Road tripping with an RV is a great way to explore the country and have adventures as you go. But sometimes your storage might get a bit cramped once you add all of your luggage, appliances, and comforts of home. Sometimes there’s just no room for bikes in your truck or trailer! This is where bike racks come into play.
There’s a huge range of great bike racks on the market, each one suited to a different RV setup. But 3 of the best bike racks for any situation are:
- The Swagman RV Approved Traveler XC2 with Bumper Adapter
- The Swagman RV Approved Ladder Rack
- The Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mount Rack
These are all top quality bike racks with rave reviews from their customers. They’re also all quite affordable, coming in at less than $200 each (one of them is even less than $100!) Each of these racks are available for online purchase with fast shipping guaranteed.
Below we’ll explore the benefits and special features of each model, as well as some basic product information. Make sure that you know the specifications of your RV or tow vehicle before consulting this list, as some of the options will only work with hitch receivers, while others can connect to bumpers.
Swagman RV Traveler XC2 with Bumper Adapter
- Price: $136.35
- Rating: 4.3/5
- Maximum Bike Load: 2 Bikes
- Maximum Weight Load: 70 lbs. (35 lbs. per Bike)
Bike Rack Type
This bike rack is the type that you connect to a hitch receiver or bumper mount on an RV. If your trailer comes pre-equipped with one of these attachments, then this product could be perfect for you! This rack can connect to both setups with ease.
The Swagman RV TRaveler XC2 comes with a bumped mount adapter included with the purchase. For this model, the adapter is made for a 2-inch hitch receiver. Make sure that you know the specifications of your vehicle before you buy this! You don’t want to get it and then find out that it won’t fit your hitch receiver.
Once this product is attached to your bumper or receiver, the bikes in this rack are aligned to be parallel with the back end of your vehicle. This is nice because it keeps your bikes from sticking out into traffic and making your RV even longer than it already is.
There are four metal loops on this rack to rest your bike tires in, and these are adjustable to account for different sizes of bikes.
This is a simple, lightweight product that is perfect for people who want quick and easy access to their bikes. It sits at an easy-to-reach height and doesn’t require a complicated installation process. The layout is simple and has an easy process for loading and unloading.
Special Features
Swagman is a company that has created a good reputation for itself. They’re well known for creating sturdy, reliable products with a long lifetime and an affordable price. This bike rack is relatively simple, but it still includes a lot of user-friendly features and quirks.
As mentioned above, bikes sit on this rack by resting their tires into looped metal openings along the base of this model. These openings are specifically sized to prevent bikes from slipping through or rattling loose.
They’re also adjustable depending on the size of your bike. If you need to haul a small bike, you can move the loops inward to accommodate a smaller frame. This is great for adventurers who need to pack for both large and small bikers!
Each set of loops can be individually adjusted and locked into place. In addition, the top of this bike rack includes a set of ratchet arms that can be raised or lowered to attach to the frames of your bikes. These arms come with a set of clamps that are meant to hook onto the bike frame and keep it secure even during the roughest roads and travel conditions.
These clamps are also rubber padded to avoid damaging the bike or scratching its paint. With this rack, your bikes will be kept safe and in top condition!
Customer Reviews, Compliments, and Concerns
The Swagman RV Traveler XC2 is one of the highest rated bike racks on the market, and it’s a top pick of Amazon.com. As mentioned above, this model sports a very high satisfaction rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. (Getting a perfect 5-star rating is hard!)
Customers of this product are generally very happy with it. Many product reviews for this model compliment its great packaging, its simple installation process, and its versatility between different models of vehicles, bikes, and hitch receivers.
The main concern that has popped up with this product is the amount of clearance that vehicles need to use it correctly. If the tow vehicle for this bike rack has a small bumper, the bike handles often will push up against the rear of the vehicle.
This has the potential to cause damage to the car or RV if its bumper isn’t the correct size. To avoid this problem, make sure that you have the correct towing setup for attaching a bike rack before purchasing this product. Measure the extensions of your bumper or hitch and compare it with this bike rack.
For more information on this bike rack, as well as online purchasing options, follow this link.
Swagman RV Approved Ladder Rack
- Price: $62.35
- Rating: 4.1/5
- Maximum Bike Load: 2 Bikes
- Maximum Weight Load: 70 lbs. (35 lbs. per Bike)
Bike Rack Type
This bike rack, as the name might suggest, is designed to attach to the built-in ladders that many RVs and trailers have installed along the back.
Before you read any further, know that if your RV has a ladder along its side, this rack won’t work for you. Your bikes will be hanging off the side, making your vehicle wide and risky to drive next to other cars. You’ll probably lose a bike or damage other cars on the road if you try this method!
But as long as your RV has a ladder along the back, this bike rack could be a great option for you. This model has a solid aluminum frame that is made to easily hook over the rungs of the ladder. The aluminum makes it very strong, but also lightweight. Overall, this rack only weighs about 6 lbs.
