Recommended 2-Bike Hitch Rack for SUV and Sprinter RV

Question:

Im looking for a 2-bike rack that will work both for our 22foot RV Sprinter chassis-based, flat rear end and our 2017 Jeep Cherokee SUV. Both have 2inch hitch receivers. Well have one womans small frame hybrid or mountain bike and one standard size mans hybrid or mountain bike. Id like the option to tilt or fold the unloaded rack for access to the Jeeps rear hatch, and enough stability to take with the Jeep on bumpy dirt or gravel roads. I like the Yakima brand, but not sure if there is a model that fits this need. We will need to be able to secure the bikes and rack for a moderate degree of theft prevention e.g. cable lock. What do you recommend? Thanks.

asked by: Phil

Helpful Expert Reply:

Hitch bike racks rated for RV use typically do not offer a tilt function as they need to be as strong as possible to withstand the stresses found at the rear of an RV. A hinged tilting mechanism would tend to weaken the overall rack structure. But some of our available RV racks do disassemble or fold for more convenient storage and vehicle access.

For instance, the Swagman E-Spec 2-Bike Platform Rack # S94FR, which includes locks both for the rack and for your two bikes, features solid steel construction and can handle heavier bikes up to 70-lbs each, wheelbases up to 48-inches and wheel diameters from 20- to 29-inches. It also offers over 15 1/4-inches of clearance from the hitch pin hole to the nearest part of the rack for excellent clearance at the back of the Sprinter. For bikes without front fenders this is an outstanding wheel-mount rack.

Swagman's frame-mount Dispatch # S44FR also includes locks but has a lower weight capacity of 45-lbs per bike. This is a better choice for bikes with front fenders since it holds the bikes at their frame tubes. Please see the linked video. Women's bikes without a top frame tube will need an adapter bar # UB01 on this rack.

Other options such as the NEO2 # B01748 from Let's Go Aero are also shown on the linked page. Locks like # e98891 and # 63232 can be added.

The linked article on RV bike racks may be of interest. Yakima offers no RV-rated racks.