Got an ebike and love to RV? Here is our list of hitch racks for ebikes.
For many of our RV Lifestyle Fellow Travelers, electric bicycles are a natural part of the RV Lifestyle. But finding the right hitch racks for ebikes can be a challenge. We have four models to suggest.
Visit any RV campground and you'll soon see that ebikes are all the rage these days.
To bring them along on their camping adventures, most RVers use hitch racks for their ebikes, or carrying racks that are attached to the RV's rear-mounted towing hitch. Because ebikes are so heavy, the hitch rack is the only viable solution.
The type of bike racks that hang on doors, fasten atop cargo carriers or mount on rear windows just can't handle the weight of an ebike, let alone two of them as most RVers want to carry.
3 Hitch Racks for Ebikes Worth Considering
We're going to start the list with our top recommendation since it's the rack Jennifer and I use. It's tested and proven by us! Plus, you get a discount!
I want to give you options, though, so I've included a few others.
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1. RV Rider (Hollywood Racks)
We use a Hollywood rack for our two Rad Power ebikes. This is the rack Jennifer and I use and recommend as a top pick.
But since we got our rack, Hollywood has come up with a new model called the RV Rider that we really like a lot! It carries two ebikes (up to 80 lbs. each) on the back of an RV, a 5th wheel or a flat towed vehicle. Special features include extra heavy duty wheel holders for heavy load carrying capacity. Locking frame grabbers secure the bikes in place.
The frame grabbers can be attached to a bike's frame or seat tube with a diameter range of 1″- 2″. A locking cable and keyed alike hitch pin secure the bikes to rack and the rack to the vehicle. The bike rack folds up when not in use and can tilt down for rear cargo access when the bikes are not mounted.
A double-walled receiver tube handles the extra weight of the electric bikes. An included hitch tightener reduces motion inside the hitch (receiver hitch must have a flange). A minimum class 3 trailer hitch is required to use this bike rack. A separate receiver tube is included for use on a 5th wheel, which brings the rack 2″ closer to the vehicle.
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 10% off the RV Rider E-bike Rack. All you have to do is click this link and enter the promo code RVLIFESTYLE to save 10%. They also offer free shipping in the U.S. (except Hawaii and Alaska).
IMPT Please note: This bike rack is not compatible with bumper pull, travel trailers or bumper-mounted hitch receivers.
2. Escapee (Swagman)
This is the first of several offerings from Swagman that carry the company’s “RV-approved” status. The Escapee is RV Approved for use on the back of 5th wheels and camper trailers to get your ebikes where you are going.
With a maximum weight capacity of 60 lbs. per bike, compatible with tires up to 3″ wide and zero frame contact, the Escapee securely holds the ebikes in place with the hook on the front wheel next to the fork. The rack also comes with a 5/8” threaded locking hitch pic and locking ratcheting arms with replaceable keys to help prevent bike theft. The rack weighs 62 lbs.
3. E-Spec Black (Swagman)
It is not often a hitch mount bike rack is RV Approved yet comes with everyday functionality when used on a passenger vehicle. The E-Spec can be used on a 2-inch hitch receiver and is capable of carrying two e-bikes with a weight capacity of 70lbs. per bike.
The E-Spec comes with locking ratchet hooks and locking hitch pin to keep your prized possessions safe. As an added bonus, you can fold it up against the rear of your RV when not in use. The rack weighs 63 lbs.
A checklist for Choosing Hitch Racks for Ebikes
You wouldn’t buy the first bike you see and the same holds true for your hitch racks for ebikes. As you begin the process of narrowing down your choices, here are several things to consider:
Quality
Build quality is essential to making a satisfactory investment. Be sure to not only review the specs online but also read customer reviews. Such reviews can offer great details about how they perform when put to the test.
Ebike size and weight
Consider what kind of ebike you are going to be using ahead of time. Some hitch racks for ebikes don’t have adjustable settings, thus cannot handle longer or wider bikes. The best options are those that can be adjusted and enable you to change bikes easily.
Also, ebikes require much more robust and rugged racks than types used for traditional bikes. ebikes typically weigh around 55-65 pounds. Two of them add up to a hefty load of 120 – 130 pounds at least. Be sure to carefully match the weight of your ebikes to the rack's capacity.
Important note: Carrying two bikes adds about 120–130 pounds. But the rack itself usually weighs as much as an ebike. So you can figure that the rack and bikes add nearly 200 pounds to your RVs carrying capacity.
Make sure that you are not exceeding that when you are loading up the RV. That may mean bringing along less RV gear and cargo, or not driving with full freshwater tanks.
Number of bikes you want to carry
Different ebike loading capacities are available via the various models of hitch racks for ebikes. The most common rack models hold two ebikes.
Price
Like everything, you get what you pay for. Knowing what you need ahead of time, however, will keep you from over- or under-spending when considering hitch racks for ebikes.
Type of Hitch Racks for Ebikes
There are two types of hitch racks for bikes – platform and hanging. A platform rack is a bike rack where your bike’s wheels rest on the bike rack whereas the hanging rack is one in which the frame rests on the bike rack.
