Can Multiple Hitch Adapters Be Used Together To Haul A Bike Rack And Flat Tow A Car

Question:

I have a 40 foot motor coach towing a Chevrolet Colorado quad cab. I want to also put a bike rack on my tow hitch. So I’d like to extend my tow hitch by 18 inches so that I can do both. as I read more about extenders, it makes me wonder if that is an issue in terms of safety and weight, etc. It’s a flat towing vehicle so I don’t have a lot of tongue weight, or downward pressure. It’s all towing the load. As I’ve read about some of your extensions I see Comments that they should not be used for long haul towing and are use more for moving things around. I figured as long as it was a durable toe extension that was rated at least 5000 pounds towing capacity I should be OK. Can you give me any information that tells me that this is not something I should do or do something different. Thank you.

asked by: Warren W

Expert Reply:

It's never recommended to use multiple adapters at the same time so I can't recommend using an extension on top of the Gen-Y stacked receiver that you have pictured, or even using the stacked receiver in that high/low adapter that you have pictured. If there isn't enough clearance for you to connect to the stacked receiver with your tow bar and still have the bike rack in place then you'll need to either use the bike rack on the back of your Colorado or use a Tailgate Pad like # S64761.

I've attached our help article on hitch extenders/adapters that will offer you some additional information.

expert reply by: Kevin C