Words by Jason Tansem
You went through the process of choosing the best eBike for your travels and now you need to find a way to transport it. As you have probably realized by now, eBikes aren’t exactly light and the foldable models require some ample room to bring on any trip.
If your partner is a “little type A”, a dirty, foldable bike inside your RV on freshly cleaned floors will get you in some hot water. A rack on the back of the RV is the answer.
I have two Rad Power Bikes, which are approximately 32 kg (70 lb) each, which will put some strain on any rack you buy. To make things a little more interesting, one of the bikes has fat tires while just has regular rubber.
After doing some research, I found an overwhelming amount of RV bike racks on the market. Like any buying decision, it can create some frustration to make sure you choose the best one. So, to simplify the process, here are a few things to consider when looking for a rack to carry your eBikes on your RV.
Jason Tansem
For optimal security, featured straps hold down each wheel and a clamp firmly grabs and grips both bikes securely.
What is the weight capacity?
- Make sure the rack has plenty of “wiggle room” in the event you want to add accessories to your bike. Perhaps, think of it like a travel trailer with your truck. You wouldn’t want to be maxed out on weight before you add any of your gear into the trailer.
How easy is installation?
- We have all purchased products where “some assembly is required” and more often than not, they require a six-month Community College Certificate to figure it out.
What size of tires does the rack hold?
- Fat Tires don’t fit onto regular wheel holes safely – period.
Are replacement parts available?
- Sometimes parts break and don’t want to make a significant investment on a great rack and then not be able to replace select parts, if necessary.
Jason Tansem
The rack can tilt down for easier loading.
After all this contemplation, our rack of choice was the New RV Rider from Hollywood Racks. The number one reason why is due to its durability and easy installation and mounting. For one, it’s designed for use on the back of an RV, fifth wheel or flat-towed vehicle. Another nice aspect is when the RV is parked, the rack can be mounted on the hitch my Dodge Ram 1500 (or other tow vehicles with similar hitches), making it very versatile to transport.
After ordering, I received the rack within a week (to Canada) and it arrived in durable packaging. The instructions were very easy to understand, and the assembly and installation process to the hitch made sense.
You can manage the rack easily by yourself but like anything, when there are two people involved, it’s twice as easy. However, if your significant other isn’t in the mood for helping, you can always suggest just putting the bikes into the RV!
Jason Tansem
It also has an Internally-reinforced frame and external brace for heavy load carrying capacity.
Overall, the process of ordering, receiving and assembling the rack was seamless. Compared to other racks on the market, I specifically like the three-attachment points per bike. There are straps to hold down each wheel and a clamp firmly grabs and grips both bikes securely. Of course, I was nervous the first trip and checked them at every stop. To my relief, nothing budged as we hauled our eBike investments around. Surprisingly, the bikes on the rack also didn’t bounce like I anticipated due to their weight.
It’s always best to invest in quality gear – especially considering the sometimes-rigorous RV environment – and you want that extra ounce of prevention when cruising from point A to point B on the highway or rough rural roads. There are lighter racks out there, but they have more bounce and are not nearly as sturdy. It’s seriously worth considering the RV Rider for its sole purpose of moving eBikes – you won’t be disappointed.
Specifications
- Capacity: Two eBikes up to (36 kg) 80 lb each.
- Hitch Size: 5 cm (2 in) (don’t use a hitch adapter).
- Maximum Bike Wheelbase: 152 cm (60 in)
- Maximum Tire Width: 13 cm (5 in)
Key Features
- Internally-reinforced frame and external brace for heavy load carrying capacity.
- Extra heavy-duty wheel holders to provide a heavier load-carrying capacity.
- Frame grabbers that attach to an eBike frame or seat tube (it’s very easy to find somewhere to clamp it on).
- Locking grabbers and hitch. It would be nearly impossible to steal the bikes (as long as you actually lock them!)
- The rack can tilt down for easier loading. I never had to do this as the bikes are very easy to load.
- Keep in mind, the rack is not compatible with bumper-pull travel trailers or bumper-mounted hitch receivers.
- Limited-lifetime warranty.