Can I Use The MaxxTow Dual Hitch Extender MT70070 To Tow My Trailer And Carry A Bike Rack
Question:
I need to carry a bike rack while towing and plan to use MaxxTow MT70070 dual hitch extender with Curt C45230 ball mount I have 2015 F150 2.7L that has reciever height of 17 The camper is 3500lbs GVWR and hitch weight of 315lbs with coupler height of 20inch so I need the 2 3/8 rise of the C45230 The bike rack is 50lbs and extends 8inch from hitch My question is: will this combination work safely Thank you
asked by: Mark
Expert Reply:
Though this technically will work when looking at all the measurements, I cannot recommend doing so. Here's my reasoning behind saying that.
With your fully loaded trailer having a tongue weight of 315 pounds and your loaded bike rack weighing 50 pounds, you are at 365 pounds. This is well within your 2015 Ford 2.7L EcoBoost F-150's capacities. However, using an extender like the Malone Dual Hitch Extender # MPG544, or any extender for that matter, it will reduce your tongue weight by 50%. This changes your 400 pound tongue weight capacity (this is the number I could find for the 2.7L EcoBoost option for 2015 F-150) to a 200 pound maximum capacity. This then means you are 165 pounds over the max capacity of the set up which can cause a catastrophic failure. And would I very much prefer to not have that happen, to put it lightly.
With all the doom and gloom aside, needing to do something like this is very common. With you having an F-150, you are actually in a much better boat than most. This is due to the availability of front mount hitches. The Draw-Tite # 65067 can be mounted on the front of your truck and will then allow you to load the rack there. It's kind of a weird solution, but actually works quite well. This will have a 500 pound tongue capacity and with your rack extending out 8 inches, it will have no problems clearing the bumper.
If you prefer to not mount the bikes on the front of your truck, we do also have the Swagman Straddler Trailer-Mounted Bike Rack Carrier # S80503, but this will require an exposed area of an A-Frame to clamp onto. It does have a 100 pound capacity, so it will cover your loaded bike rack. It isn't the easiest thing to load bikes onto though, so I do prefer the front mount hitch option over this.
The only other potential option will be to add a hitch to the bumper of your camper. However, this option is highly dependent on your bike rack as not all are rated for use with a camper/trailer bumper, so you will need to verify this with the manufacturer of the rack. If it is though, you can add on something like the Curt RV/Trailer Bumper Hitch # E-100. This will fit bumpers that measure 4" x 4", so you will need to double check the size of your bumper as well.
Products Referenced in This Question
Draw-Tite Front Mount Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - 2"
- Front Receiver Hitch
- Custom Fit Hitch
- Front Mount Hitch
- 500 lbs Vert Load
- 9000 lbs Line Pull
- 2 Inch Hitch
- Square Tube
- Draw-Tite
more information >
Curt RV Bumper 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver
- RV and Camper Hitch
- Bumper Mount Hitch
- 4 x 4 Inch Bumper
- 350 lbs TW
- 3500 lbs GTW
- 2 Inch Hitch
- Bolt-On
- CURT
more information >
Swagman Straddler Trailer-Mounted Bike Rack Carrier for A-Frame Trailers - 2" - 100 lbs
- RV and Camper Bike Racks
- Hanging Rack
- Platform Rack
- Tongue Mount Hitch Rack
- 2 Bikes
- Electric Bikes
- Fat Bikes
- Mountain Bikes
- Travel Trailer
- Swagman
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Malone 2" Dual Purpose Hitch Receiver
- Hitch Adapters
- Hitch Extender
- Dual Hitch Adapter
- Bike Racks
- Cargo Carriers
- Hitch Mounted Accessories
- Trailers
- 10-1/2 Inch Extension
- Fits 2 Inch Hitch
- 4000 lbs
- Malone
more information >
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Mark K.
11/15/2021
I didnt find your reply until I got a follow-up email from Charles C, so Im not sure how I will find the reply to THIS email Anyway, thanks for the advice - not the answer I wanted, but what I suspected Follow-up question: So, if I use just the curt C45230 by itself in the same set-up, (without the MaxxTow dual) it should have enough rise to keep trailer level and be within safe weight ? Please let me know and thanks again for the help - Mark