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Old 05-10-2018, 10:11 AM   #1
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Bike Rack for Heavy e-Bikes

Hi Everyone,

Not sure if this is the right place for my question. Please redirect me if not.

I'm looking for advice on bike racks. We have two e-bikes that each weight about 70 pounds and are fat tire. Has anyone seen a bike rack for the back of the trailer or the A-Frame of the hitch up front that would carry 140 lbs. and be stable?

The bikes are too heavy to mount on top of the truck and on top of the bed. The bed is filled with supplies and tools. I really would prefer not to mount them on the front of the truck.

Hopefully someone has cracked the code on this.

Thanks so much and have a great day!

Lou U
Folsom, CA
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Old 05-10-2018, 10:26 AM   #2
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Lou,

I think from all I've seen here on the forum you don't want to put any bike rack on the rear of trailer except the official airstream one, which can't carry your e-bikes. I just got back from a trip where I put my motorcycle (dirt bike) on the trucks front hitch, and while it was fine, I wouldn't like that for long trips and I had to unload it before I could fit into one of the tight camping spaces. So I think your plan for the a-frame is a good one. You'll probably need to combine two products though:

Find a way to mount two roof racks to the Carlson cc-255

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Cargo/St...SABEgJb_fD_BwE
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Old 05-10-2018, 10:56 AM   #3
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Im not finding any roof mount racks you could mount to that platform that are rated for 70 lbs bikes. Most are in the 44-60 lb max rating. What kind of bikes do you have?
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Old 05-10-2018, 10:59 AM   #4
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If the bikes are that heavy, suggest you think about the weight issue first, and then come to where to carry them.

If they are too heavy to lift on top of the bed, would they be too heavy to lift on to an A Frame carrier that was just as high?

If you add the weight of the bikes to the weight of a rack strong enough for them, you are likely pushing 200 lbs. if you mount that weight anywhere but over an axle or between two axles, it will result in more than 200 lbs of load on the nearest axle, due to the lever effect. Can all of the axles in the combination take that load? Have you weighed your current setup?

Maybe consider prioritizing what is currently in the bed of the truck, as that is the easiest place to carry the bikes.
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Old 05-10-2018, 11:03 AM   #5
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The Fiamma rack from Airstream can't handle the weight or width of those bikes on the back of the trailer. Nor will the Arvika rack over the propane tanks. A front hitch may be doable, but you will probably notice a lot of bouncing with a rack on a front truck hitch.



You may find that this will work as the Yakima racks can hold up to 100lbs each. The rack mounts to the truck rails so a tonneau cover is usable over the bed. Bikes are secure and stable up there.
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Old 05-10-2018, 12:39 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mojo View Post
The Fiamma rack from Airstream can't handle the weight or width of those bikes on the back of the trailer. Nor will the Arvika rack over the propane tanks. A front hitch may be doable, but you will probably notice a lot of bouncing with a rack on a front truck hitch.



You may find that this will work as the Yakima racks can hold up to 100lbs each. The rack mounts to the truck rails so a tonneau cover is usable over the bed. Bikes are secure and stable up there.


What type of Yakima rack is this? I’ve got a Greenspeed tadpole trike that I would like to carry with me. I also have a aluminum all enclosed generator box in the bed of my truck which takes up 1/2 of the bed. So I need to find a truck rail mount or install a front hitch. I’ve got a hitch rack for my bike - but it sticks out like a Kardashian’s silicon butt.
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Old 05-10-2018, 02:58 PM   #7
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You basically have to assemble your own parts to fit your needs and style of bike. But this is what I used. Spend some time perusing the Yakima site. It's basically building a rooftop carrier system on the bed rails of a pick-up truck.



https://www.yakima.com/54-tracks-w-60-capnut-hardware
https://www.yakima.com/crossbars
https://www.yakima.com/frontloader
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Old 05-10-2018, 03:14 PM   #8
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A little late, since you already have your e-bikes, but we had the same concerns about how to bring ours with us on camping trips. I didn't want them on the front of the truck, didn't have room in the bed of the truck, and didn't want them inside the trailer. As you mentioned, they are too heavy for us to put on top of the bed or truck, and ours are only ~50 lbs. each.. So we got two foldable e-bikes that fit in the back of my crew cab truck with the back seat folded up. It works out great. We are almost home from a month long trip through FL, GA, SC and TN, and we've ridden them at almost every stop. They really help flatten out the hills!
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Old 05-10-2018, 03:33 PM   #9
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For a front hitch rack that doesn't stick out too far, get the 2" super duty double rack by 1Up USA, which will hold two bikes up to 75 lbs each, and you can get a spacer kit if your tires are larger than 3.1" wide. these are much more compact than racks from Yakima, Thule, etc

Like Airstream, they are made of aluminum in the USA

https://www.1up-usa.com/product/2in-...ble-bike-rack/
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Old 05-10-2018, 07:22 PM   #10
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There's only so many places to put the bikes since they are bulky. In your case, they are also very heavy which further limits the very high spots.

