Recommended Solution for Carrying 4 Bikes on Pop Up Camper

Question:

I have a Coleman Fleetwood Carmel 2004 I believe pop up camper that already has tracks on it for a roof rack. I am interested in purchasing the Swagman Roamer bars to carry 4 bikes, but am wondering if I could use the tracks to attach it and if so, what additional hardware, if any, would I need? Or maybe there is another set up youd recommend that could attach to the tracks? Thanks!

asked by: Katie G

Expert Reply:

I have a solution for you, but the Swagman Roamer # S80510 is not a track mounted system, so it's not going to work in the roof tracks you've got. I'll also add that most roof rack manufacturers don't test their systems with other brands, and since we don't know exactly what you've got there I can't tell you what's going to fit on them (most will, but we have not been able to confirm). The last thing to note is that you're going to have a heck of a time fitting 4 bikes on that roof because of the air conditioner.

With that said, you could remove the tracks since you don't know what brand they are and replace them with the Swagman # S80510 system; this would as long as your camper top is not plastic. From there, I recommend using something like the Swagman # S64720 to carry 1 of the bikes. To carry the remaining 3 bikes I recommend using the Curt Clamp-On 3 Bike Rack for 2" Ball Mounts - Towing # C18013. This will provide you with the most cost effective and easy to load setup to carry 4 bikes while towing your pop up camper. At the end of the day, I think this is going to be the most cost effective and easily installed solution for you considering the lack of space on the camper top.

I've linked some review videos of these parts for you to have a look at. If your camper top is plastic, or your camper uses a 1-7/8" or 2-5/16" hitch ball, let me know and I'm happy to recommend an alternate solution.

expert reply by: Erik B