Bike rack recommendation for long-hauling four bikes

[otterprods]

Greetings! I hope I'm posting this in the right place.

I have a 26' Class C for my family of four. We don't pull a toad so I'm looking for a hitch-mounted bike rack for our four bikes, or perhaps even a small trailer.
After quite a bit of research last summer, I bought a Yakima long-haul rack because it was advertised as being designed specifically for the rigors of long RV trips. LongHaul

As it turns out, I really do not like this rack because:
(a) It does not even fit 4 bikes, even with 2 of them being kids bikes. It fits three at most and even that is pretty difficult (see item c).
(b) Since the rack is a style where the bikes by the frame, as opposed to supporting them from under the wheels, I had to buy cross bar adapters for another $35 each, which are flimsy and don't latch or secure the bikes very well (scary).
(c) It is VERY difficult to get just 3 bikes (impossible for 4) on and off the rack so I dread when it's time to actually use our bikes while out on the road.

So the short version of that story is I now have a $500+ rack setup that I hate and is not very safe. I probably need to start all over with a whole new rack system and I could really benefit from any sort of recommendations from folks that have actually had experience towing 4 bikes around on longer trips. Thanks in advance for any guidance you all can provide.

 

[MapNerd]

These are built like tanks

Kuat Racks

At Kuat Racks we are driven to make the most advanced products for outdoor enthusiasts, and we stand behind our products like no other company. Shop our Overlanding truck bed racks and accessories, roof racks for kayaks and snow sports, hitch bike racks, and products that are rated for e-bike...

www.kuat.com

 

[Rich-MLsRV]

I’ve found that etrailer.com has good reviews and recommendations on bike racks for RV vehicles. We purchased a bike rack for 2 bikes from them. Finding a bike rack for 4 bikes would be more difficult.

 

[MapNerd]

I had a Yakima Four-Timer which I carried on the back of my toad for about 20 months. We bought it new when we started and it was falling apart by the time we upgraded. It just wasn’t built to take the rigors of 24/7 exposure to the elements.

In replacing the Yakima, I went with a Kuat NV2.0 + NV2.0 2-Bike Addon. It was very pricey but I have to say, 9ish months in and there is not a single speck rust on this thing, there are zero defects, everything is as tight as the day I bought it and it is built to take just about anything you can throw at it through normal use.

If the Kuat PistonPro had been out at the time, I would have bought that instead as I like the integrated tail lights. The NV2.0 does obscure my tail lights, but luckily my third brake light is high enough that it is still visible.

The NV2.0 is not trailer rated, but the PistonPro is. That’s something to consider if you plan on mounting it to the back of a 5er or bumper pull. If mounting to the back of a toad, the NV2.0 or the Base 2.0 will both do the trick.

I can’t recommend Kuat products highly enough. They are just so over engineered and built to take a beating

 

[High Desert]

Either the Thule XT series or the Kuat as these are the top two rocks in the business, I believe. Yakima just doesn't do as good a job as they used to for bike racks. The Thule is going to be pricey. We use a Thule XT-Pro for our bikes. The Ghule will also accept fat tire bikes.

 

[otterprods]

These are built like tanks

Kuat Racks

At Kuat Racks we are driven to make the most advanced products for outdoor enthusiasts, and we stand behind our products like no other company. Shop our Overlanding truck bed racks and accessories, roof racks for kayaks and snow sports, hitch bike racks, and products that are rated for e-bike...

www.kuat.com

Thank you for your response, I'll check them. I also just learned about 1up-usa racks which also look really sturdy.

 

[MapNerd]

The Kuat NV 2.0 which I have also has an integrated, keyed cable lock for each bike, so you can lock your bike to the rack, which can be locked to your hitch, to prevent theft if you are stopping somewhere for a bite or overnight.

At this point it probably seems like I work for Kuat but I don’t. Just really like the bike rack I have and think it’s probably the best rack money can buy at the moment.

 

[David Epoch]

Greetings! I hope I'm posting this in the right place.

I have a 26' Class C for my family of four. We don't pull a toad so I'm looking for a hitch-mounted bike rack for our four bikes, or perhaps even a small trailer.
After quite a bit of research last summer, I bought a Yakima long-haul rack because it was advertised as being designed specifically for the rigors of long RV trips. LongHaul

As it turns out, I really do not like this rack because:
(a) It does not even fit 4 bikes, even with 2 of them being kids bikes. It fits three at most and even that is pretty difficult (see item c).
(b) Since the rack is a style where the bikes by the frame, as opposed to supporting them from under the wheels, I had to buy cross bar adapters for another $35 each, which are flimsy and don't latch or secure the bikes very well (scary).
(c) It is VERY difficult to get just 3 bikes (impossible for 4) on and off the rack so I dread when it's time to actually use our bikes while out on the road.

So the short version of that story is I now have a $500+ rack setup that I hate and is not very safe. I probably need to start all over with a whole new rack system and I could really benefit from any sort of recommendations from folks that have actually had experience towing 4 bikes around on longer trips. Thanks in advance for any guidance you all can provide.

Otterpods ! my two cents would the below recommendation
An affordable bike RV approved swagman rack for 4 bikes. While this rack is also a hitch bike rack but it’s different from Swagman's Traveler XC2 since the bikes hang in cradles secured by straps. Overall if you have to travel with more than 2 bikes and are looking for an affordable option without being overly critical about frame coming in contact with the rack, this is the rack you are looking for. You need to be careful while purchasing this bike rack from Swagman because they have another similar rack with the same name but not RV approved.

 

[otterprods]

Otterpods ! my two cents would the below recommendation
An affordable bike RV approved swagman rack for 4 bikes. While this rack is also a hitch bike rack but it’s different from Swagman's Traveler XC2 since the bikes hang in cradles secured by straps. Overall if you have to travel with more than 2 bikes and are looking for an affordable option without being overly critical about frame coming in contact with the rack, this is the rack you are looking for. You need to be careful while purchasing this bike rack from Swagman because they have another similar rack with the same name but not RV approved.

Thank you for the excellent response, David. A lot has happened since my original post and I ended up going with a 1up USA super duty rack.

2" Super Duty Double

Slotted Hitch Bar Lock Included

www.1up-usa.com

It's more expensive than most other racks but it's really high quality and SO easy to use. And most importantly... safe!
I bought a 2-bike rack with a 1-bike add-on just to keep the load lighter and shorter for now. If it works out over time, I may install one more add-on. 1Up racks are not officially "RV-approved" for 3 or more bikes, but after a whole lot of research and some phone calls, I'm convinced that this rack really is the sturdiest, most ergonomic and safest rack out there... as long as you don't mind shelling out the extra $$$.