I would apply "systems thinking" here. In other words, it's not going to be a single isolated solution. You're going to have to get creative, and it's likely going to impact how some other stuff is currently used or stored. Potentially even locate them in two places since a single place with both bikes and rack are going to be too heavy.

Personally, I think it might be easier to re-think these particular bikes.

What's in your truck bed? Perhaps it's easier to re-locate those items then to place the bikes there. In terms of weight, the bikes going in the bed is probably the most balanced place to locate them.
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Old 05-10-2018, 07:55 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 25Twin View Post
For a front hitch rack that doesn't stick out too far, get the 2" super duty double rack by 1Up USA, which will hold two bikes up to 75 lbs each, and you can get a spacer kit if your tires are larger than 3.1" wide. these are much more compact than racks from Yakima, Thule, etc

Like Airstream, they are made of aluminum in the USA

https://www.1up-usa.com/product/2in-...ble-bike-rack/
Just as an FYI, the designer of that rack has an updated and improved version coming out this year.

https://www.quikrack.com
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Old 05-10-2018, 11:56 PM   #12
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Wow! Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your knowledge with me. Alot to think about. I think there is an answer in there with a little thought and creativity. Turns out the bikes are 64lb, not 70. If I remove the battery, I think it will get under 60. I will digest all the information and get back to everyone once I have a solution.

So happy to be a part of this forum and group!
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Old 05-11-2018, 12:23 AM   #13
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The bike rack above the bed is a pretty good solution. For a previous truck, I built a tonneau cover that had 4 bike racks on it and could be opened to access the bed contents with all bikes still on. it worked great!
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Old 05-11-2018, 12:29 AM   #14
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SeaLevel, good to know about the new rack company. Looks like he has a backlog of ~3000 potential customers as he ramps up his production, and has been dealing with the customary delays as would be expected. Hope he's successful, as we'll be looking to get a 2-3 bike hitch rack in the next couple of years.

I currently have a single quick rack that I bought from 1Up about 5 years ago that still works great. It lives on my daily driver.
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Old 05-11-2018, 09:44 AM   #15
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I put the Stromberg front bike rack on my AS. Capacity 100 lb which is less than you need at 130 lb but maybe if you removed a couple of tires - I know a hassle?
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Old 05-11-2018, 10:26 AM   #16
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I have a Hollywood bike rack on the back of my Interstate that holds two fat tire bikes with the wheels supporting the bikes and a clamp down to hold bikes down on the rack.
It is attached to a RakAtach (made in Utah)
so I can swing it away from the back doors
without removing the bikes. The bikes must be attached as high up as possible to keep resonant vibrations from breaking the vertical support bar. Have used this configuration successfully for several years.
Would work successfully in front of a tow vehicle, especially if lifted, large tires, or 4 wheel drive where it could be somewhat below your line of sight.
AEW
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Old 05-11-2018, 10:47 AM   #17
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MOJO
We are in the same predicament. Our tonneau cover partially covers the 4 holes that appears yours are attached to. Did you need complete access,or might 2/3 of it being exposed be adequate?
Also how do you get them up there?
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Old 05-11-2018, 01:37 PM   #18
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I made a hitch and bike rack for the front of my 1500 Ram from steel tubing that went into a 2 inch receiver. We have heavy bikes and they have traveled there cross country + never a problem. Total wt. of hitch & rack & bikes is 200+ Also did not have to lift over 24 inches high. Lifting your bikes high (for me) up to above the truck bed might be asking for back problems.
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Old 05-11-2018, 05:24 PM   #19
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We are in the process of shifting from our old bikes to ebikes and are facing the same dilemma on how to carry the extra load. I plan to use the current Fiamma rack on the Airstream to carry my wife's 52 lb ebike (without the battery). I think my Hollywood Bike Rack on the front of the car will be where my 61 lb bike will be riding.

Remember to come up with a watertight cover for the battery connection on the bike if you leave the battery off while traveling or parking the bike.
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Old 05-11-2018, 06:15 PM   #20
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We have e-bikes. Put on front hitch of the truck. Works great. Bought a bike rack that was sturdy enough for that use. Got it at local bike shop.

We tried a number of solutions and this was the only one that made sense in the long run. Also when we aren’t hitched to the trailer and want to just take the bikes it’s easy to put on the rear hitch. It also isn’t that expensive. The hitch was easy to put on (cost about $220) and the bike rack was about $400.

We did once however put them in the AS because it was night and raining. Wrapped them up and put them on the bed. If you can put them in AS without them rocking around that would be great. But we just didn’t feel comfortable with that.
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