This bike rack is designed to support each of your bikes from beneath with a set of rubber clasps that loop securely around the frame. This rack will hold your bikes flush against the back of your RV. Like the previous rack mentioned, this keeps the bikes from sticking out into traffic.
Special Features
This bike rack is another member of the Swagman family. As such, it has all the quality and strength that their reputation promises.
One of the best features of this rack is its simple design and operation. The top of this rack has a set of small hooks that just need to be looped around a rung of your RV ladder. And then that’s it! This is the most user-friendly installation process of all the products listed here.
Once again, the aluminum construction of this rack is also a great benefit. It’s resistant to corrosion and will last for years without showing any signs of wear and tear.
There are also a set of small black pads around the bars of this rack. These provide a layer of protection for the rack and the RV. They are there to prevent the rack from scraping against the metal of the ladder.
This is a simple bike rack, but it’s one of the easiest to use and most durable options on the market. Plus it helps that it’s one of the cheapest options out there! You’ll usually have a hard time finding a bike rack for less than $100, but this one clocks in at just $62.35.
Customer Reviews, Compliments, and Concerns
The Swagman RV Approved Ladder Rack has been well received and reviewed by its customers. As mentioned above, this product holds an average approval rating of 4.1/5.
Generally, the reviews for this bike rack are quite positive. Customers enjoy the simplicity of its design and many have praised its ability to haul two bikes at once. It’s often difficult to position multiples bikes on the same rack, but this rack seems to solve that problem easily!
On the other hand, some people have had issues with the weight limits of this rack. The top limit of this rack is 70 lbs. which is too low to haul some heavier types of bikes. If this rack is overloaded it has the potential to bend out of shape.
To avoid this problem, make sure that you know the weights of your bikes before loading them. Don’t push the limits of this rack because it’s only designed to handle so much weight.
For more information on this bike rack, as well as online purchasing options, follow this link.
Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mount Rack
- Price: $120.96
- Rating: 4.3/5
- Maximum Bike Load: 4 Bikes
- Maximum Weight Load: 140 lbs. (35 lbs. per Bike)
Bike Rack Type
This bike rack is perfect for people who need to haul a lot of bikes from one place to another. It can easily handle four adult-sized bikes without bending or breaking under the pressure.
In terms of attachment, this is a large bike rack that is built to connect to a 2-inch hitch receiver. It has a long vertical bar that elevates the suspended bikes safely above the road. At the top of this bar are a set of arms that fold outward.
These arms help create some additional distance between the bike rack and the back of your vehicle. This is great because you don’t want one bike scratching against the back of your RV, let alone four!
The arms have well-spaced clasps for the bikes. This prevents them from knocking against each other or creating problems while loading. The arms will add to the overall length of your RV, but considering the amount of bike storage they provide, I find it to be well worth the compromise!
Special Features
This bike rack is easy to connect to hitch receivers on cars and RVs. It’s a simple process to attach and lock it into place. In terms of construction, this rack is solidly put together and has a frame made out of the toughest steel on the market.
The folding arms on this rack move smoothly between their two positions. If you don’t want to detach this rack between uses, you can just fold the arms inward and it becomes barely noticeable on the back of your vehicle.
This bike rack is also well suited to accommodate a variety of different bike sizes and designs. The clasps can attach to the frames of pretty much any type of bike.
Probably the biggest selling point of this rack, though, is the number of bikes that it can haul. Usually, two is the standard number that bike racks can carry. But this model can handle four full-sized bikes without any trouble.
If you’re planning a big group bike ride, this hitch is perfect for you. Family bikes trips are much easier with this rack, and you can also haul different types of bikes if you’re interested in road biking, mountain biking, or even casual beach rides on those cute aesthetic bikes. This is a great rack for any bike enthusiast with a lot of gear to bring.
Customer Reviews, Compliments, and Concerns
The Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mount Rack is a fantastic product and it has been popular with bike lovers and RV owners alike. It’s user-friendly design and large carrying capacity have earned it an average approval rating of 4.3 out of 5.
Customers of this bike rack have praised its load capacity and practical design. There are other bike racks on the market that can carry much heavier loads, but you usually don’t need anything more than what this rack offers you.
Customers also described how well it held up under stress and different weathering conditions. The steel construction of this model, as well as its protective paints and treatments, help it to stand the test of time with grace.
On the critical side of the debate, some people report that they have had trouble carrying certain types of bikes with this rack. Generally, this rack is very versatile and can be used for bikes of many shapes and sizes, but some bikes are built to fold into shapes that are difficult to attach to standard hitches.
This can’t really be helped, because there are, and always will be, a wide range of different bike designs on the market. This rack will still be able to accommodate most types of bike, but you’ll still need to be mindful of how you’ll haul a bike when you buy a unique design.
Some people have also complained that this rack can’t really handle the weight of four bikes. The overall weight limits are important to keep in mind in this case. The rack can haul four bikes as long as they weigh 35 lbs. or less each. This doesn’t mean that the rack can handle any four bikes, regardless of weight.
Always be sure that you’re operating within the safety limits of your bike rack!
For more information on this bike rack, as well as online purchasing options, follow this link.
