RE: Bike Racks

[campingboaters]

 
We re looking for how to carry our bikes while towing our camper.  We have a weight distribution hitch, so I don t believe we can put anything on the hitch/rear of the car.  Our last ditch resolutoin would be to put the bikes in the trailer between the dinette and the sofa, but I would rather have a bike rack OUTSIDE somewhere.  WE could get a rack for on top of our Durango, but we d need a ladder to get the bikes up and down, not to mention the cost (about $100) for each bike!  Although I have not yet checked if the bumper is bolted or part of the chassis, the below are the things I m looking at.
 
 4 bike hitch for the rear bumper of the trailer, :
 http://www.bike-racks-plus.com/R13611_four_bike_rv_style_carrier.htm
 
 I ve also looked at this little gadget so I can use the bike rack we already have for our TV:
 http://www.a1-autoracks.com/hr025.html
 
 Have any of you had any experience with either of these or know if I can even do this with my trailer?  How do you carry your bikes?  Where do you put your spare tire if you have a rack on the back bumper?
 
 Thanks for any help you can give me.

[glavieri]

 campingboaters
Hello,
 
 We had a Durango (just purchased a 2003 Suburban) with 4 Bike racks on top (Thule System), I am only 5 8"  and putting the bikes on top was not a problem. You can get a front mount hitch receiver , and just purchase a 4 Bike hitch rack..I can not remeber the web site for the Front hitch receivers. I did see it posted somewhere in here
 
 gARY

[Michicampers]

 campingboaters
We have a front hitch on our Durango for our bikes and it works out great, although you will probably want to cut it down a few inches. Check out the Hidden Hitch website to find the right hitch. We love it - the bikes don t get in the way of the liftgate, and we can load them up the night before we leave a campground too. The only drawback we have found is that the bike wheels do cover part of the headlights, but we have yet to travel at night. We have also used the front hitch to push the pu into tight spots.

[Y-Guy]

 campingboaters
Another option is a rack that I ve seen that mounts to the tongue of the camper, and hold the bikes above the tongue (gas tanks, etc.).  Only downside that I saw was it did block the beds.  If you are interested I ll try to find the link, I checked quickly but can t locate it.  I m pretty sure the folks on the Yahoo Hybrid group will know the site.

[campingboaters]

 campingboaters
Thanks everyone.  I thought the front receiver was the perfect answer, but hubby doesn t want anything blocking the airflow to the radiator.  And if he sees that the wheels block the headlights, forget it.  Although, " pushing"  our trailer with the front hitch would be the BEST reason for a front hitch as our parking space Between our garage and the neighbor s garage is a difficult place to keep our camper (to say the least).  I would NEVER attempt to back it in there, but DH makes it look easy.
 
 Y-Guy, if you could find that link that would be great.  I ll check out the yahoo forums if I can find it too.
 
 We do have this dual hitch thing that we bought last year before we got the hybrid and have never used it.  You put it in your receiver and it has two receivers sticking out of it -- one on the bottom for the trailer, one for the bike rack above the trailer tongue.  I have to convince hubby to try it.  
 http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&langId=-1&catalogId=4006970&PHOTOS=on&TEST=Y&productId=492929&categoryId=7385
 Otherwise, I think we ll be buying a rack that " buckles"  onto the liftgate of the Durango.  It functions, but is a pain as we have to load the bikes last or we can t get in the back of the truck.  We had one, but sold it in a yard sale last year when we were making room for the new baby and all the baby stuff.  WHAT were we thinking!?
 

[Y-Guy]

 campingboaters
The over the propane tank rack is from www.velorack.com  I may think about one of those, but I m hoping a fellow Avalanche owner will develop a rack a rack to moun on the truck bed, we ve discussed the concept and I would like it since the racks are mounted on the truck.  But the velorack looks like a good option, one of the guys on the hybrid group has one of these and seems to work great.