2-Bike Rack for 2008 Itasca Navion Motorhome With Spare Tire

Question:

I would like a bike rack to carry 2 hybrid Trek 730 bikes about 28 pounds each on our 2008 Itasca Navion H motor home that has a spare tire on the back. I was considering a Swagman Dispatch hitch rack, but I am not sure if would work without a hitch extender. If we use a hitch extender, I was told weight capacity would only be 50 of what the rack is rated to carry. Dispatch holds 45 lb per bike, which would only be 22.5 with an extender which is less than our hybrid bikes weigh. Do you have a suggestion for the best rack option for our case? Thank you.

asked by: Susan W

Expert Reply:

You're right that you are probably not going to be able to use a bike rack well with a hitch extender on your vehicle.

However, you can take a quick measurement to find the minimum clearance that you'll need to use a bike rack without a hitch extender.

To find your minimum clearance, you'll measure from the center of the hitch pin hole to the furthest part of your spare tire cover. From the picture you shared, it looks like using a yardstick or other long, flat object will be helpful in finding this point. You'll also want to measure the furthest part out of the vehicle's bumper in the same way to ensure a good fit. I've included a link to our spare tire guide so you can make sure to get the right measurement.

To use a bike rack on this vehicle without impacting the tire, you'll want to pick a bike rack with a listed "center of hitch pin hole to nearest point" or "center of hitch pin hole to nearest cradle" measurement of more than the measurement that you got from your vehicle. This will ensure that the rack doesn't impact or scrape against the vehicle during use.

For the Swagman dispatch, part # S44FR, your clearance to the nearest part of the rack is 12 inches, while the clearance to the nearest wheel cradle is 18 inches, giving you a good chance of clearing the spare tire on your motor home. This is the greatest amount of clearance available among our RV approved bike racks. If you have a minimum clearance of more than 18 inches, let me know and I can help recommend other solutions.

expert reply by: Jacob W