Because of the weight of an ebike, we do not recommend a hanging ebike. I'm not sure if there are any out there, in fact, that will handle even one ebike safely.
Besides, it can be challenging to get more than one bike on a hanging rack on without the bikes touching and scraping against each other, and you’ll likely have to lift your bikes higher.
Even with regular bikes, we are not big fans of hanging bikes.
The pros of a platform bike rack include: easier to load/unload; not as high on the back of your RV; allow for many different bike styles; bikes are very secure at both the wheels and frame; no contact with other bikes on the rack/less contact between bike and rack.
Ebikes Are Our Favorite RV Accessory!
A few years ago, we finally gave ebikes a try. And, boy, do we love them! We now own 4 ebikes between the two of us!
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More from real RVers in the comments
We really enjoy seeing your comments and suggestions. We already have a few good bike racks in the comments to check out. What's your experience with bike racks?
May 10, 2023at9:19 pm, Vaughn Fierke said:
Why is the Hollywood RV Rider good on a fifth wheel but not on a travel trailer? Our receiver is welded onto the frame of the trailer. The Rider has the specifications we want and would purchase it compared to others.
May 11, 2023at7:15 pm, Team RV Lifestyle said:
That would be a good question to ask the Hollywood RV Rider folks – you raise a good point – Team RV Lifestyle
June 21, 2023at3:38 pm, JP Reeves said:
I have reached out to Hollywood with the same question because have not heard back yet. Have they given you an answer? We are in the same situation and would like to have a good bike rack that works with a bumper pull travel trailer.
September 22, 2023at2:37 pm, Mike Benefield said:
According to Hollywood, their racks cannot handle the sway of a bumper mounted trailer hitch and that over time the rack will crack from metal fatigue. This would have been good to know before I purchased it. So far my Hollywood rack has performed well hauling two heavy ebikes. I am presently looking into ways of reinforcing my rack and bumper receiver hitch.
September 25, 2023at10:53 pm, Jay Brunswick said:
SafetyStruts Heavy Duty RV Bumper Brackets (1SSNHD, Std-Heavy Duty)
May 06, 2023at6:14 pm, Scotty G said:
The Thule Easyfold is not rated to be mounted tot he back of an RV or trailer. Have a look at their instruction manual. You should revise your information as this could cause problems for people.
May 23, 2021at5:20 pm, Joe camp said:
You made no mention of Motow, they have the best rack I have ever seen for carrying e-bikes. All stainless and comes with a lift to raise or lower it. When you want to mount the bikes you just lower it to the ground, mount the bikes then raise it back up. Comes with a mounted 12 volt lift or you can use a 3/4 drill to raise or lower it. Great for us old folks.
December 29, 2022at5:48 pm, Brenda King said:
How much are they?
April 06, 2021at2:22 pm, Sandy Perley said:
I would love to learn more about ebike options where an single elderly lady can’t lift the heavy bike onto a rack. Some with ramps look too steep to even run a heavy bike up the ramp. Are their ebike rack that have any type of lift systems? I keep asking and searching but haven’t found the solution yet.
April 13, 2023at6:15 pm, Bonnie Frear said:
I love my single rack bike from 1Up.USA ($365). I purchased the ramp add-on $122), and it works perfectly for loading and unloading the ebike.
March 06, 2021at3:13 pm, Ed Bimbo said:
We have a Sprinter RV like you show. With the RV Rider, can rear door access be done by removing the bikes and laying the center pole down?
Alternative we’re looking at is the Swagman E-Spec combined with a Thule swing arm rated for RVs…….thoughts?
July 26, 2023at3:03 pm, Tom Boden said:
This is not an answer, but I just want to say we went from a Kuat (not RV rated) to a Swagman E-Spec and, in my opinion, that was wasted money. Even with the hitch locking bolt and the tilt bolt installed it still rocks from side to side at the very back (at the section where the tilt bolt is installed), and this is just on the truck (no idea how much it would rock on the back of the fifth wheel). I have added a washer on the inside of that connector for both bolts and it helps a little, but not a very solid unit. I think if that whole “tilt” section were welded instead of just bolted it would be much better.
PS. We lost a bike it rocked so much before we added the washer. The metal/plastic “crush” sliders just slid right over the “stop screws” on both sides (and I had the sliders tight). Luckily, it was as we pulled into our subdivision and not on the highway.
Sorry for the rant, I just don’t want anyone else to have these issues. I am afraid to even use it now, even after adding the washers.
July 14, 2020at8:53 pm, William Krueger said:
Wow, the Easy Fold XT2 (Thule) comes with a built in bike ramp. It seems like that’s a good thing for heavy bikes.
Thanks for the info,
Bill
April 18, 2021at7:00 pm, Brenda said:
Thank you for the information, but I have one problem with this carrier….the price. I love my Scorpion by Juiced, but now it’s going to cost me a fortune to find the right rack. Now I wish I hadn’t bought it. I should have gone with a lighter bike. Live and learn. Brenda