Can a Bike Rack Be Used with the Ready Brake when Flat Towing a Vehicle?

Question:

Im looking for a bike rack. I currently have a 2 inch receiver on the back of a 38 foot RV which has a Ready Brake and a Blue Ox Towbar pulling a Jeep Cherokee. I want to add the bikes behind the RV and be able to hook the Ready Brake and Blue OX between the bike rack and the Cherokee. Can you recommend a rack that will work?

asked by: Ed B

Expert Reply:

There are a couple of options that will enable you to use a bike rack in your current setup.

The simplest option would be to attach a bike rack to the back of the Cherokee like the Yakima LongHaul, # Y02476.

In order to carry a bike rack with your Ready Brake on the back of your RV, you could use a dual hitch adapter like Roadmaster's 4" Drop/Rise Adapter, # RM-077-4. The Ready Brake would need to be installed in the lower receiver and you would need to use a bike rack that has been tested for use on the RV like the LongHaul # Y02476.

I don't have access to a Ready Brake, so I can't take any measurements to recommend a rack. The bike rack you select will need to clear the Ready Brake's actuator arm to ensure that it can function correctly.

If you would care to send me some measurements on the Ready Brake, I'd be happy to recommend a rack that will work. I'd need the distance from the center of the hitch pin hole to the end of the actuator arm and the height from the top of the receiver tube to the top of the actuator arm.