[imp]

What's the speed rating on that thing. Can it do 75mph for 8hrs every weekend?

I have the next up size folding one, with 12" wheels. I've been hauling 1-3 motocross bikes behind my Honda Fit on 250 mile weekends for 3 years, ~70 mph or more. No vibration, no bad behavior, still on original tires. At the trail or track I get amused looks from guys with monster truck rigs, like I'm some kind of idiot. Cost them >$100 just to drive there though (Socal BS).

the KEY is to grease the hubs when you first buy it. My neighbor only got about 40 miles on a brand new one before the bearings blew up. I've regreased them 3 or 4 times in the last 3 years, should probably do it more often.

 

[dump]

Cool, great info/insight @DirtEveryDay and @imp.

 

[kickstand]

What's the speed rating on that thing. Can it do 75mph for 8hrs every weekend?

A friend of mine had one, it's a $200 trailer. You're in my opinion better off just spending a few extra more if you want a trailer from a local trailer spot.

His lasted a few hundred miles before the wheelbearings were shot.

 

[vinny4130]

I have never seen the recon rack before. I want a 6 bike for a project I'm working on. I wonder if the swing out can be done to the left? Or if it can be made to hold more than 6? It looks like a great rack and I look forward to getting one.

 

[Beef Supreme]

I have never seen the recon rack before. I want a 6 bike for a project I'm working on. I wonder if the swing out can be done to the left? Or if it can be made to hold more than 6? It looks like a great rack and I look forward to getting one.

Swing outs can be on the left or right. I have considered having something made that carries three on each side. I would think three bikes would be heavier than the spare tires and jerry cans that are typical. The guy below does Land Cruiser stuff but I would imagine you could find a custom builder for most makes.

http://bumpitoffroad.com/100-rear-bumper.html

 

[DirtEveryDay]

The thing about bike racks versus like spare tire carriers, etc is the ridiculous leverage they apply. Basically 200 pounds on a 4-5 foot pry bar. That much height wants to bounce and move and do everything it can to remove your hitch from the frame. Tires and fuel cans usually sit right on the centerline or slightly above, and are all solid mounted. So pivots can take more weight/stress the lower their load is mounted.

 

[Kntr]

I had this setup for awhile. Talk about leverage and bounce. It worked but I didn't like it.

I had to run an extension so I could get in the back.

 

[Kntr]

Now I can carry 9 bikes if I have to. 4 bikes on the wanna-be Recon rack and 5 inside. 3 roll into the wood bins and I can take the wheels off 2 and put them on the side of the wood bins. I love my van. I will always have a AWD or 4wd big motovan.

 

[DirtEveryDay]

The long slots are something people always overlook... SOOO much easier to load without having to climb in.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Now I can carry 9 bikes if I have to. 4 bikes on the wanna-be Recon rack and 5 inside. 3 roll into the wood bins and I can take the wheels off 2 and put them on the side of the wood bins. I love my van. I will always have a AWD or 4wd big motovan.

AWD Express FTMFW!

 

[jimw]

That wooden box with the slots is awesome. Simple and functional. Genius! No fatbike capability though, WTF?

Here's a super useful accessory for any hitch rack, the Hitch Vise. It clamps tight around the main rack tube that goes into the receiver and prevents it from moving around. Before I got that, my T2 had plenty of room to pivot up and down in the receiver, this completely solved that.
http://www.hitchrider.com/nowobble.htm

 

[Kntr]

That wooden box with the slots is awesome. Simple and functional. Genius! No fatbike capability though, WTF?

Here's a super useful accessory for any hitch rack, the Hitch Vise. It clamps tight around the main rack tube that goes into the receiver and prevents it from moving around. Before I got that, my T2 had plenty of room to pivot up and down in the receiver, this completely solved that.
http://www.hitchrider.com/nowobble.htm

Fat bikes load in the wider slots but I can only hold 2. 2 motorcycles fit too.

 

[Kanye West]

Those Harbor Freight trailers are unacceptably sketchy. No dirt bike of mine would ever go on one. And I put my dirt bikes through some SHIT.

