Receiver Hitch Bike Rack

We had a 2" receiver hitch installed on our '11 BH which is fine, however the bike rack we have doesn't have a long enough extension to reach it with the long overhang of the BH. We are thinking about having someone weld an extension onto the bike rack. Has anyone done this? any other ideas? Does anyone know a bike rack that has a long extension?

you can purchase extensions anywhere from 6 inches to a couple of feet. I have an extension that I purchased from General RV I believe. the cost is not that much, maybe 50 or 60 bucks. Plus they are well made.

I sent you a PM w/ a link to hitch extenders. Good Luck.

Hi Sue and Tom,

As Rick stated, you can find extensions at many places. Go to any hitch store, U-Haul or moving store. Bear in mind though that by using adapters and extensions, you're typically required to derate your hitch's capacity by 50%. You may not know what your hitch is rated for now, but you may be able to check with your fabricator/installer. Just be careful with how much you load at the bike rack with the extension.

Jim

Just one more thing to add to Jim's add on. These 2 inch hitch receivers ARE ONLY MEANT FOR BIKE RACKS AND NOT FOR TOWING!!! My 18 INCH extension "DE-RATES" CAPACITY BY "33%". Which gives me a rating of 250 lbs X .67 = 167.5 lb!!! Does that mean that each 6 inches of extension = 11% reduction? Maybe. But what ever you decide on just carry your bikes!

We thought it derated it by 50%. We just want to put on our hitch hall with the bike rack option. I wish the Heartland would have consider bike racks when they build the trailers. So many people carry bikes.

Wharton said:

...I wish the Heartland would have consider bike racks when they build the trailers. So many people carry bikes.

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Sue and Tom,

For a one year period, on LM, BH and maybe BC, we offered a bike hitch option. It turned out to be a little ordered option, so it was discontinued. In order to have the option, we had Lippert weld brackets on 100% of the frames for the brands we offered the option on. That way we could easily bolt on the hitch at the factory during the build. With so few people taking the option, it made little sense to charge 100% of buyers for the brackets.

I suspect that most people wanted a 2" receiver and we offered only an 1-1/4" receiver. That could be why it was a little ordered item. Heartland will not install a 2" receiver as we cannot control what a customer will hook to it. Some want to pull trailers with them and as Lippert does not warrant our frame for that use, we can't facilitate it.

Sorry to disappoint.

Jim

Jim,
Thanks for the clarification of the hitch option from the Factory's viewpoint. It makes a lot of sense, and I now understand the reasoning.
In Oregon, towing behind and RV is illegal, and would not be a concern. I agree that the 1 1/4" receiver option most likely was the tipping point. I agree, most people would want a 2" receiver, myself included.

I am going to a local hitch shop today, and check into a front mount receiver hitch for my Chevy HD. Should be cheaper and better weight capacity too.

When I was in Death Valley last fall, I saw a SOB Fiver from Canada with a 1 1/4" receiver.
The guy was tandem towing a Harbor Freight type folding trailer with 2 large 650cc type quads and a bunch of other junk on it! That trailer had to weigh at least 1500 lbs. On an inch and a quarter receiver!
Obviously having Canadian plates he had towed it at least 1500 miles. I couldn't believe it when I saw it.
I wish I had taken a picture of it.

TANDT said:

When I was in Death Valley last fall, I saw a SOB Fiver from Canada with a 1 1/4" receiver.
The guy was tandem towing a Harbor Freight type folding trailer with 2 large 650cc type quads and a bunch of other junk on it! That trailer had to weigh at least 1500 lbs. On an inch and a quarter receiver!
Obviously having Canadian plates he had towed it at least 1500 miles. I couldn't believe it when I saw it.
I wish I had taken a picture of it.

Click to expand...

Hope you weren't on the road behind it!