5 Best RV Bike Rack Options: Ladder, Bumper or Hitch

When looking for the best RV bike rack, you’ll first need to decide if you want ladder, bumper, or hitch mount. Then you can consider these 5 options…

Many RV owners love to take their recreational vehicle off the beaten path, to places they can truly enjoy the great outdoors. These same owners also want to take along their mountain bikes or beach bikes to enjoy the gorgeous views. Not to mention cover more outdoor ground than they otherwise would be able to.

But how do you know which is the best bike rack to use with your vehicle? Or, which ones provide easy access to your bikes?

The following is my guide to help you find the right bike rack for your needs, which can give you peace of mind next time you are traveling with your rig. Then, I’ll leave you with a few suggestions for the best RV bike rack at the end.

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3 Main Types of Bike Racks

There are several different types of RV bike racks that you can choose from. Not all types will fit your specific needs, so it is important to know the differences. There are three main types of bike carriers that you can find: RV ladder bike racks, bumper mount racks, and hitch mounts.

Ladder Mounts

Ladder mounted bike racks, sometimes referred to as a ladder rack, hook onto the ladder rungs of your RV. It can also work with most ladders that are present on the back of a tow trailer.

The ladder mount rack is set up to mount your bikes vertically on the back of your RV, with the front tire pointed down closest to the ground.

This type of rack is a popular option because it allows you to still hitch your tow vehicle or trailer.

They are also more cost-effective than other types of racks. And provide a great option for those that do not have a bumper or hitch to install different types of bike racks.

One downside with these racks is that they usually have a lower weight capacity, and usually only come as a 2-bike rack. The limited bike capacity may not be a great choice for your family.

You will also need to take down the rack when you use your ladder. Keep that in mind when looking for a rack that is a good fit for your needs.

Bumper Mounts

These racks are sometimes called a bumper rack. And that is for good reason. They get mounted to your, you guessed it…RV bumper.

This type of mount can be one of your best options because your bikes can sit lower to the ground. That helps eliminate visibility issues when looking out your rear window or using a backup camera.

A bumper bike rack gets attached to your rear bumper. that means you need a very solid, steel-welded bumper on the rear of your rig to use it.

However, since this mount type requires the bumper will be carrying a lot of weight, these racks usually only hold two bikes.

With certain models, you may also be able to attach the rack, and still access your hitch. It depends on the design of your RV.

Hitch Mounts

A third option is a hitch mount bike rack. This type of bike rack mounts directly to your trailer hitch. However, they are only a viable option if you do not plan to use your hitch to tow a vehicle or trailer.

You will also want to ensure that your hitch has a hitch receiver or you will not be able to easily use this rack.

Most hitch receivers come in a 2′ standard size. But there are other sizes out there should you need them.

One benefit of this type of rack is that you can usually carry a greater number of bikes than ladder or bumper racks. Some can even carry up to five bikes, depending on the weight capacity of the rack.

Best RV Bike Rack (5 Options)

It’s time to find yourself the perfect bike rack! The following are some great suggestions for different types of bike racks.

(By the way, Jennifer and I are fans of ebikes. If you are too, check out the 5 Outstanding Hitch Racks for eBikes We’ve included our favorite ebike rack below, too.)

1. RV Rider E-Bike Rack

Our TOP CHOICE is the RV Rider E-bike rack. The RV Rider bike rack for the back of RV’s, motorhomes, and fifth wheels* carries 2 E-Bikes (up to 80 lbs. each). Special features include universal heavy-duty wheel holders for heavy load carrying capacity.

These wheel holders can fit any tire up to 5″ wide and include a ratchet wheel strap. Locking frame grabbers secure the bikes in place. The frame grabbers can attach to a bike’s frame or seat tube with a diameter range of 1″- 2″; therefore, Bike Adapters are not needed.

We like it so much that we reached out to RV Rider to see if they would offer a discount to our RV Lifestyle community.

They agreed and are giving our readers 20% off the RV Rider E-bike Rack. All you have to do is click the link above and enter the promo code RVLIFE to save 20%! They also offer free shipping in the U.S. (except Hawaii and Alaska).

Please note that this discount is only for the RV Rider Rack. You’ll need a 2″ hitch and it *cannot be used on a travel trailer.

2. Fiamma Bike Rack

This unique bike rack is a top choice for various reasons. Its unique design allows it to be easily mounted to the rear of your RV, but still allows you to access your rig without having to remove it.

This brand has several different options depending on your rig and how high you want or need to mount your bikes. This rack can even be specially made for your rig.

The only downside is the steep price but it can be worth it if you need customizability. Is this the best RV bike rack?

3. Allen Sports 4-bike Hitch Rack

The Allen Sports hitch rack is a popular choice for families or groups of travelers. The reason it is such a common choice is because of its load capacity. Many excellent racks can only haul two bikes, while the Allen can carry four!

This makes road trips with the family a little easier!

This stable rack is constructed from high-quality materials, making it very durable for your haul. It also comes with tie-downs to be able to carry any bike.

Finally, this rack is easily maneuvered once it is installed. That means that you can load your bikes easily and get on the road faster.

4. Swagman Traveler XC2

Some consider the Swagman bike rack your best choice overall when it comes to bike racks. This particular model is an adaptable hitch rack and can work easily with a number of different sized trailers or campers.

It fits into a 2″ hitch receiver and can hold up to 35-pound bicycles (70-pound maximum load).

