Can Malone 2-Inch Dual Purpose Hitch Receiver Adapter MPG544 Be Used with Tow Bar and Bike Rack

Question:

Can the Malone MPG544 extender be used to tow a small car 2500 lbs rather than a trailer? Plus the bike rack and 2 bikes.

asked by: Barry B

Helpful Expert Reply:

Yes, the Malone 2-Inch Dual Purpose Hitch Receiver Adapter # MPG544 can be used to tow a vehicle using a tow bar in the lower receiver while at the same time using a hitch-mount type bike rack in the upper receiver.

You do want to keep in mind that all such hitch adapters have the unavoidable side-effect of reducing your hitch's rated tongue weight (TW) capacity by 50-percent. TW is the downward force on the hitch from the items installed in it. A tow bar exerts very little TW on a hitch since the car's four wheels are carrying all of its weight but you'll just want to ensure the halved TW capacity of the hitch is still enough for the combined weight of the bike rack itself plus that of the loaded bikes.

expert reply by: Adam R