 4x4 bumper is welded to. Can I use one of your receivers bolted to these to carry my 3 wheel recumbent trike on the back of my camper? I cannot get to the beams due to the insulation sheet cover that’s why I was using the box beams that the bumper is welded to.The bike probably doesn’t weigh more than 60-70 lbs. If so which model could I use? Thanks

asked by: John A

Expert Reply:

Hitches like the Curt Adjustable RV Hitch # 13703 that you were looking at are designed to attach to either I-beam, C-channel or box RV frames, so bolting them to any other structure is not recommended for safety reasons. The # 13703, fits frames that are between 22 and 72 inches wide outside to outside.

There are also hitches that attach to your 5th Wheel bumper instead. For example, the Curt # E-100, fits a 4 inch square tube bumper and offers a 350 lb tongue weight capacity.

That being said, we don't carry any RV approved recumbent bike racks. There is extra bounce and movement that a bike rack has to withstand when mounted behind an RV as compared to that of a standard passenger vehicle. This is especially true for a big and heavy recumbent bike, like what you have. Because of this only certain hitch-mounted bike racks are actually tested and rated for this use.

If you flat tow a standard passenger vehicle behind your camper, the only solution we have is the Thule roof mounted rack # TH558P. This rack requires Thule square or Yakima round bars and features a 75 inch long tray. It can be adapted to fit other styles of bars, so if this is an option you'd like to explore, let me know the year, make and model of your vehicle and I can make additional recommendations.

expert reply by: Carla M