Best RV Bike Rack: Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2019

Most of you love to go for bike rides especially while on the road trips with your RVs. There are so many places where you can go cycling. While you are on a hike or just roaming around narrow lanes, a bike can be the best companion. Given the limited area inside our house trailers, it can be hard to allocate space for different things. In such situations, a worthy solution is to attach the bikes to your RV’s ladder, bumper or hitch receiver with the help of the best RV bike rack.

It is essential for us to understand that not all bike racks are approved for use on your house trailer. You should ensure that you purchase only an approved bike rack to ensure the safety of your mini-two wheeler.

Best RV Bike Rack in 2019

Are you ready to get a glimpse of some of the premier parking stands for your bike? Here is an assortment for you to choose from. These are the bestsellers on Amazon with high reviews from past customers.

• Swagman RV Approved Dispatch Hitch Bike Rack
• Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mounted Bike Rack
• Swagman XC Cross-country 2-Bike Hitch Mount Rack
• Swagman RV Approved Ladder Rack
• Swagman RV Approved Around the Spare Deluxe Bike Rack

Swagman RV Approved Dispatch Hitch Bike Rack

Swagman is a top-notch company in the bike rack segment, it is one of the first companies to design and promote a hitch style bike rack.

You can haul the bikes with the rack behind your RV, its spare wheel or 5th trailer. This model is approved for usage in the RV as Swagman has tested the product for ensuring it can handle the extra load of being tugged behind your motor home. It is one of the most solid bike racks you can get and tightly holds your bikes to minimize its movement and prevent any damage. You do not need to worry even if you are driving your motor home on rough roads.  Another good feature is the sliding wheel trays to hold bikes of different lengths. To enable better access in case of any need to the rear of the vehicle it has vertical mast folds. The rack is very effortless for assembly.

For your bikes security, the rack comes with a secure locking pin and sturdy cable. It includes locking ratcheting hooks and locking hitch pins.

The rack can handle the maximum load of 45 pounds per bike. You can carry two bikes at a time with each rack. The material used in making the racks is anti-rust making it a durable product. You can get this RV approved rack for yourself at an outlay of around $330.

“Enhance your Swag” with this Swagman rack and get your bike a comforting place to rest.

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Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mounted Bike Rack

This is one of the best-selling hitch-mounted racks on e-commerce sites. Allen Sports is another premier brand which is a specialist in bicycle-related products in the market. This model comes with options for carrying a range of 2 bikes to even 5 bikes at a time as per your need.  The rack needs a Class III or IV, 2-inch hitch for installation. It includes a 22 inch long carry arms which helps to lock your bikes with Allen’s patented lock-down system.

It is handy to adjust even when the rack is not being used due to the folding arms which quickly drop out of the way. You can set up the rack on your Motor home in a matter of few minutes as setting up the rack is an effortless task. The no wobble bolt helps to keep the bicycle in place and avoid any harm. The rack can come at a price ranging from $80 – $145 depending on the type of rack and capacity you need.

With a lifetime warranty provided by the company, this model seems worth a try.

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Swagman XC Cross-country 2-Bike Hitch Mount Rack

Another Swagman is here to impress. This bike carrier provides you with an easy way to transport your bike. Each bike comes with a new frame grip arms with an improved soft-friendly coating to safeguard the bike’s finish. The model fits a 1-1/4 inch and 2-inch hitch receiver. 

The hooks are cushioned so that they can be adjusted to varied bike sizes. For enhanced safety, you can separately buy the locking hitch pin and a security cord for your bike to go along with the rack.

An added advantage is if you have a bike with fat tires you still can use this rack with complimentary bike tire tray. The rack is built with a flexible center arm  that can be folded easily to access the rear of the vehicle even without the need to remove the rack.

The carrier can bear a maximum load of 35 Pounds. It has an in-built anti-wobble hitch device to ensure the safest experience for your bike. For enhanced convenience in storing it in your RV, it is designed in a way that you can easily fold it.

Although some people found the initial assembly a bit tricky the product has been lauded by many customers and is a good catch at about $100.

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Swagman RV Approved Ladder Rack

This Swagman Ladder rack is handy for you as it attaches easily to your RV’s ladder on its back. The model is a “universal design ladder mount carrier” that attaches to any RV ladder.

It frees up your hitch for towing and use the not so frequently used ladder for installation. You can install the rack smoothly in no time. It has an easy hook design for quick removal and reinstallation.

The rack can carry 2 bikes. It can handle a maximum weight of 35 Pounds. To ensure the durability of the product, the rack is constructed from anodized aluminum. The material is also corrosion and rust resistant. It is equipped with soft neoprene cradles that help to protect the bikes from damage. The Velcro straps used in the rack help to secure the bike. The rack is developed with reflectors at end of each arm for more security.

Due to its compact size, it comfortably fits most motorhomes. Compared to other racks it is a good bargain at a price of around $80.

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Swagman RV Approved Around the Spare Deluxe Bike Rack

Swagman indeed dominates the list of best-reviewed bike racks. This is another good bike rack for you to think about. Most of you have a 5th spare tire behind your RVs. This Deluxe Bike Rack is for you to mount on the spare tire and use to carry your bike.

