Bike Racks for E Bikes

bfeeny · May 2024

Have been using a Swagman XCS2 for my bikes (Capacity 70 LBS) but my E Bikes weigh 55 LBS each. Looking for a bike rack to fit between my TV and 320CSS (see photo). Any suggestions that don't entail lifting the bikes up really high?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/1w/j3ahati3xzav.png

AnOldUR · May 2024

You're probably OK, but you may want to research the drawbacks of hitch extensions.

kevmon · May 2024

I would look carefully at your tow capacity and tongue weight. Two e-bikes and rack will account for a significant added tongue weight (about 125 lbs or more).

bfeeny · May 2024

To clarify, the pic is of my existing set up that will no longer work because my e bikes are too heavy. Looking for a solution for the heavier bikes

kevmon · May 2024

You can find options by googling. Here’s one. Use with dual hitch. Good luck.

Horigan · May 2024

I would be leary of any concept that involves a hitch extension when your tongue load is approaching the vehicle limits, including the extension shown in the original post. Extensions introduce a lot more torque on the vehicle hitch receiver, thus result in reduced tongue load capacity to maintain the designed for torque from a standard hitch.

Binghi · May 2024

Agree with the above comments - IMO the closer the hitch ball to the bumper the better.

fwunder · May 2024

I used the Swagman XCS2 for years between my 4Runner and rPod. I loved it! Like you, I too am now searching for a similar solution for our eBikes and Tab 400.

bfeeny · May 2024

I'm surprised that there have not been more replies to this post. I'm sure many Tabbers have e bikes and if they do not have a PU truck how do they bring their e bikes camping?

fwunder · May 2024

bfeeny said:

I'm surprised that there have not been more replies to this post. I'm sure many Tabbers have e bikes and if they do not have a PU truck how do they bring their e bikes camping?

I am a bit surprised too. I now have a PU and I would much prefer the Swagman XCS2 setup or something similar rather than the fork mount - truck bed method I am I am now using.

RTWCTS · May 2024

Have you considered a front mount receiver hitch? They make them for pickups, Jeeps and many SUVs. As long as you don't exceed GVWR it would eliminate tongue weight issues or putting them in the truck bed. It may not solve the height issue of the OP though.

AnOldUR · May 2024

@RTWCTS Since @fwunder has a pickup truck, I was going to suggest the same thing. Has worked well for us. Nothing blocking the tongue box or preventing the tailgate from opening. As long as the tow vehicle is tall enough to not block your vision, it's a great alternative.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/uq/1c43i9klhm7w.jpg

fwunder · May 2024

Thanks guys. Yeah, I have looked @ front mount receiver. I just had such good experience with tens of thousand of miles using the Swagman between TV and trailer. Also, we travel with the bikes covered ( Bike Tool ) and travel after dark sometimes. Might be a problem with bikes up front.

fwunder · May 2024

This was my old rig before truck, Tab and eBikes.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/gb/6h8axv7sy8uc.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/he/6mggphl056e1.jpg

fwunder · May 2024

New setup in "toy hauler" mode. Bikes are fork mounted in truck bed.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/q7/8wdq31336xia.jpeg

bfeeny · May 2024

Thanks for the front mount info. I'll check it out and report back

bfeeny · May 2024

Apparently, hitch manufacturers do not build a front mount hitch for a Ford Escape. Most of them are built for PU trucks

Blueespy · June 2024

My brother-in-law mounts his on a front rack (he drives a full size pickup). When our tow was a Jeep Grand Cherokee, we folded our RAD ebikes and sat them in 50gallon rubber made buckets and that sat side by side in the back of the jeep. Yes, we had to fold the seat down and yes our Aussie felt crowded (he laid behind our seats and in front of the rubber made buckets, but he can be a bit of a drama queen.

