Why not Make the Swagman Original Taller so that 15 inches of Ground Clearance is not Required

Question:

I see through the comments here, that 15inch are needed from the ground to the bottom of the hitch, if not ,one could buy an adapter that raises the 2inch receiver up 4 1/2, wouldnt it be simpler to make the tower that much taller, so the bikes are that much higher from the ground? just curious. thanks for all the great info on your site.

asked by: Scott

Expert Reply:

The reason they don't just make the bike rack taller is so that people would not have to lift their bikes even higher than they already do to install them on a bike rack. We get a lot of comments about how people with bad shoulders do not want to have to lift a bike too high as it gets uncomfortable for them.

So its a hard balance to strike between having the rack high enough that there is enough ground clearance yet low enough that loading bikes isn't too big of a chore.

The adapter that Mike H. referenced to give additional height was the Curt Ball Mount part # D210. I attached a link to the question and answer he did as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C