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Hitch mounted bike racks vs. trailers

16K views 40 replies 23 participants last post by  CS1983 
#1 ·
I've been thinking of the easiest way (as well as least expensive way) to transport my TW with my Suburban (no problem with a 2" hitch bar) or with my Saturn Vue (small SUV - problem is a 1 1/4" hitch bar).

Choices are:

1.) A small trailer seems easy, one can be purchased for as little as $145 from Harbor Freight with their 20% off discount coupons. There would have to be added a 3/4"thick plywood floor extending 1' each for and aft longer than the trailer's 48" length, and probably a front wheel chock, and a ramp would need to be made or bought. This would fit either vehicle, is just another thing to have laying around when not in use but could be used to transport other "stuff" too.

2.) A hitch mounted bike rack to avoid the trailer. Most of these are rated for at least 400lbs if not more. Choices are aluminum or steel, solid all the way of their length or made of bolts every 6" or so between 2 side rails, with a solid ramp. These come standard with a 2" draw bar, will fit the Suburban with no problem, but it wouldn't fit on my Saturn.I can get an adapter that fits into the 1 1/4" receiver of the Saturn that the 2" draw bar of the rack would then fit into, but this would extend the whole thing out another 12-18", which puts more weight on the back because of the leverage and more leverage on the receiver.

One question I have is how stable are these things in the receiver - how much rocking side to side do you get with these at rest or on the road?

Do you just push or muscle the bike up onto the rack, as opposed to using the engine and clutch to power it up? How easy is it to roll up? And getting it off is just rolling it down trying to use the brake?

3.) I already have a small jetski trailer that could easily be modified with a central area of wood to support the bike and I would add a front wheel chock up front, and have to make/buy a ramp. This seems the cheapest and easiest and I could make the center bike support removable and leave the bunks in place for the ski when I need to use the trailer for that.



My real question is for those that have used these rear racks is on ease of use and how stable they are and, any suggestions for mounting on a 1 1/4" receiver. I don't know of any rack made that uses the smaller drawer bar but there might be a place where the bar could be bought separately and interchanged on the rack when and if I wanted to switch between vehicles.



Anybody have any suggestions or thoughts or ideas on all this?
 
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#2 ·
Modify the ski trailer and be done with it. You can make a motorcycle rail with chock out of $20 worth of steel, then simply bolt it to the crossmembers when you want to haul the bike, with enough steel left over to make a ramp from a 2x8.
 
#3 ·
I couldn't agree with qwerty more. Using your jetski trailer would be a great option. The only problem I see would be what do you do with your jetski when you want to trailer your TW? I am sure that your Suburban could handle a carrier on the back, but I doubt if your Saturn could handle the load with its smaller receiver.



Brian
 
#4 ·
I've have both a trailer and a rack. There are pros and cons, but in your case I don't think the Vue is going to handle the rack. I have a full sized Chevrolet van with an additional rear helper leaf spring and with the bike on the rack, it drops the rear of the van a couple of inches. The rack will probably exceed the tongue weight spec on the 1.25" receiver also. The Suburban should handle it fine, but I'd check the capacity of the hitch to be sure it has the needed rated capacity. It is a little dicey pushing the bike up on the rack and works best with two people. I don't think I would try motoring it on. The other problem with the rack solution is that it will probably hide your tail lights when loaded. I had to add tail lights to the rack because of this. Once everything is set up though, the rack is a nice solution since you don't have to hassle with a trailer. I have a Harbor freight trailer that I pull with either my van or a Pontiac Vibe (same as a Toyota Matrix). It works great, but it did require some welding to beef it up (the bolted together trailer is pretty flimsy in my opinion without beefing it up). I agree with the post above. You've already got about 90% of your solution with the jet ski trailer. Hire a welder to put together a suitable bolt on platform for the bike.
 
#5 ·
I have to agree with Truepath and Qwerty.



I have a Mercury Mountaineer with a Class III hitch. I had to put overloads and airbags on the rear suspension to keep the headlight from illuminating the tops of the trees.



A trailer approach will be much cheaper in the long run.



But there are a few places I go to that it would be hard to get into with a trailer (but I guess I could off load the bike sooner).






Mike
 
#6 ·
I agree with all of you, and that's what I probably will do. Thanks for your input.

The jetski stays in the water floating on a little floating dock called a Sportport, so that's not a problem using it (unless there's a storm and I have to take it out of the water). That trailer sits empty practically all the time so it's available for the bike.



