Can the Thule EasyFold XT Bike Rack be Safely Used on a Motorhome

Question:

I bought the Thule easy fold xt2 last year. I thought I had remembered that it was compatible for using on a rv motorhome? Now it seems that isn’t so. What is the harm of putting it in the hitch of a 25ft motorhome, but not on a 22ft pickup truck?

asked by: Brian M

Expert Reply:

When you purchased the Thule EasyFold XT # TH903202 we may have very well said it was okay for use on a motorhome. Thule has flip-flopped on this subject matter a few times and I'm not confident they will ever make their minds up to be honest.

The ultimate thought process is that the hitch on a motorhome is located further from the rear axle than what you find on a passenger vehicle - including a pickup (which doesn't make sense to me) - so there is more play that will essentially wear down the bike rack faster.

In all honesty you should be just fine using most bike racks on your motorhome as long as you aren't overloading them, but since Thule officially says "No" it means they won't cover any damage under warranty.

For an alternative rack that is rated for use on a motorhome and comes with a ramp we have the Yakima OnRamp Bike Rack # Y36FR. Yakima has this rated for 66 lb bikes for normal use but that capacity is dropped to 40 lbs per bike for off-road and RV applications. If you're concerned about the Thule warranty and your bikes weigh no more than 40 lbs then this is the best alternative solution with a ramp.

If you need that extra capacity then you're going to need the Hollywood Racks RV Rider # HLY64FR which has an 80 lb per bike capacity no matter what it's installed on. This option doesn't have a ramp though so that's the trade-off.

Attached are review videos of the OnRamp and RV Rider for you to check out.