How to choose your bike rack

Author: RV Super Centre Date Posted: 10 January 2017

The first things to have in mind is that not all bike racks will fit your RV. You will need to buy specific racks that are designed to be mounted onto a motorhome.

A bike rack absolutely need to be fitted really well. If it is badly mounted then you could cause untold damage to your bike, your RV and possibly other motorists. We highly recommend you get your bike rack installed by a specialist.

If you take your bike with you on frequent RV trip it is definitely worth investing in good quality to avoid having to deal with bike rack issue during your vacation.

The RV Super Centre operates with internationally renowned brands such as Thule and Fiamma. Both brands offer sturdy and durable products with great features as well as a large range of accessories and spare parts to customize your bike rack.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

There are quite a number of different design options and products features to choose from when buying a bike carrier. We have put a list of important things you need to think about in order to match your vehicle and bike rack correctly:

Which type of rack will best suit your RV (wall mounted, around a spare wheel, hitch-mounted, ladder-mounted, etc.)
How many bikes do you need to transport?
What type of bike do you want to carry (road, MTB, kids, Electric), will they be all the same?
How heavy are your bikes?
Do you plan to keep the bike rack on your vehicle at all time?
Will you have any space considerations with parking and unloading the bicycles?

LIMITATIONS FROM YOUR RV/CARAVAN

If you want to install a wall mounted bike rack you need to be sure of the maximum load the wall can support, choose a lightweight bike rack.

What’s the layout of your RV? Having a kitchen or a bathroom on the other side of your rear wall will make the installation of your bike rack trickier as you’ll have to avoid water pipes.

You will want to install your bike rack the proper height so you can load and unload it with ease. This said you will also try to avoid obstructing your windows in order to keep a clear sight.

Does your motorhome have a spare tire mounted at the back of the vehicle? This may prohibit the use of certain types of bike racks.

Customer feedback.

Buying a cover for your bikes is also something to consider to protect them from bad weather, splattered bugs, etc.

Even though most bike rack come with good padding on the places that enter in contact with the bike frame, you may want to get extra padding, especially if carry multiple bikes, or heavy bikes.

Certain bike racks will require extra tie downs to keep the bike in good position and to prevent sway on bumpy roads.