Mariea · September 2024

It would be nice if NuCamp would consider redesigning and adding a rear hitch receiver for those of us that have e-bikes. E-bikes are becoming very popular and for those of us that are getting a little older and need a bit of a boost e-bikes fill that need to get around while camping. So now we just need for NuCamp to hear our concerns and make some design adjustments. Being the Majority of NuCamps RV purchaser's are over 50 years old. 😊

ChrisK · October 2024

Before anyone else comments on hitch extensions, we have this exact same hitch and bike rack as pictured. It is not a hitch extension but merely a slightly longer hitch. The rack attachment point is only about 4” and the hitch extends just that much more than a standard hitch. I’ve seen hitches like this used as a regular hitch for towing campers. They give a bit more clearance for tight corners. It is not like most hitch extensions that add a full foot at times. The negative of this extension is negligible. We have had ours for years with no negative affect to towing. It tows the same as when we tow with our regular hitch. to answer the OP’s question, I too would love to find a rack that attaches like this but can carry more. Our rack is starting to show its age after having to lug around my old e-bike. My new e-bike weighs a lot less but I still would like a sturdier rack. I don’t want a camper mounted rack as we like to load up to go find trails that are not at the campground.

Steve_O · November 2024

I struggled with this for a long time and found a good solution. I had used the Jack-It BikeWing for my non electric bikes but it cannot handle the weight of my ebikes. I settled on the Futura GP Teardrop Trailer ebike rack. This rack can handle 120 pounds (2 bikes) and is transferable between trailer hitch mount and vehicle trailer hitch which comes in handy. To make this work, I installed it backwards on my Tab 400, mounting the rack as close to the camper as I could while still allowing just enough room for the storage bin cover to open and also leave enough room for turning radius (see picture below). I have put about 900 miles on with two 45 pound bikes without any problems, other than they are heavy to load up there. I also use this rack on my truck hitch regularly. Here's a link to the Futura GP site:

Teardrop trailer bikes & ebikes rack - Futura GP

st1tch · December 2024

Mariea said:

It would be nice if NuCamp would consider redesigning and adding a rear hitch receiver for those of us that have e-bikes. E-bikes are becoming very popular and for those of us that are getting a little older and need a bit of a boost e-bikes fill that need to get around while camping. So now we just need for NuCamp to hear our concerns and make some design adjustments. Being the Majority of NuCamps RV purchaser's are over 50 years old. 😊

Even if nüCamp added a rear hitch receiver, all hitch bike rack manufacturers (at least the ones I’ve come across so far) state that their racks are not designed for trailers, and the warranty does not cover usage with a trailer hitch.

I did find ARVIKA bike rack on All Pro Adventures website.

They offer 3 different models specifically designed for nüCamp trailers. They carry up to 200lbs, and offer different trays for various tire sizes!

BogieMeister · January 12

At 77 years old, lifting an e-Bike up to chest level is not a good option. So, purchased an automobile roof rack for bikes, modified it and mounted it to the trailer tongue. Now I just lift the front wheel and roll it on. Easy-Peesey.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/6h/mu7s6ti7rbby.jpeg

subkron · January 13

With our pu wanted to keep tonneau intact, did not want to put bikes on cab roof which would have made loading difficult, did not want to add more tongue weight or potentially compromise towing with an extension so front receiver works great for me.
I will probably convert my existing bikes to ebikes and this setup is ready to go.

Illini83 · January 15

Steve_O - Thanks for the information and photo of the Futura GP rack. This looks like a great option. Does the backwards installation of the support frame on the TAB 400 have any downsides? (like make it more difficult to install or remove the bike rack to the support frame).

It looks like the diagonal frame members are the adder that allow the use of heavier E-Bikes on the rack. Even though I don't currently own any e-bikes, I think I would purchase the diagonal frame members to prevent stress on the vertical frame support welds.

Illini83 · January 17

The Futura GP e-bike rack, as recommended by Steve_O, has a 15% coupon on the site, they say it's good thru Jan 17. Maybe it will still be good next week.

In addition to the support bars that stiffen the rack and prevent it from swaying during the trip, it's really cool the rack can easily be converted to a hitch rack when you want to take your bikes to a remote location to start your ride.

Teampieco · April 3

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/hm/btk6ihgo3gea.jpg

We just installed an Arvika rack on our 2021 320 Clamshell to haul two 45 pound E Bikes. To compensate for the added tongue weight we removed the 50 LB spare tire mounted on the front of the front tub and removed the two 6V lead acid batteries (120+ lbs) in the front tub and replaced with 2 lithium batteries mounted in the right wheel well. Preparing for a cross country trip. Update to follow.