This rack can carry 2 bikes and can handle a weight up to 30 Pounds. It fits on a 4-4.5 inch continuously welded bumper. The rack is a steel construction ensuring durability.

Being developed with anti-sway cradles it ensures the least damage to your bicycles by preventing even bike-to-bike contact. To hold the bikes in place the rack consists of strong rubber straps. Most users have found it quite appealing due to the ease of assembly and installation involved. Although you need to be careful with the size of your bikes as there have been issues with the rack not capable of carrying some types of adult bikes.

With a cut of around $130 to your pockets, you can get this nice rack for your RV.

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Learn more about RV Bike Racks

Now that you have read my reviews of the top 5 RV bike racks, allow me to share some useful information about RV bike racks so that you are more informed before buying your bike racks.

In this next segment of the guide, I will be discussing on the various types of RV bike racks, factors that you need to know when deciding on one, and also some of the more popular brands that you should get.

Let’s start with the types of RV bike racks.

Types of RV Bike Racks

From the different categories of bike racks available, we can broadly classify the bike racks as follows: 

• Bumper-Mounted Racks
• Hitch-Mounted Racks
• Ladder-Mounted Racks

Bumper Mounted Bike Racks

Ideal for those house trailers which have a bumper with measurements of 4 inch X 4 inch or 4.5 inches X 4.5 inches made of steel and continuously welded bumper. It is necessary to ensure motorhome’s bumper is tough enough possibly a steel construction with welding across the length of the bumper. This helps to safeguard that the bumper is able to support the load of the rack and the bikes.

Such Bumper Mount racks will allow you to carry 2 or more bikes without the need for a trailer hitch on the RV. A bumper-mounted rack also enables to leave the ladder free and completely open for accessing the roof or other cargo storage at the campsite.

Hitch Mounted Racks

Another great method to store your two-wheeler safely attached to your RV is a Hitch mounted rack. These days, many house trailers come with a trailer hitch pre-installed, making it an even better way of keeping your bikes.

A Hitch mounted rack comes in a variety of styles. You can find both hanging and platform racks as well as racks to carry 2, 3 or even 4 bikes together.

This rack is handy to store your bikes also when you are not on your RV trips. These hitch racks fit standard 2-inch hitch receivers found on most RVs.

Likewise, you can use a bumper-mounted hitch receiver for your hitch-mounted rack. These hitches give a 2-inch receiver at the bumper to enable carrying the bike rack. Installing such bumper-mounted receiver does not need any welding or drilling like putting a hitch receiver.

In addition, these bumper mounted hitch receiver also need a steel made, regularly welded bumper.

For some RVs, there exist an option to use a front mount hitch and install a bike rack at the front of your vehicle. That is the front-mounted hitch type.

Ladder Mounted Rack

The ladder installed on your RV can be utilized to put the rack and then carry your bike more easily. The bike racks are designed to be installed on the ladder on the back of the RV.

These ladder-mounted racks are better for lifting up to two lightweight bikes. Bikes are generally fixed to the racks in a vertical position with the front side of the boke facing the ground. You can remove or rotate the rack when you want to get to the roof of the camper.

The Ladder mounted rack is a convenient choice if your RV does not possess a bumper or a hitch receiver.

Factors to consider when buying the best RV bike rack

Some factors you should consider before picking an RV Bick Rack. We have an ample amount of designs and features imbibed in different kinds of Bike Racks suitable for a motor home. But, to make the best choice for your bike, you need to secure an appropriate knowledge of what will be your requirements.

Here are some important points to ponder upon.

The Size and Styles of bikes you possess

Do you possess a normal adult bike, lady’s bike or a kid’s bike? It is important to understand as not all the racks will have the adjustable settings.

The carrying capacity you require .i.e. the number of bikes you carry

Normally a bike rack comes with the scope for carrying at least two bikes. You can further buy racks for three or four bikes as per your family.

How often you shall be riding the bike?

This helps in defining which kind of rack will be more convenient if you need to use the bike daily rather than once in the blue moon. Accordingly, you can prioritize access to the bike. If you will need the bike daily, bumper and hitch mount racks are recommended.

What kind of rack you prefer?

Do you need a wheel mount or a frame mount rack? Different racks are capable to carry your rack differently. Check the diverse models before you make the final deal.

What are the different mount options you have in your RV?

You can opt for a front mount, Ladder mount, Bumper Mount, Hitch mount, or other options like using the spare tire at the back of your RV to mount the rack.

Popular Bike Rack Brands

The leading players in this industry include Swagman, Stromberg, and Schwinn. The products from Swagman are among the most popular. Its products are among the top rated. They are a specialist in manufacturing the bike rack. The other brands are also creating a niche for themselves in the market by introducing an innovative range of products. From kid’s bikes, downhill bikes, Cruiser bikes, BMX bikes or full-suspension bikes, they have bike racks to suit the diverse needs.

Final point on Best RV Bike Rack

Based on the list you can see that Swagman is currently having a dominant position with maximum models of this brand being listed. It currently is the best reviewed a brand of bike racks. They have special RV approved racks making them more desirable.

You can also take a look at many other brands available depending upon your necessity.

What are you waiting for?  Go grab a good carrier for your two-wheeler.