Even though this is a hitch-mount rack, it can be used with a steel-welded RV bumper adapter as well.

Swagman products are known for their well-crafted, high durability, and ease of use.

5. Surco 501BR Ladder Mounted Bike Rack

The Surco 501 BR is the perfect choice for those looking for a ladder mount. It features pivoting arms so that you can easily access your RV ladder without having to remove the rack.

You can also still gain access to your hitch or bumper as well, making it easy to fulfill your hauling needs.

It is also versatile and can fit any ladder on an RV or van. The good news is that you do not need any additional tie-downs, straps, or hardware to use this model.

Do You Have the Best RV Bike Rack?

Please share your recommendations (or non-recommendations) for any RV bike rack you have tried. Let us know your thoughts so we can expand and improve our list. Thank you!

New Foldable Ebikes that Fit in Your RV Garage!

Like what you see in these videos? We’d appreciate it if you would Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (easy to do right here) and consider “ringing the bell icon” to be notified of any new video from us. 🙂 Thanks!

We test out the new XP 2.0 Lectric ebikes, riding along the Mississippi! These are electric, foldable bikes, offering a smooth ride at a reasonable price. We had a lot of fun riding around at our recent RV gathering!

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Mike and Jennifer’s Favorite Places in Florida – all 3 ebooks!

We RVers may wander far and wide but it’s true for most of us that we end up with some favorite “Go-To” places – places that draw us back again and again.

Florida is one of those places for us. And we know it is for many RVers looking to get away and explore during the winter. 

That’s why we’ve created three guides, covering Florida’s Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the Keys. 

Each of these guides is a seven-day guided exploration of one of the coasts. And each stop is a curated view of the best things that we’ve enjoyed on this trip and want you to experience.

Altogether these guides are over 300 pages of content! 

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FAQ’s about Florida Gulf Coast beaches of interest to RVers

What is the weather like along Florida’s Gulf Coast?

The weather along Florida’s Gulf Coast can vary depending on the time of year and the specific location. In general, the area experiences hot, humid summers and mild, pleasant winters.

The Panhandle region can be quite cool in January. It is seldom below freezing, but daytime highs are typically in the 50s. It warms up about 10 degrees each month.

You can also generally add about 10 degrees for every 150 miles you travel south down the Florida peninsula.

By the time you hit Naples, daytime highs in January are in the comfortable 70s.

Did Hurricane Ian destroy many beach campgrounds on the Gulf Coast?

While it severely damaged almost two dozen RV parks and campgrounds, about 8-10 campgrounds in the Naples-Ft. Myers area were completely destroyed. Most of the damaged campgrounds have been repaired and reopened.

Check with the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds if you have questions or concerns.

Are there any websites that can help me get a reservation for a Florida beach campground?

One of the best resources we can recommend is called Campnab. This service monitors parks for cancelations and sends you an alert when an opening matches your criteria. That said, it isn’t magic. The app doesn’t create availabilities. 

The service works – but it is not free.

Campnab offers two ways to use the service. The first is individual pay-per-use scans. These watch for vacancies at a specific park for a specific date. These work well if you know exactly when and where you intend to camp. Pay-per-use scans cost $10 – $20, depending on how frequently you want them to check availability.

The second way to use the service is through a membership. These typically run monthly and are tailored to those who camp more frequently or are looking to maximize their chance of finding a site. Membership allows you to scan multiple parks and/or dates simultaneously. With memberships, you pay a monthly recurring fee ($10, $20, $30, or $50), depending on your needs.

Are there places in Florida where you can literally camp on the beach for free?

Not many. And they are very pricey. If you want to sleep directly on the sand in an RV, you’ll have to stay at a developed commercial campground like Camp Gulf on the Emerald Coast or an RV resort like Big Pine Key Resort in the keys. Some state parks like the Gamble Rogers State Memorial Recreation Area in the Atlantic Coast or  Bahia Honda State Park in the keys or Fort Desto State Park near St. Petersburg have beachside sites, too.

But are there free, unrestricted RV beach camping spots in Florida?

Sorry, none that I know of that would work for RVs.

There is unrestricted camping on wild beaches on a couple of islands, but you need a boat to get there, and it is for tent camping only. If you want to sleep directly on the sand, there is Anclote Key offshore Tarpon Springs, and Shell Key in Pinellas County. Another favorite is Keewaydin Island between Naples and Marco Island but that area remains pretty devasted from Hurricane Ian.

We recommend you go Lectric for your RV Lifestyle

You know we love our RAD Power bikes – and have featured them for years, but we recently tested out and LOVE our new Lectric foldable ebikes. Being able to fold them up allowed us to put them in our Wonder rear garage area for a recent RV Lifestyle Gathering. You can check out our experience with them right here on our YouTube Channel.

RV Lifestyle officially recommends The Dyrt

You can book campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, and glamping, or find free camping. The Dyrt has it all. And in case you didn’t know, The Dyrt is the #1 camping app and website in the US, with over 8 million campsites, reviews, and tips — submitted by campers, for campers. And The Dyrt PRO version makes every camping trip easier. With offline map backups, offline search, exclusive discounts, and trip planning tools, PRO can improve any stage of camping.

The Dyrt app lets users with basic accounts search for camping and save favorites, completely for free. The Dyrt PRO is an upgrade that makes it easier to go camping. Try PRO for free today.

Use the code RVlifestyle for your 30-day free trial!