I have seen metal channels with an angled front wheel shallow holder, on eBay, or I could just put a couple of 2x8's down and mount a locking chock up front. That's not a problem either.



BTW, the Saturn has a pretty sturdy receiver, the vehicle is rated to tow 3500lbs with a hitch weight up to 500 lbs. but I don't like the idea of all that weight being hung 2 feet or more out the back of the vehicle. Not so good for the steering or traction either, as this car is front wheel drive. And the headlights would probably be aimed way too high.



What I was also interested in, is how easy are these trailer hitch carriers and ramps to use, and their stability, and I think I have a good idea now. It would be a lot easier to ride or push the bike up onto the trailer maybe only a foot off the ground than it would be to push the bike up onto one of those hitch carriers if doing it alone.



I think I'll mod the jetski trailer and make it dual purpose. Thanks all. I'll get some pics when I'm done if anyone's interested.
 
#7 ·
Add another vote for the trailer.



I read the reviews on the hitch racks and bought one from Harbor Freight. I have a Class 3 hitch on my Jeep Grand Cherokee, so it's plenty stout. However, it is very high to maintain rear clearance. The TW fit on the rack OK, but during the loading process the rack seemed quite unstable. It was hairy getting it up that high by myself. I re-read the rack directions several times and tightened the anti-sway mechanism as much as I could. Once the TW was on the rack it still swayed side to side on the rack. I didn't even take it on a test drive as I knew I would not be comfortable with it back there during my upcoming 400 mile drive to WV.



I trailer is the only way to go and it provides more space to carry other stuff you might not want inside your Saturn when it's muddy and ripe.
 
#8 ·
I use both a trailer and a hitch mounted rack. I have towed the trailer thousands of miles with the bike and have have rolled thousands of miles with the bike on the rack.

It is my opinion that both work equally wel but the trailer is more versatile.

If you have some place to leave the trailer - that is the route I would go - both your vehicles could easily handle that regardless of the receiver size
 
#9 ·
Here is my Ranger loaded up to meet the Guys heading over the Rubicon a couple of years ago. What you see beneath the tray is about 7". It scraped a couple of times going into the gas station. I dreaded the thought of ending up on the road at night. As was already mentioned, my headlights would have been illuminating tree tops. This was the first and only time I used the rack. Sold it to a fellow with a 4 wheel drive Ranger that seem to have another 7''. Now have a trailer, and more peace of mind. Gerry



 
#10 ·
The racks work well only if you have enough spring to keep 325 pounds on the receiver from messing up the chassis alignment. That means a HD 3./4 ton truck or better. I know, I know, people run 325 pound hitch loads on smaller vehicles all the time, but they use a load equalizing hitch that distributes most of the hitch load across the front and trailer axles, and the ball is not usually as far behind the axle as the center of gravity of a motorcycle on a rail. The distance from axle too load makes a big difference in how the load is carried.
 
#12 ·
My Silvarado 1500 carried the bike fine, but I do have the 4x4 package. There's no doubt that trailers will carry bikes, lawn chairs, and beer, but if you have to navigate a crowded gas station, back out of a driveway, go through Tulsa in rush hour, or get by without extra registration, storage, and maintenance expenses, a trailer hitch rack is one option worth considering. I rarely carry my bike to distant places, hence, I'm satisfied with the rack. If I went to San Bernadino every weekend, I'd have a trailer. I've never drug the nose of my rack but there were a couple of inclined driveways in Missouri's Ozarks that had me concerned. I think its a matter of speed and angle of attack; if you are going to drag it do it slowly and inspect things after it happens. There's no way I'd use one of these racks without extra tail/turn signals, and strong tie downs. All systems have shortcomings and most have positives. I have a buddy who has an expensive aluminum trailer with a three bike capacity, but twice in the last 3 years, he's borrowed my hitch rack when he wanted to go to Kansas, or California to buy a motorcycle. It was just so much easier to throw the rack in the truck, and load it once he was ready to use it. Tom
 
#13 ·
#17 ·
I have used the Pentagon carrier for about a year and it has worked very well. I was a little skeptical about it before I ordered given its pretty low price, but I was pleasantly surprised when I received it. It is made with aluminum channel with a steel receiver piece and supports. I have a picture of it on my van somewhere and if I can find it I'll put it up here.



