Bike Rack Recommendation

[Pupfish]

We have a Swagman ( no criticism of other brands) and carry bikes that have been our daily commuters 30 lbs per bike plus 20 for the rack) . We do nothing special when loading the bikes except a bungee here for peace of mind, a cable and lock there, because... We see no ill effects on the bikes. This thread has been disappointingly so high school. The real concern, unmentioned before, is the torque the bike rack (and bikes) put ont the bumper. Watch it and have it reinforced at the first sign of strain. This is what is important.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Pupfish

"This thread has been disappointingly so high school."

I don't know what you mean by this statement. I don't have any bikes and I don't have a bike rack, so I have nothing in this game.
What I have read so far is simply people expressing their preferences and the reasons for their choice.

[Mark James]

Interesting point about weight. Doubt if I would move mine during a trip but nonetheless a good point to consider when purchasing. Thanks!

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Pupfish

... The real concern, unmentioned before, is the torque the bike rack (and bikes) put ont the bumper. Watch it and have it reinforced at the first sign of strain. This is what is important.

Bumper? I guess I think of most, if not all, 2" hitch receivers as welded frame mounted receivers, and ETI "warrants" their welded frame mounted receiver for 150 lb. If you stay under that, shouldn't have a "torque" problem.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Bumper? I guess I think of most, if not all, 2" hitch receivers as welded frame mounted receivers, and ETI "warrants" their welded frame mounted receiver for 150 lb. If you stay under that, shouldn't have a "torque" problem.

I agree. The receiver is welded to the bumper and to a smaller cross member just ahead of it. While Escape does put a safe limit of 150 lbs for a limit on it, under normal towing conditions I bet it could easily handle more. But, why push it.

[richardr]

I carry my touring bike, which has fenders, on a 1up carrier. For the rear tire, I use a short piece of a 4 inch pool noodle around the bar that normally rests on the tire, to hold it against the fender. The front bar still rests on the tire. The pool noodle does a good job of holding the bike in place, although I get more movement than when the bar is directly against the tire.

[John in Santa Cruz]

a side note about the Escapee 2 that I got for my E'21... instead of a conventional 'pin', it uses a bolt, whihc when torqued down eliminates all bounce and wobble in the hitch.

after installing the rack, I went and got a nice big combo wrench in the correct side, and stowed it in my trailer's tool box.

[wetzk]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

a side note about the Escapee 2 that I got for my E'21... instead of a conventional 'pin', it uses a bolt, whihc when torqued down eliminates all bounce and wobble in the hitch.

after installing the rack, I went and got a nice big combo wrench in the correct side, and stowed it in my trailer's tool box.

I think all the Swagman racks come with the bolt to eliminate wiggle.
Just make sure it is nice and tight. If it is loose it can wallow out the threads in the rack . I drilled out and rethreaded one for a friend who had been running it in by hand.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by wetzk

I think all the Swagman racks come with the bolt to eliminate wiggle.
Just make sure it is nice and tight. If it is loose it can wallow out the threads in the rack . I drilled out and rethreaded one for a friend who had been running it in by hand.

yup, hence my packing a big open/box combo wrench in the right size... its like 1" wrench or something.

[Moaboy]

If one does not want or need a platform type carrier, Hollywood makes a good carrier that clears the spare tire. It has many of the features of more expensive carriers, like a tightening device to lock it into the receiver. While it is not rv rated I’ve carried 3 bikes on my 4 bike carrier for many a mile and not had any problem. They even include a lock for the receiver and a thick cable with lock to help secure ur bikes.

[Red Dog]

Thanks to the OP for this thread. I respect all opinions.

For me, the pièce de résistance was a demo of the 1UP at the Bluebonnet Rally we are currently attending. I’m sold!

I have started saving for the 1UP.

Fred M.

[mcdonner]

Hey Red Dog, Hope all is well on the road. I'm still looking for a bike rack. Been going back and forth between the 1Up and the Swagman. The more I research, the more it just seems people fall into one category or the other in terms of their preference. If you get the chance maybe you could let us know what was it about the 1 Up demo that solidified your opinion. Thanks a million.

[BCnomad]

Originally Posted by mcdonner

If you get the chance maybe you could let us know what was it about the 1 Up demo that solidified your opinion. Thanks a million.

Not Red, but in my case it was a) being RV rated and b) Bennett giving it a thumbs up.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

Not Red, but in my case it was a) being RV rated and b) Bennett giving it a thumbs up.

Kinda sounds like you are looking for a scapegoat should you need one.

You were probably one of the first I showed it to, as I got it about a month before that rally a few years back.

[Fox hunt]

i think most people with the Swagman would prefer the 1Up its only $$$ that holds them back. If you can afford it and have nice bikes it seems a no brainier to go with the 1up. If not the Swagman works.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Red Dog

I have started saving for the 1UP.

Fred M.

To paraphrase Groucho Marx, "I wouldn't have any bike rack that I had to save up for."

Ron

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

To paraphrase Groucho Marx, "I wouldn't have any bike rack that I had to save up for."



Ron

I am but a common man with meager financial resources. [emoji851]

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by mcdonner

Hey Red Dog, Hope all is well on the road. I'm still looking for a bike rack. Been going back and forth between the 1Up and the Swagman. The more I research, the more it just seems people fall into one category or the other in terms of their preference. If you get the chance maybe you could let us know what was it about the 1 Up demo that solidified your opinion. Thanks a million.

I liked how easily a bike could be mounted and dismounted from the rack upon arrival at the campsite. At night, one could quickly put the bikes on the rack for secure storage.

My old Saris bike rack requires that I remove the front tire and lock it onto the rack, while securing the rear tires with a large wide strap. Then, I have to find a place to store the front wheel while traveling. Since I carry two bikes, I have learned to sandwich the two front tires in between the bikes and secure with with bungees. This has caused the nice paint job to be scraped off both bikes. Not happy. Ready for a major change.

Regards,

Fred M.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I bought a Swagman Escapee2 but if I'd known about 1Up, I probably would have bought one of those instead

[koko_pellii]

I have a Yakima holdup 2inch. Maybe not rv rated but have two 30 lb mountain bikes 20,000 km on escape trailer. no problems as of yet. also has built in cable lock, and platform has high rise so no problem on ferry ramps etc.