We wanted to be able to take bicycles with us during our travels. However, @ScubaGuy didn't feel comfortable with them on the back of the Ford Explorer. We tried it that way, but we couldn't see the bikes in the rear view camera, or the mirrors. We occasionally caught a glimpse of them while turning a corner.
After a ton of research on bike racks, including this great thread below which discusses several different set-ups that others have found successful, we have found what works best for us!
Hitch-mounted bike rack, pulling a toad
We chose the Saris Freedom 2 Platform Bike Rack. It allows us to carry just about any bike easily, including bikes with fenders and bikes without a cross bar. It is super easy to load and unload the bikes, and was one of the most reasonably priced platform racks on the market. Made in America, and it has a lifetime guarantee. It gets great reviews, and we also paid $50 less than retail - thank you Ebay. 
We tow with a Roadmaster Sterling tow bar. We needed a way to add a second hitch receiver for the bike rack. We found several that would have worked, however, they were all rated for 4,000 lbs. Our Explorer is somewhere in the 5,400 lbs. range. Then, thanks to the above thread, we found the Roadmaster Dual Hitch Receiver Adapter. We initially purchased the 2" version, but it didn't give us enough clearance for the tow bar when the bike rack was in place. We returned it, and bought the 4" version, and voila - everything fit. The tow bar seems to have it's full range of motion, and can be put in the storage position without hitting the bike rack. We tried to install the hitch adapter upside down with a 4" rise, instead of the 4" drop, but this prevented us from being able to open the engine compartment door at all. With the dual hitch adapter installed as a 4" drop, we can easily open the engine compartment door with the hitch adapter and bike rack in place. With the motorhone at ride height and the truck hooked up, everything lines up quite well. I don't think dragging it on the pavement would be an issue, but only time will. 
Because the distance between the motorhome and the toad is now about 8" longer, we did lenghten the wires and relocate the plug onto the hitch adapter, using a mounting bracket and stainless steel bolts. We also replaced our safety cables with longer ones, but we might have gone too long. The jury is still out on that.
We are on our maiden voyage today with our new setup - everything appears solid, and we are happy campers. 
Here is what we used:
Saris Freedom 2 Platform Bike Rack
Roadmaster Dual Hitch Receiver Adapter
Roadmaster EZ Hook Safety Cables - 76" long
TrailerMate mounting bracket
These are some pictures that show how it all came together.
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Topic: Saris Freedom 2 Platform Bike Rack on motorhome while towing (Read 928 times)
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