I just went to go look at one with a buddy. He wanted to build one up for motos now that he got a family SUV and is selling his 2500. Absolutely no way in hell. Most rickety flimsy pile ever.


I buy a lot of random stuff from Harbor Freight, mostly with the expressed purpose of said stuff being disposable in the near term. A trailer for my bikes is not part of that group.

 

[kickstand]

That wooden box with the slots is awesome. Simple and functional. Genius! No fatbike capability though, WTF?

Here's a super useful accessory for any hitch rack, the Hitch Vise. It clamps tight around the main rack tube that goes into the receiver and prevents it from moving around. Before I got that, my T2 had plenty of room to pivot up and down in the receiver, this completely solved that.
http://www.hitchrider.com/nowobble.htm

That's handy, but I don't have a lot of problem with my rack wiggling around in the receiver, are you not using a threaded hitch pin to hold the rack into the receiver?

 

[jimw]

Fat bikes load in the wider slots but I can only hold 2. 2 motorcycles fit too.

Oh yeah, duh now I see it. Yay geometry. Genius!

That's handy, but I don't have a lot of problem with my rack wiggling around in the receiver, are you not using a threaded hitch pin to hold the rack into the receiver?

It does have a threaded hitch pin, the standard T2 setup. It mostly keeps it from moving side to side but it can still move up and down a bit. How much probably varies depending on tolerances in the receiver hole. Even if it moves vertically a tiny bit, that's a huge increase in banging around when you have 4 bikes hanging off that lever. That hitch vise made a big difference for me. I tend to end up on weird roads or off road sometimes so anything that helps stabilize that rack is a good thing.

 

[kickstand]

Oh yeah, duh now I see it. Yay geometry. Genius!


It does have a threaded hitch pin, the standard T2 setup. It mostly keeps it from moving side to side but it can still move up and down a bit. How much probably varies depending on tolerances in the receiver hole. Even if it moves vertically a tiny bit, that's a huge increase in banging around when you have 4 bikes hanging off that lever. That hitch vise made a big difference for me. I tend to end up on weird roads or off road sometimes so anything that helps stabilize that rack is a good thing.

I do get some of that same play. It was the worse where the two up attachment bolts in. Mine actually started to wallow out after just a few road trips. The 2x2 box they use is very thin. The hinge also flexes a fair amount. I swapped a 1-1/4" lower onto the hinges and use it as a 2 bike rack on my wifes car now. For my Tahoe I bought a 6 foot long section of receiver tube from the steel supplier, I welded a nut inside and bolted her on, swapped the trays and never looked back. I miss the ability to flip the rack down, (which is part of the motivation of this thread) but the hitch on the tahoe is almost 6" higher than the hitch on the silverado was, so I don't end up with any clearance problems at all. I left the 2x2 long enough to fit 5 trays.

Stabilization is a good point. I do like my current set up for that, I can bang around down logging roads at a pretty good pace with out worrying about the bikes.

 

[jimw]

Nice mod. I do get some movement from the hinge area too, but it was way worse when I first got it. I ended up tightening the hinge bolts down enough to make it kinda hard to lift the rack, but the flip side is a lot less extra movement from that hinge. I would hate to not be able to swing that thing up when no bikes are on it, the van takes up enough room as it is! That's one thing I like about those vertical racks, they generally take up less horizontal space, and it stays the same regardless of how many bikes are on the rack.

 

[kickstand]

Nice mod. I do get some movement from the hinge area too, but it was way worse when I first got it. I ended up tightening the hinge bolts down enough to make it kinda hard to lift the rack, but the flip side is a lot less extra movement from that hinge. I would hate to not be able to swing that thing up when no bikes are on it, the van takes up enough room as it is! That's one thing I like about those vertical racks, they generally take up less horizontal space, and it stays the same regardless of how many bikes are on the rack.

I ended up cutting the rack down. Slid some square tube inside, welded it up, and can extend the rack for 5 bikes. Otherwise I will just pop it out of the truck if needed, it sets perfectly on my firewood trailer, just back up, pull the pin, and drive away. what you see in the picture is a tickle shorter than a full t2 4 bike sticking out.

I do agree with the vertical racks, that is part of the motivation to build a rack.

