Can Swagman Dispatch Bike Rack be Used on Trailer With Hitch Rated For 135 lbs

Question:

I have a 2021 Lance 1995 Travel trailer. Factory installed trailer hitch. According to Manufacturer it has a 135 lb rating. I need at RV approved 2 bike rack. That can handle two standard bikes and the rack without exceeding the weight limits. I have in mind the Swagman Dispatch which I see is RV approved on your site but its weight concerns me. I see on other sites the Swagman XC2 rack shows RV approved but yours does not. Which would you recommend or any other suggestions to fit my needs.

asked by: Steve B

Expert Reply:

Excellent question, and there are actually different classifications for RV's, which is admittedly confusing. So the Swagman XC2 # S64650 is rated for use on motorhomes, but not on travel trailers or 5th wheel trailers. However, for a travel trailer you can absolutely use the Dispatch, which is the following part number:

- Swagman Dispatch Bike Rack # S44FR

This rack is approved for use on travel trailers like your 2021 Lance 1995, and the 135 lb weight rating should not be an issue at all for standard bikes. The reason for that is the Dispatch weighs 51 lbs, which leaves 84 lbs for your bikes, and typical road bikes generally weigh much less, at about 20 lbs, with mountain bikes weighing in around 25 lbs on average.

So as long as your bikes weigh less than a combined 84 lbs - and since they are not ebikes they definitely should - then the weight will not be an issue at all for the Swagman Dispatch Bike Rack # S44FR.

expert reply by: Kyle S