putting two ebikes on back of 21 ,

[Perry Butler]

Currently we're carrying Terry's e-Tern folding bike behind the seat in our quad cab F150 and my e-trike in the bed of the pickup, when in snow season (think salt).

The rest of the year we carry Terry's e-trike, without seat or battery, on a heavy duty trike hitch on the back of the camper. It is covered when on the road with the camper to keep it clean. The rack and trike weigh about 90 #'s. I personally wouldn't go over 150 #'s though and at 150 you'd better have a hitch you can trust.

Enjoy,

Perry

[uthorns]

If I take the batteries out and the seats off with two ebikes and the 1Up rack I'll be right at 150#. Do you feel the Escape hitch is good enough?

Jimmy

[Eggscape]

Yes...
It is my personal opinion is that they set the limit so that people will not overload the rear of the trailer and cause sway while driving. However it is not just the weight directly down on the hitch...it is also how long a bar you stick in it. If you stick in a 3 foot bar and at the end of that you have 200lbs you are asking for problems.

If there was a weak link it would be the inner cross bar which could be re enforced.

[Catchlight]

We're planning to ride a couple of rail-to-trail conversions and a few naturally car-free bike trails on Vancouver Island this year, and to go farther afield to ride others when the pandemic finally eases.

Our two e-bikes (minus batteries, electronics, and seats) and 1Up SuperDuty rack will be slightly over ETI's weight limit for the hitch receiver on the frame of our E21. We think Rease would have left enough of a margin to accommodate this safely, but if we have to, we will leave my bike on the rack fold down the rear seat and carry my wife's in the cab of our Tundra CrewMax when towing.

To keep our tongue weight within the correct range, we will move the spare wheel and tire to the box of the truck when towing with bikes. That will get over 30 pounds off the frame. We're also upgrading to a hybrid mattress (foam and springs) which will add significant weight to the tongue compared to the stock ETI mattress.

We'll fit neoprene covers to our Bosch motors when towing, and waterproof covers for the frames. Fortunately, our Escape had the two sets of turn signals and brake lights on the back, and the licence plate is off to the left and visible.

We have two locks for each bike that require tools and time to defeat, and really good replacement insurance should all else fail. Please let us know if we've missed anything!

[Eggscape]

Sounds good to me...you can always mount your spare tire under your trailer tongue so you don’t have to deal with it in the truck.

Speaking of tires...Just a heads for people with “fat tire” bikes. You might want to get a replacement tube to have with you from your favourite vendor. Last year there was a shortage and people had to wait longer than normal for a replacement.

[EscapeBoulder]

Catchlight: Please forward info about the rails-to-trails on Vancouver Island. We LOVE riding on rails-to-trails. And recommend the Mickelson in the Blackhills of South Dakota.

[gbaglo]

And, are the pix in your post Kettle Valley Railway in BC interior?

[Eggscape]

Well there is the Kettle Valley trails that have been bring cyclists here for years but there is also the new 52 km Rail Trailer being constructed between Kelowna and Vernon. All but 7 km are done.
https://okanaganrailtrail.ca/

[Catchlight]

gbaglo, those two shots are indeed from the KVR.

Escapeboulder, here are three rail trails of interest in BC:
--The 60km Galloping Goose trail which runs through Victoria and vicinity: https://www.gallopinggoosetrail.com/

And this 120km route in the Cowichan Valley, including the spectacular Kinsol Trestle: https://alwashere.net/2018/01/15/cow...mountain-bike/

And the Railway Greenway trail in Richmond, just south of Vancouver: https://www.letsgobiking.net/beginne...lway-greenway/

There's also a paved bike/walk trail nearing completion that connects Tofino, the Green Point Campground, and Ucluelet.

[gbaglo]

We had a recreation property at Dunsmuir that backed on the Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E&N) railway. No trains ran, or maybe one a day. I always thought they should just load a concrete truck on a flat car and fill in between the rails. Would make a terrific bike route.

[Catchlight]

Sadly, the BC Government put control of the disused E&N Railway right-of-way into the hands of the Island Rail Corridor, a group that longs for the return of freight and passenger rail service. Hundreds of millions would be needed to restore the rails, trestles, level crossings, and stations to useable condition, and there is no economic case for a sustainable rail system to return.