 

[kickstand]

Rack motivation has changed. Tahoe was side swiped/t-boned and totaled. I win, wife loses, I get a truck again

Looks like I'm going to build an in bed rack to compliment my hitch rack. Plan is to put it on slides so I can pull it in and out to easily load bikes and gear similar to those fancy bed drawer things you can buy.

Or, I might just keep using the handy 2x4 bike rack I made for my last truck and not worry about it all.

 

[slyfink]

I know you want to build it yourself, and I know that the shirtless wonder doesn't get much love on teh , but have a look at Lopes' setup on the ground floor of his newest van: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/brian-lopes-custom-sprinter-van-2015.html.

I'm quite happy with my 1up, and he's found a way to use one rack for two bikes, making the idea slightly more economical...

 

[kickstand]

I saw that, and I like it a lot. I thought about buying some 1 up racks and bolting them to one of those cargo drawers.

I found a set of slides with a 500lb capacity for $220. Combine those with a few one ups and weld up a small frame to mount them all to and I'd be in business with very minimal fabrication.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I know you want to build it yourself, and I know that the shirtless wonder doesn't get much love on teh , but have a look at Lopes' setup on the ground floor of his newest van: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/brian-lopes-custom-sprinter-van-2015.html.

I'm quite happy with my 1up, and he's found a way to use one rack for two bikes, making the idea slightly more economical...

So he's cutting a Quik Rack roof tray in half and using each half for a bike. What's not evident is how he keeps the bikes from rolling out of the racks.

 

[dump]

So he's cutting a Quik Rack roof tray in half and using each half for a bike. What's not evident is how he keeps the bikes from rolling out of the racks.

The lever isn't just resting against the tire. You can set the position of the lever arm such that if you push the bike into it a bit (or pull the arm up the tire), it'll snug up so that it won't just roll out. It's a cool system.

 

[gemini2k]

[QUOTE="kickstand, post: 4108249, member: 36563"
Looks like I'm going to build an in bed rack to compliment my hitch rack. Plan is to put it on slides so I can pull it in and out to easily load bikes and gear similar to those fancy bed drawer things you can buy.
[/QUOTE]

Why do people put bikes in the beds of trucks? Why not over the tailgate? Isn't that the whole point of a truck?

 

[kazlx]

Neither here nor there, but if you build your own out of metal, I have a plasma table and can cut custom brackets/mounts/whatever for you if you need anything.

 

[kickstand]

[

Why do people put bikes in the beds of trucks? Why not over the tailgate? Isn't that the whole point of a truck?

I don't like to fuck up my frames on my bikes by putting them on a pad that grinds the dirt into them.

I don't like to fuck up my truck by putting a pad over my tailgate that chafes and scratches all the paint off of it.

I don't keep much of anything in life long enough to not care about keeping it nice, because I like to have decent resale on my items.

Some people get that, some people don't.

 

[kickstand]

Neither here nor there, but if you build your own out of metal, I have a plasma table and can cut custom brackets/mounts/whatever for you if you need anything.

I appreciate the offer, my brother as well as a local friend both have plasma tables. Those are fancy pantsy fun little toys for certain!

 

[kickstand]

The lever isn't just resting against the tire. You can set the position of the lever arm such that if you push the bike into it a bit (or pull the arm up the tire), it'll snug up so that it won't just roll out. It's a cool system.

Indeed the 1 up racks are some of the nicest tray style racks on the market.

 

[armada]

I am in the process of getting a new tow bar mounted bike rack, and am preaty sure that a lot of you were already faced with this problem. I am looking for the widest rack for 2(max 3) bikes. I am currently mostly transporting Demos in L and XL and therefore need quite a lot of space. So does anyone have any good recomendations that are availiable in Europe?

 

[kazlx]

1upUSA is prob the best rack. Could prob ship to Europe. With the exchange rate, depending where you are, might not be that bad.

https://www.1upusa.com/product-SDquikrackdoubleblack.html

 

[blackohio]

recon rack, best rack i've ever owned.

 

[armada]

thank you for the sugestions, sadly I think those things arent legal in the EU. We also use different hitches.