Looking for a bike carrier

[Candi Woods]

I'm wondering if anyone has ever seen a 4 bike carrier for a 2" receiver that will also allow me to hitch up the Scamp. Basically, a bike carrier with a hitch attachment. Can anyone help me locate something like that? We want to take our bikes camping but don't want to put them on the roof rack.

Thanks,
Candi

[Pete Dumbleton]

What I have seen is the tongue of a Scamp 13' lengthened with a T of frame material and a coupler on it welded underneath the existing frame -- A vertical two-bike carrier was then welded to the top of the T material -- The new frame was then long enuf to accomodate the bikes when turning or backing. The longer frame would also improve sway and backing problems, and with the improved sway geometry, you might be able to put more bikes on the trailer rear (or put them on the front of the tow vehicle).

[Brian B-P]

There are a few of these setups... but I can't see them as a good idea, since it would move the ball way back, significantly aggravating everything bad that hitch weight does to a tow vehicle.

Mike's bikes-over-the-tongue rack looks like a better idea to me (if there is sufficient clearance), and even a couple on the front of the trailer and the other two on the back would make me feel better than a foot or two of hitch extension.

[Roger H]

Candi, a roof rack is a much better idea than what you propose if you don't want to extend the tongue.

Roger

[Bigfoot Mike]

Have you seen this one...

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...&hasJS=true

[Candi Woods]

Have you seen this one...

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...&hasJS=true

Thank You! We have a Cabela's store right near here. I'll go right down and get it.

Candi

[Candi Woods]

Candi, a roof rack is a much better idea than what you propose if you don't want to extend the tongue.

Roger

Is there much difference between extending the tongue and extending the hitch? It looks like the hitch is only extended by about 6 inches whereas you would need to extend the tongue of the trailer by a foot or more to get four bikes on. This is because the hitch sits underneath the bikes as opposed to behind the bikes. Our scamp's tongue weight is well below what is allowed for our tow vehicle.

[Brian B-P]

I think you'll have trouble using that rack with four bikes mounted on it an a normal travel trailer. I certainly can't picture it with my Boler without bikes running into the tongue jack and propane tanks - which is why I suggested a long extension would be needed to really accommodate four bikes. Maybe if they're high enough it would work...

Even six inches (and it looks like more than that to me) is a significant extension. I realize that the Scamp may have only half the tongue weight of my Boler (on the same tow vehicle, a Sienna), so maybe it would be okay if it were really that short, but I would want to seriously consider how it would affect handling.

[Frederick L. Simson]

The [b]Cabella's unit might work for you if you keep in mind:

Includes a hitch-ball mount so you can tow [b]up to 2,000 lbs. (200-lbs. tongue weight) while hauling your bikes.

Does your trailer have a center-mount tongue jack? Or is it a swing down side mount? The latter might clear this rack better.

[Candi Woods]

The [b]Cabella's unit might work for you if you keep in mind:
Does your trailer have a center-mount tongue jack? Or is it a swing down side mount? The latter might clear this rack better.

Yes, it has a center mount tongue jack but the wheel swings down from the side. I'm pretty sure that the weight on the trailer is below the 2000 lb limit, it's a 13ft. w/o the front bathroom, no water or water heater, but it does have a small factory installed air conditioner. It also has a refrigerator.

We can always try it out and see. My husband doesn't want the bikes on top of the new sienna. But...I can be very persuasive if I have the facts in my favor

[peterh]

Hi Candi!

Lynne and I have a "V Rack," which clamps onto the 2" adapter bar for our hitch ball. Works great for our two road bikes.

Don't know if GI Joes still sells them, but the company URL is www.RackBiz.com.

--Peter

[Roger H]

We can always try it out and see. My husband doesn't want the bikes on top of the new sienna. But...I can be very persuasive if I have the facts in my favor

Candi, no one wants to put racks on a car, or lift the bikes up if you don't have to, BUT... it's the safest way to carry bikes with a stock hitch and tongue setup, expecially if you're talking about FOUR bikes. It's a nuisance, but your bikes will get there in one piece, without bent wheels, tires scrubbed through from dragging on the ground, or frames being bent and van corners dented from backing 'whoops'.

If you're willing to mod the trailer, then a setup like Mike Sanders' might work for you... but four bikes would take up a lot of real estate there!

I'm personally a Yakima rack owner, but all of them are good.

Roger

[Vic&Kathy]

Have you seen this one...

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...&hasJS=true

I'd really caution anyone about this type of rack. I have a similar Yakima model that I've only used once. Why only once? On this type of rack you can't avoid having the bikes touch one another. Scraped paint, bent parts and worse are gonna happen unless you take a lot of time protecting the bikes with something. We used foam plumbing insulation. While that did the job it also made it impossible to pull the bikes off quickly. Impromptu pedal sessions just ain't gonna happen.

So unless you have beater bikes that you don't mind becoming even beaterer, steer clear.

We use this Yakima rack for two bikes, any other bikes or related equipment ride in the Tacoma.

Vic

[Bigfoot Mike]

Candi,

Here is my solution. Easy to load & protected from the road debris. I made the box to carry my generator and propane tank.

[Benny K]

Suppose you could hang two on the front of the trailer and two on a rack on the back.....Benny

[Brian B-P]

I agree that the roof is the best place for the bikes to ride, but I also understand that Candi is talking about a van, and that roof is high. It would be awkward to get four bikes up there.

If the extended hitch type of rack works for clearance, the next issue is hitch height. I have a moderate rise in my ball platform to put the top of my ball at the right height for my Boler's coupler (16"). The Scamp likely has a different (lower?) height. The Cabela's rack does not have an extended receiver box; instead it is a long ball platform with a very small rise (probably 3/4" or less). If that is not quite high enough, an extra-tall ball can be used (further compromising clearance), but more than a couple of inches of rise requirement calls for a different hardware approach (such as the one Peter described).

If that Cabela's unit is the selected design...
Cabela's house brands are normally available under other brand names. In this case, the linked model appears to be SportRack towing hitch bike carrier Frontier A30414TW200. Canadian Tire carries these here, and I'm sure there are many other sources.

[Candi Woods]

On second thought, maybe I'll make the kids take their scooters instead of their bikes. Or, we can just rent them when we get there.

Thanks for all of your replies.
Candi

[Donna D.]

Kids and bikes kinda go together Candi. Here's a topic, where I posted some pictures on carriers that you can build to carry bikes inside the trailer. Maybe two in the aisle way, and put a blanket or tarp down on the bed and carry the other two there?

Entire topic here:
purchasing/carrying bicycles, what kind is best/carry inside camper?, suggestions please

You'll find the pictures that I posted of the carriers here.

[Christi V.]

i have a small Dahon folding bike which is easy to take... its not the size for long biking but its a good little bike to putt around the grounds with.......

http://www.dahon.com/

they arent cheap .... got mine at a garage sale for $60...