Camper Trailer Hitch and RV-Rated Hitch Bike Carrier

Question:

I have a camper that has a standard rear bumper and I am wondering if you have a hitch receiver that I can attach to the bumper for my 1 1/4inch Thule bike rack?

asked by: Bruce S

Expert Reply:

We do offer RV and camper hitches in both the frame-mount and bumper-mount varieties. Do please note that all of these are the 2-inch size. This is so because a 1-1/4-inch hitch would not have the strength required for use on the back of a camper trailer. The reason is that the further the rear axle is from the hitch tube, the greater the vertical and lateral sway forces will be on the hitch. All RV hitches are shown on the linked page.

Also, please note that you cannot use just any bike rack on the back of a camper. Bike racks made for use on campers and other RVs must be rated for that particular application, and for the very same reason noted above. If you have any 1-1/4-inch Thule bike rack it cannot be used on the camper without the risk of damage to the rack (and your bikes).

To mount a hitch on your camper's bumper you will first need to confirm in your owner's information that the bumper is rated for use with a hitch. Not all camper bumpers can handle this kind of load. The best way to check is to contact the camper manufacturer with the VIN so they can check that the specific bumper part they installed is suitably rated. If you cannot use a bumper-mount hitch you may still be able to use a frame-mount type. The camper manufacturer should be able to clarify this for you.

You can see our range of 2-inch RV-rated bike racks on the other linked page. These range in capacity from 2 to 4 bikes and are available in both hanging style racks like the RV rated Yakima LongHaul # Y02476 and platform styles like the excellent 2-bike Swagman Dispatch # S44FR. You can refer to the linked article on RV bike racks for more information.

Please feel free to let me know a bit about your camper and bikes and I ill be glad to assist you in selecting the best rack for your specific bikes and budget.

expert reply by: Adam R