Up here in the Comox Valley, we would love to see the section from Courtenay station to Buckley Bay converted to bike and hike. That would give a safe and beautiful corridor for local families, fitness bikers, hikers, and tourists to travel, and would connect Courtenay with Royston, Union Bay, Fanny Bay, and Denman and Hornby Islands. What a waste of a spectacular opportunity to realize gains in economic activity, employment, sustainable transportation, and health and fitness for all ages.

[bailiej757]

I use a Thule T2 Pro XTB bike rack for 2 e-bikes. Without the batteries the total weight is about 130 pounds, rack and bikes. The bike rack is a saddle type which makes it much easier to load than the hang and dangle type of rack. It can also fold up when the bikes aren't loaded. The rack is expensive but worth it.

[CarinaPDX]

I am awaiting receipt of my new ebike and rack. Ebikes run heavy (this one is 70#) and it is not easy to find a rack rated for that weight - most top out at 60#/bike. But more to the point for this forum is that many racks are down-rated for use on the back of RVs, and especially in off road use, or even not recommended at all for an RV. The 10' or so distance from wheels to rack means there will be a lot of movement back there, with higher stresses. The rack I am buying (Fat Tire Hitch Rack from Rambo Bikes) is for 2 bikes and is rated for 145# total. It would be a bit marginal on the back of an RV - I would do it but be very careful on rough surfaces.

[Meandering Minstrel]

My wife and I each have an e-bike that weigh a little less than 50 lb each. We carry them in a good bike rack on the back of the trailer and have had no problems with over 5,000 mi on our trailer with the bikes on it.

[Meandering Minstrel]

I put in an extension into the hitch so that it extends out past the spare tire.

[Eggscape]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

I am awaiting receipt of my new ebike and rack. Ebikes run heavy (this one is 70#) and it is not easy to find a rack rated for that weight - most top out at 60#/bike. But more to the point for this forum is that many racks are down-rated for use on the back of RVs, and especially in off road use, or even not recommended at all for an RV. The 10' or so distance from wheels to rack means there will be a lot of movement back there, with higher stresses. The rack I am buying (Fat Tire Hitch Rack from Rambo Bikes) is for 2 bikes and is rated for 145# total. It would be a bit marginal on the back of an RV - I would do it but be very careful on rough surfaces.

As mentioned before if you can pull the batteries and seats you could save 20 lbs or so.

[RicVic]

One thing to remember is not all bike racks are approved for travel trailer RV use. Many of the well known, good quality companies do not produce a rack for use on RV’s. I went with a Swaggman rack which is designed to take the abuse of riding on the back of a trailer. I am sure there are others but not many. Good luck and do your research before purchasing.

[algonquin50]

Originally Posted by uthorns

Are the lights at the top of a 2021 5.0 just running lights or are they brake and turn signal lights? We are putting two bikes on the back with a 1Up bike carrier so it will block a lot of the lower lights.

Jimmy

Just running lights on my 2017 5.0......I carry two 60lb e bikes....aluminum bike rack......brake and turn lights are easily visible....bike tires have a reflective stripe around them......we get a lot of fog here in the mountains so I use 3m reflective tape on bike rack......I do like the idea of removing bike batteries on long hauls.

[sandra.malach]

As a result of our experiences I have 2 concerns:
1.Theft. Lock the bike rack to the trailer and the bikes to the racks. Ours were stolen while making a quick stop at McDonalds.
2.Bike Rack Stability. We use extra bendy cords to stabilize the rack. It’s very wobbly and we have had the rack work it’s way out of the receiver and fall off. The rack was dragging by the lock when a kind driver signalled us.

Our solution. We now put the bikes on the bed.

[sleepy]

Originally Posted by Meandering Minstrel

My wife and I each have an e-bike that weigh a little less than 50 lb each. We carry them in a good bike rack on the back of the trailer and have had no problems with over 5,000 mi on our trailer with the bikes on it.

Hi Meandering Minstrel,

Could you please tell us which brand and model of rack you are using ?

Also which model of bike ?

- how the bike attaches to the rack is important, and the frame style and/or fender style alters how that works.

We are looking for an ebike rack, and I want to buy the right one.

Thank!