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Topic: Dual hitch for bike rack? (Read 996 times) previous topic - next topic

Dual hitch for bike rack?

We tow a Honda Fit and do a fair amount of bicycling when we can.  I'm thinking of getting this Roadmaster dual hitch receiver to use with a 2-bike rack and to pull the car.  It has a tongue weight rating of 400 lbs and a tow rating of 10k lbs.

I understand it will interfer with my camera view but I'm not too concerned as long as I can still see thru the bikes to make sure the car is tracking ok.  I have a hitch on the Fit for the bike rack but I don't want to tow long distances with the bikes on the back of the towed.  The Fit is not exactly heavy duty in any respect...

Like to hear from anyone with experience using a dual hitch for a bike rack and towing as well as any other ideas on how to do this.
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Mark & Mary Benko
Former coach: 2005 U295 3823
Jeep Cherokee, Honda Fit

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #1 –
I've used one before.  I had to obtain a "drop down" bicycle rack for it so I could open my rear engine door while traveling.
David in VA
1994 Unihome Grand Villa U280

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #2 –
Mark,
Does your tow car not have a hitch on it?  We have one on our Edge and just have a bike rack on the back of the tow car and not between the coach and tow car.  Works great.  The downside is that i bought a 1 1/4 inch bike rack and no the 2", which means I can only carry two bikes.  There have been times I wanted to carry 3.  So, I may have to purchase a new 2# rack. 

Just my two cents worth! 
Tom & Bill

2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #3 –
I used one, exactly like your picture, for about 10K miles of towing and hated it.  Reasons:
    • I couldn't open my engine access doors with the rack in place.
    • Getting the bikes off and on was a real hassle with the toad attached.  (Sometimes we would stop early for the night and want to ride but not disconnect the toad.)
    • Often there were great bike paths that required driving to them by car.  If the bikes were already on the toad we were all set.
On one of our trips we had a quality 2" hitch installed on our toad and slipped the bike rack into it.  We love it.  The bikes are readily available with the bike gear in the trunk.  We have about 25K miles in this mode.  As far as I'm concerned this is the only way to go.
Audrey & Harvey Nelson
2000 U-320, 40' towing 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
nelsonah@ieee.org

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #4 –
We decided to install a hitch in the Honda Element to mount our Thule "tilting" 4 bike rack.  This way we can take the bikes with us anywhere we want to go for a particular trail, and we can still open the rear hatch to check oil, etc.
Peter & Beth Martin
No Forrest? What have you done?
MC# 15890 until Dec 2016; FMCA #F329677
Cincinnati, OH

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #5 –
You will definitely want to get a hitch that hinges back to allow access to the engine compartment. We have a two-bicycle tilting hitch (from Yakima) and one of us can tilt it with two bikes on it... but if we had four bikes on it I'm not sure even both of us could tilt it (or, more importantly, put it back into place). Figure that four bikes at 30lbs each plus the upright and securing parts of the hitch would be close to 130 pounds. We'll stick with the 2-bike hitch and if we have to just put a trunk bike carrier on the back of the towed.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #6 –
Thanks everyone.

I currently have a hitch on the Fit for the bike rack. The Fit is not exactly heavy duty in any respect - I could only install a 1 1/4 inch hitch and can only use a 1 1/4 inch bike rack.  My thought was that that would not stand up for long distances.  I would feel better if I could do a 2 inch hitch/bike rack but I can't.  We are only carrying 2 bikes.

What is everyones thoughts on the durability of the 1 1/4 inch setup?
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Mark & Mary Benko
Former coach: 2005 U295 3823
Jeep Cherokee, Honda Fit

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Mark Benko –

What is everyones thoughts on the durability of the 1 1/4 inch setup?

If you're only carrying two bikes... and they are under about 35lbs each (typical mountain bikes/cruiser bikes) then I can't see why a 1-1/4 inch rack would not do the job. You're only looking at 70 pounds, after all, and the lever arm is not that long.

We use bungee cords to secure the bikes to the car anyway which takes a lot of the strain off the hitch. We've never been completely comfortable with having two expensive mtbs hanging off on the back of the car supported by only the hitch although, frankly, it's probably just us.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #8 –
We use a two bike rack on a 1 1/4" hitch on the back of a HHR - the rack carries our tandem bike only.  Have driven close to 20K without any troubles.  Here is hoping it keeps up the good work as a bike falling off the back is not a fun thought.  Have considered the double hitch but thought that lifting the bike and engine access were negatives.  Ride a lot and have fun  ;D.
Loving our gently used
1998 U295 3600 WTFE
Bill and Ricki

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #9 –
I have not been able to ride a bike for years, wish I could.  Each time this subject comes up I recall an incident on an Interstate when I was passed by a pickup with a bike rack on it.  He had barely cleared my nose when he hit a bump and the bike came flying off right in my path, luckily I had just checked my left and knew I was clear and I was able to swerve to miss the bike.  I stopped and watched in my mirror as the next eight or nine cars and trucks reduced the bike to itty bitty pieces while the owner watched.  Funny to me but he did not share my views. :D
Gary B

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #10 –
Thanks Craig and Bill/Ricki.  That gives me some confidence that the 1 1/4" size rack will hold up for our 2 bikes.

And Gary - glad you were entertained - I probably would have grinned as well as long as I was not involved in any way.  But I will make sure all is well secured.

Mark
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Mark & Mary Benko
Former coach: 2005 U295 3823
Jeep Cherokee, Honda Fit

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Mark Benko –
Thanks everyone.

I currently have a hitch on the Fit for the bike rack. The Fit is not exactly heavy duty in any respect - I could only install a 1 1/4 inch hitch and can only use a 1 1/4 inch bike rack.  My thought was that that would not stand up for long distances.  I would feel better if I could do a 2 inch hitch/bike rack but I can't.  We are only carrying 2 bikes.

What is everyones thoughts on the durability of the 1 1/4 inch setup?



We just bought a SportRack by Thule for two bikes with a 1 1/4" hitch on our Subaru. We got it from Amazon for about $150. It appears to be really sturdy. I know the Subaru receiver with handle the load and I am confident by the quality of the hitch if will hold up as well. I can open the tail gate with the rack in place and it requires very little lifting to get the bikes on board.
The selected media item is not currently available.Kent Speers
Locust Grove, OK
1993 U300 SSE 40' (Restored at FOT 2009) Build 4323
720 watts Solar
6V92TA DDEC Silver Engine
2014 Subaru Outback

Re: Dual hitch for bike rack?

Reply #12 –
Mark, our bike rack/hitch is the 1 1/4, we carry two mountain bikes and have traveled from Texas to the mountains of NC and to the Beach of San Diego without any issue.  When we stop for any length of time, we have an adapter to convert from the coach 2" down to 1 1/4 so that we can unhook the rack and install it on the coach if we don't want to haul our bikes around.  We have the locking pins so that we can secure the rack to the car or the coach and also lock each bike to the rack. 

Just my 2 cents worth! 
Tom & Bill

2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee