Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!
In our past motor homes we have had bicycle carriers going into the tow bar and only lost our bikes once in the Yukon when we stopped for breakfast and backed into the spot up to some woods and got out to go the restraunt. On returning we got Tigger his treat and walked him and and got back in the rig and never looked at the back of it. Only later at a stop we walked around and saw that both bikes and the tow bar that held the 2" ball or in this case the upright bike post was sticking out all by itself. No bikes, and they were chained together tightly secured. Miles had gone by since our last stop, and we figured that the someone may have needed them more than we did and stopped at a garage and had the bolts removed and the tow bar extension removed. We have had years of useage so really did not mind the loss....I could not see how they could have fallen off even withthe potholes and washboard roads we travelled...but maybe???We had checked them when we stopped other times and never found them loose, and the frames chained together made me think someone with a pickup truck just took the whole works............Sooooooooooo
Question is...........My present rig has a 2 x2" Tow bar we do not use and on e bay I saw a unit from a california company that fits a 2" tow bar for 2 bikes...I would rather see a unit than order unseen.........Does anyone recommend a Tow bar that will fit a 2" square id tow bar and can tell me the make and model and where distributed. I will be looking at garage sales this weekend, but as we have two old bikes now and will be leaving soon for the summer, may have to buy a new unit that is durable, tight and can be tied down securely.\\
The Swagman Towing model actually fits OVER your EXISTING 2inch receiver insert be it a ball or toad. It does not fit into the receiver carrier on the vehicle, it fits over what you would normally put in that carrier. Hence, you can still tow as before with no change in limits (save the weight of the bikes) but now you have a bike carrier too. Plenty of room for a trailer tongue/toad. I use one. You can get it at camping world in two different models.
I recently purchased the Swagman model that accomodates 3 bikes from the hanging rack and also had to get the mounting plate to attach it to the camper bumper since my camper did not have the receiver in place. Seems to be a well made piece of equipment. Hitch receiver and bike rack was about $150 or so. I will definitely put a lock on the hitch and the bikes prior to heading out on the road. Marty
We also have the Swagman three bike hanging rack that fits into our 2" receiver hitch on the back of the fifthwheel. We purchased a locking pin which holds the rack into the hitch. We got ours at Camping World for less than $80. It also works in the receiver hitch on the truck so we can transfer the bikes for local traveling.
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Wandering America 2006 38' Cedar Creek Custom 2500 HD GMC Sierra Duramax Diesel
I also bought the 3 bike hanging rack that fits in the receiver from Camper World. I carried my daughter and her boy friends' bikes on one trip. I had a hard time connecting them to the rack because of the large diameter and shape of the bars on the bikes.
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Allan, Jeanne and Katie the cat Full-timers from Alabama "07 -40' Phaeton & '08 Jeep Liberty
Another vote for Swagman from CW. We bought a three bike rack that fits over the receiver, and I modified it to ride above the receiver tube as we use a surge brake system. It is raised about 7 inches and we have not had any kind of problems with it. The only glitch was when SE got new bike we had to get a carry bar for her bike.
Yeah, I also had to get a carry-bar for the DWs' bike, that cost about $30 bucks or so, otherwise could have gotten out of Camping World for a lot less. That place is like Wal Mart, even if I go in just to visit, the money just seems to find its' way out of my pocket.....
RV Store and Service off 66 Street at 126 ave had a couple of carriers, one 2x2 fit right into my tow frame. Been playing with Navel Jelly and drill wire brush all day cleaning up the two bikes we got at a garage sale............oh my back...not used to squatting down so long. Now just about ready to clean up the rig and start slowly packing to leave 2nd week of April for Alaska.