My link
 
#20 ·
My real question is for those that have used these rear racks is on ease of use and how stable they are and, any suggestions for mounting on a 1 1/4" receiver. I don't know of any rack made that uses the smaller drawer bar but there might be a place where the bar could be bought separately and interchanged on the rack when and if I wanted to switch between vehicles.


I have the VersaHaul rack and am very happy with it. However, I HAD to have a hitch mount rack because I want to haul my Aliner camper trailer behind the rack. With the VersaHaul you can have up to about a 1500 lb trailer behind the rack. I have a 2004 Toyota Tundra with (I think) a 7500lb trailer rating, a Class III hitch and 2" receiver. I really don't think a 1 1/4" hitch receiver could be made to work, as this rack depends on the 2" for it's side to side stability.



I had to install airbags because with the bike and trailer tongue weight the axle would bottom out on the slightest bump, not to mention blinding other drivers at night. However, once I had done that, the package worked very well. Even with the trailer attached, I have no problem loading or unloading the blike, as long as I am careful to pick a level area, or one where the right side is higher than the left. With the antisway collar tightened down there is very little movement on the VersaHaul. I just got back from a 1000 mile trip at 70-75mph on secondary roads and it never moved. The rack is heavy and solid, and with the bike on it it WILL overload most smaller trucks without airbag ride height compensation. I installed mine myself for about $280 and that works fine for me. If I didn't also have a camper trailer I would spring for a small enclosed trailer...that road grime from a wet, snowy, sanded road really makes a mess out of your bike! Some states do allow a double trailer set-up, but not the ones I want to visit.




Rocky
 
#21 ·
I generally carry mine on a rack aback my cabover camper. I wouldn't want a trailer for 1 bike, unless it was the only way I could get around. A lot of the places I go, a trailer is a liability/nuisance.



In CA, trailers are restricted to 55 mph, the two right hand lanes and no carpool lanes. Not sayin' everyone adheres to that, but it is the law.
 
#22 ·
To the OP. Your limiting factor is your Saturn Vue. If you must use that for a TV (tow vehicle) then you're going to be restricted to a trailer. If there is a 1 1/4" hitch on there, most likely the uni-body of that vehicle is only capable of the hitch's weight capability. So the manufacturer "matches" the hitch to the vehicle. With the Suburban, the choice is your's.
 
#23 ·
I decided to go the trailer route and I modded my jetski trailer at only the cost of a wheel chock from Harbor Freight at $31 (at 20% off of course), and some 2x6 boards I had left over from house construction. I can switch back and forth in only a few minutes to remove the center board with wheel chock so the jetski can fit on the trailer. I'll get pics up here soon. Finding a cheap small boat trailer or jetski trailer is an inexpensive way to go, altho a small Harbor Freight trailer can be had for $143-179 (with 8" or 12" wheels respectively) using those 20% off coupons that are standard all the time.

I think it's much easier driving the bike up a ramp onto the trailer than pushing it up a ramp onto a hitch mounted rack, and is tied down much more securely on the trailer.
 
#25 ·
I decided to go the trailer route and I modded my jetski trailer.


Been watching this thread, cool that you are able to use your jetski trailer.





Good choice. Unless you have a really beefy vehicle, a trailer is the way to go and yes its much easier loading on to a trailer, then a hitch mounted rack.


I'm lucky enough to have a choice of 2 different sized trailers and a pickup (when I take the topper off), but I wish I had a hitch mount. We travel into some remote spots to camp & ride, and using our trailers has not always proved best. I cut 2 tires on our 4 wheel trailer on the way in too Buck Park Cabin. We even scouted the trip and decided to drop the trailer and ride with the TW and ATV's the rest of the way in. Then we ignored our own advice and took the trailer in thinking we would be alright. Oops!
 
#26 ·
I'm going to buy one of the Harbor Freight foldable trailers soon. I'll be towing it behind my '02 VW New Beetle. I'll make or buy a couple of boxes I can bolt along the sides to stash a lot of camping gear in. Probably build a frame to get my 16' canoe up over the bike.



Another toy I'm looking at possibly getting in the future is a Little Guy teardrop camper. And fabbing a motorcycle rack for the rear of it (thinking of balance for tongue weight).



Just had a thought... with the Harbor Freight trailer, and a frame for the canoe... once I unload the bike, I can tie a large tarp over the frame and roll my sleeping bags out on the trailer bed, up off the ground. No worries about waking up soaked, in the middle of a stream or puddle when it rains at night. No sticks, rocks, anthills, or other uncomfortable surprises either.