Bayliss · April 3

@Teampieco, I have a few questions, if you don't mind answering them:

1. When you are towing without the bikes, does the rack fold up in some manner, or how do you deal with that?

2. Also, when not carrying the bikes, do you have to remove the two support/grab bars so that they are not swinging freely?

3. Does the front window of the trailer still open (even if just partially) while bikes are on the rack?

4. Is the build quality of the bike rack pretty nice/substantial?

5. Any other first impressions of the bike rack (pros and cons)?

I am looking forward to your future update.

Thanks!

bfeeny · April 3

The rack looks very high. How do you get those heavy e bikes up there?

Jay_and_Kat · April 5

@Bayliss while I'm not the OP, we also have the same rack on our 400 for our ebikes, so I'll take a stab at your questions:

1. When you are towing without the bikes, does the rack fold up in some manner, or how do you deal with that?
So the rack will fold up, you can either fold the "trays" the wheels sit in up, or the back of the rack down, BUT you do have to disconnect the front support bars that are clamped to the tongue jack. So far, we've just left the rack in it's "normal" position.

2. Also, when not carrying the bikes, do you have to remove the two support/grab bars so that they are not swinging freely?
Presuming you're talking about the clamp arms that hold the bikes in place, you can leave them hanging freely, at least so far, there's enough friction between the bracket and the top bar that they swing, but not "freely." Plus, as I recall from last year (our first year with the Arvika) even the longer arm isn't long enough to come in contact with the front window of the TAB.

3. Does the front window of the trailer still open (even if just partially) while bikes are on the rack?
With the rack in place, you can still open the front window all the way. I suspect if you put the optional third bike tray on (which goes on the camper side of the upright) that might change.

4. Is the build quality of the bike rack pretty nice/substantial?
I like the feel of the rack, once it's mounted and you get everything dialed in and tightened down, it feels solid. I am a BIT paranoid, though, and did wrap a ratchet strap around both our bikes and the top of the back section, not 100% trusting the clamp arms...

5. Any other first impressions of the bike rack (pros and cons)?
If you're going to be hauling ebikes, I'd probably spring for the additional "ramp" you can order that clips in and out of the "trays" the wheels go in so you're not trying to lift the bikes all the way up. Also, it is VERY tough to get into the front storage tub, although I think we had the rack mounted in its lowest position. This year we're going to put it at the highest the manual allows and see if it helps. You can still get in to turn on the propane, or put in / take out leveling blocks, but it's tough.
But the biggest pro, without a doubt, is that you can easily chuck very heavy ebikes on the rack and KNOW they're not going to suddenly drop down into the front of the camper, or go bouncing down the freeway on their own, or smash into the back of your vehicle because the rack failed...

Bayliss · April 6

@Jay_and_Kat, thank you very much for taking the time to provide a detailed response to each of my questions. The information provided is very helpful.

I do not have e-bikes, but I like the carrier design, which would not be a problem with my two standard bikes. It definitely would make loading and unloading the bikes a lot easier/faster. However, the difficulty with accessing the front aluminum storage tub is a deal-breaker for me, because I would want easy acces to the propane tank, both for turning it on/off, and removing the tank to be filled. (I actually have two tanks after purchasing the larger aluminum tub and adding a separate hold-down ring for securing the second tank.)

Maybe I am misunderstanding, but do you mean that you are unable to fully open the lid to the storage tub, or is "access" to the interior of the tub blocked in some other manner? If the lid does not open completely, that surprises me, because Arvika markets some of their models as specifically designed for the T@B. They sell a "Short Boondock" and "Long Boondock" model, but I am assuming that you are describing the "Long" version. If not, that might make a difference.

Since you mentioned that you have had the rack mounted in its lowest position, and are consdering raising it to the highest configuration, did you originally mount it lower so that the bikes were not too high up in front of the trailer? I ask, because as @bfeeny inquired, the bikes appear to rest above the height of the front of @Teampieco's 320 S. The height, however, does not appear to be much different than how they would rest on a "Jack-IT" bike carrier (which I previoulsy used, until the metal of that carrier's "Y-bracket" failed, damaging my trailer.)

I am glad to hear that the Arvika carrier is sturdy, which should give any owner of ther carrier a higher degree of confidence when transporting their bikes. Regardless, your use of the additional ratchet strap is smart. No use taking chances while towing on the highway.

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