Last Updated on 11/23/2023 by Glynn Willard
Can a bike rack be placed on a travel trailer?
Yes, but there are some safety factors to keep in mind.
We had a 1 Up USA bike rack on the back of our Outdoors RV travel trailer for over 15,000 miles.
Read on to see how that worked out for us.
We are not affiliated with 1 Up USA. We simply put one of their racks through the paces on a travel trailer and it kicked ass!
One of our older videos, but a solid review.
How Many Bikes Can I Put On The Back Of A Travel Trailer?
You can safely put 1-2 bikes on the back of most travel trailers on a horizontal rack, such as 1 Up 2 Bike Rack.
There are vertical bike racks that can hold more, but your trailers bumper hitch will dictate the total weight allowed.
We pushed the limits with three bikes on the back of our travel trailer on a 1 Up 4 Bike Rack.
It worked, but the bikes were damaged from being jarred so much.
And I genuinely believe that 1 Up Bike Racks are as “rock solid” as they come.
The damage to our bikes had nothing to do with 1 Up USA, but rather the insane amount of jarring.
We spent a lot of time on “off the beaten path” dirt roads that bounced our trailer around a lot.
As a tip, we learned to strap the bikes down, keeping them from rubbing on one another and padding the one bike handle making contact with the back of the trailer.
If we had used an inferior bike rack, our bikes (and the rack) would not have survived at all.
Are Bike Racks Safe On Travel Trailers?
I would not use a hitch based hanging bike rack on the back of any type of trailer.
You know the kind… the bike frame hangs on an outreaching arm. No bueno!
Hanging bike racks allow too much play for the bikes and the back of a travel trailer is a “violent place.”
Use either 1 Up’s Super Duty Double rack or their Recon Bike Rack.
Bikes in a horizontal tray based system or mounted vertical are much safer, but will still be subjected to violent shaking.
Above all else, your trailer bumper’s hitch weight is the most important factor when deciding to place a bike rack on the back of the trailer.
Make sure the total weight of the rack and bikes do not exceed the maximum bumper hitch weight.
We’ve heard campers talking about their bumpers hitch breaking off because of too much weight from a bike rack.
Bumper Hitch Weight Max
The bumper hitch weight max on our ORV was 250lbs. Since the 1 Up USA bike rack with two add on racks weighed close to 100 lbs, we were limited.
Fortunately, my Trek and the other three bike’s are light.
We decided to put the smallest Trek in the trailer for transport, leaving three on the rack.
Most travel trailers have even less capacity on their bumper hitches, so make sure you know that number before shopping for a rack.
Having it break off at the weld during transport wound not make for a good situation.
1 Up Bike Rack Review
We had to strap the bikes in place to prevent damage.
I only have experience with Kuat and 1 Up USA.
Both build solid racks with a steep price tag. But you really do get what you pay for with 1 Up.
The construction is as solid as they come and it’s functionality is on par with other high end racks.
When it comes to the jarring from the back of a travel trailer, I would not choose any other brand.
So, our unbiased review of 1 Up USA bike racks is a solid A+.
Takeaways For 1 Up Bike Rack
1 Up USA is amazing as a truck bike rack!
If you plan on putting one of 1 Up’s racks on your vehicle, you can’t do any better.
But if you plan on placing a rack on a travel trailer and want total piece of mind, 1 Up is the only option in my opinion.
Yes, they’re quick and easy to use, but so are many other bike rack brands.
But the high quality construction of 1 Up withstood fulltime RV living and many thousands of miles.
1 Up Bikes Racks are well suited for use on a travel trailer, but it’s best not to exceed two bikes.
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