 
#27 ·
Reading the reviews of the Harbor Freight foldable trailers - there's a constant complaint that the casters on them (used to roll the trailer around when it's folded up) are real weak and they break off, so get a couple of heavy duty casters while you're in the store to avoid that problem if you want to use it that way.
 
#28 ·
Yeah, I saw those reviews as well. Once I see how the originals are attached I'll check out the local hardware stores for larger diameter casters. That'll help when rolling across uneven pavement.



I'll also be taking a good hard look at the wheel bearings, making sure the grease covers are sealing properly.
 
#29 ·
I use a HF 4x8 trailer. Definately clean the fish oil off the bearings and relube with real grease. I like synthetic. If you buy the kit without wheels go for the 5.30-12 6-ply rated tires--they are overkill for this trailer and will last longer than smaller tires. All small trailer tires are porous--check the pressure every day. Overloading and low pressure are the top two tire killers on small trailers.



Use at least 5/8-inch CDX for the bed. 1/2 is too flimsy. Use eyebolts to hold the plywood down. Well worth the money to have plenty of hefty tie-downs. I used 3/8-inch eyebolts, 3 across the front, 5 down each side.



6 feet of 1 1/2-inch heavy angle bolted under the front crossmember will preserve the tilt feature and will allow eyebolts on each end with sufficent angle on the straps to haul two motorcycles. The front face of the angle is a dandy place to mount clearance lights that you can see in the rear views of smaller vehicles--great when backing at night. A second piece of angle bolted under the frame a few inches forward of the last crossmember provides places for eyebolts for rear tiedowns when hauling two bikes, and provides a substantial mount for tail lights. An L-bracket can be used to mount the lights to avoid damage from dragging across ditches and gutters. A piece of 1-inch strap bent in a U-shape protects the lights frome being damaged from kicking, shinning, or having things dropped on them. Most anyone with a small trailer knows how easy it is to clobber a light. All together I have 15 eyebolts on my trailer. Well worth the investment.



There isn't much room for boxes on each side of a motorcycle mounted in the middle. I'd suggest mounting the tire chock off-center so a side-mounted box can provide more contiguous volume. I'd also mount the chock so that the back of the bike is even with the back of the bed, making room for a box across the front.



My stake sides are 1x4s, but the headboard and tailboard are 2x10s. Ramp tops on each are the perfect length for the trailer--one ramp to idle the bike up in 1st gear, one to walk up, though I usually just ride the bike right up in the bed without using ramps or tilt, just because it blows people's minds. I drilled the plywood bed to locate bolts in the ramp tops to keep anything from slipping. All the uprights are held in place in the stake pockets with pins and clips--no tools on or off.



I used to tent camp on 5x10 trailer and it worked great, after I figured out you need enough rain fly to extend the drips beyond the bed of the trailer. Otherwise, the water wicks along the bed and wets the entire floor of the tent. The eyebolts in the end of the 1 1/2-inch angle used to tie down motorcycles are great to keep the fly off the tent, allowing plenty of circulation and a dry floor. Many times I used the fly without the tent and it worked great when weather and bugs permitted.
 
#33 ·
I've never had a hitch rack but I've had quite a bit of experience with Harbor Freight trailers. I'm always trailering stuff back and forth to my cabin that is 175 miles away. My tow vehicles vary from a full sized Ford van (bad mpg) to a Pontiac Vibe with a 1.8 L 4 banger so keeping it as light as possible is real important.



Here's my 4X8 which is usually just a utility trailer but I added a chock and some solid eyebolts to get my bike home. I'm mocking up a smaller trailer strictly for a single bike. I got a set of HFsteel ramps for $31 when they were on sale. I'm thinking about using one for a trailer rail and the other to load with. I'll mount a chock on the tongue and braces, keeping in mind weight distribution like Qwerty said. Floor will probably be a couple of deck boards on each side of the rail.





Here's a shot of the inside of the utility trailer. This trailer has really been a work horse.





I mounted a double layer of wire shelving to carry coolers or tote boxes. Real handy.





Here's a pic showing a couple of additions that are worth considering. One is the steel tail light guards I got on ebay after breaking numerous tail lights. Another is the gusset I welded into the tail light mounting brackets. Originally they are just a bent piece of thin bar stock. The other addition is a piece of 2x4 that I used to space the stake pockets out away from the frame. This gives me a little larger than 4X8 dimension inside the side racks. If you put racks directly on the frame rails hauling things either 4' wide or 8' long is a hassle.

 
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