Quote:
Originally Posted by nicknsandy
The rack had so much movement that even though the bikes were more than 16" away from the back of the trailer, the bounce drove them into the back of the trailer. I got a Thule T-2 to replace the cheep one. My suggestion to anyone who wants to put bikes on the back of their trailer is to get a mount that the wheels of the bikes mount in to keep the weight low.
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Good advice. I think our set up is close to 100# with the two bikes and weight of the bike rack.
We just came back from our 2 day maiden voyage with the new hitch and bike rack (a Swagman similar to your Thule T-2). After 2 hours on rough roads, I did find that the horizontal bolt holding the rack in the receiver had loosened slightly. And this allowed the rack to bounce up and down more than before. Ideally a vertical bolt, in addition to the horizontal one, would fix it, but I guess some shims in the receiver will be easier.
Because of that horizontal bolt, there was no sideways play in the receiver. But the Swagman also has a pair of heavy set-screws (8mm allen) that secure the rack further along against sideways rocking. These can loosen too, and you really need a longer shank allen wrench than that provided to keep them tight. I used my socket wrench with an 8mm hex extension.
So far, so good. But a bike rack hanging off the back of your trailer is yet another thing to check out at every stop, along with the kayak lashings, trailer hitch and cables, tires and brakes. Whew ...
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