Hitch Bike Rack recommendations?

[Riperoo]

Finally pulled the plug on the 1 up rack thanks to this thread, went with the Equip-D single, with a second bike add on, so when me and the bride are road tripping we can haul 2 bikes, but for the bulk of the year I can remove the add on an just have the single for taking my ebike to the trails (which the wife doesn't do) and with the single the back up camera is not blocked. Really solid unit, built like a tank.

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[liquids]

I use one of the least expensive options out there and I'm happy with it.
Allen Sport Deluxe 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack
I use it with locking lugs nut holding the spare on and a regular bike cable lock holding the bikes to the spare. I like that the tailgate is fully usable with bikes mounted. Only on slight annoyance: the straps holding the top tube down seem like they could come loose, maybe. So I keep them in position with a velcro strap.

 

[Eddiechi]

Finally pulled the plug on the 1 up rack thanks to this thread, went with the Equip-D single, with a second bike add on, so when me and the bride are road tripping we can haul 2 bikes, but for the bulk of the year I can remove the add on an just have the single for taking my ebike to the trails (which the wife doesn't do) and with the single the back up camera is not blocked. Really solid unit, built like a tank.

I like to keep the "add-on" on even with 1 e-bike so it allows be to fully open rear gate....

 

[Riperoo]

I like to keep the "add-on" on even with 1 e-bike so it allows be to fully open rear gate....

Great point! Thanks!

 

[ajkitebrder40]

I'm thinking about getting back into mountain biking, the last time I had one I had a truck (the only non-Jeep vehicle I've ever owned - '93 Toyota Pickup 22RE). So.....long story short, I'd like to get away without a carrier of any sort. I have roof racks for surfboards, but that's not ideal. Is there a foldable mountain bike solution that's decent?

 

[STW]

I bought a 1UP USA 2 bike rack, they’re top quality but pricey. Order it from them directly and ask for reversed side plate. It’s not a catalogued item. I found out about the side plates after I bought the rack and installed them afterwards. No extension needed and you can fully open rear after you lower rack into loading position. Now I bought it for my sons JK w/33” tires, so not sure if your planning on larger tires, then you might need an extension.

This.
really prefer the 1UP rack, compared to the others I've had (long list).
And do the reversed side-plate SGTZn mentioned--I didn't know about that when I ordered my 1UP in late 2020, but it makes all the difference for a JL/JLU

When I moved it over to the new JLR from my TJ, I discovered the JLR spare tire would hit the 1UP rack trays and prevent fully opening the tailgate. I was trying out different drop-hitch extensions to get the trays below the tire, until I read about the reversed side plate, probably from SGTZn. Cost me $65 after the fact, but it's no extra $ if you order it from the beginning.

The 1UP has a way of tightening the hitch into the receiver and it's very clean to just install/remove it with nothing left in place when the rack is off the Jeep. Very glad I didn't need to have a drop hitch adding complication, rattle, and reducing clearance.

 

[Eddiechi]

Hi -

any pictures possible of the the reversed side plate ? Not following the change it makes.....

 

[SGTZn]

Reverse plate on rack, I’m holding original plate. Reverse lowered rack

 

[SGTZn]

Also you can see with rack sits back( vs straight up and down) when in stored position.

 

[Riperoo]

Also you can see with rack sits back( vs straight up and down) when in stored position.

Yeah, that’s the reason I went with the drop hitch, the additional angle would have ruled out parking in the garage. I went with the equip d as it has the lowest bracket, but still about a 1/4 inch too high with out a drop hitch, and that is with a stock tire. Close but no cigar!

 

[Heimkehr]

I'm thinking about getting back into mountain biking

I'd like to get away without a carrier of any sort. I have roof racks for surfboards, but that's not ideal.

With a four-door Wrangler, you could consider folding the rear seat down and putting the bike back there. A quick release front axle on the bike in question would make doing so considerably easier, too.

Alternately, a straightforward rack designed to lash to the spare tire is a cost-effective approach, although this admittedly compels an expense you're trying to avoid.

 

[OSCAR II]

Interesting, I didn't know these existed.

Reverse plate on rack, I’m holding original plate. Reverse lowered rack

 

[jwrangler143]

Does anyone know if the rakattach 2.0 swing gate would negate the need for reverse plates and hitch extensions all together?

It looks like the swing gate adds enough length to push the rack far enough away from the spare and the new design also looks like it would add vertical clearance from the spare since it’s not stacked anymore it looks completely flush with the hitch.

Hoping I could make a setup like that work because I don’t want to sacrifice clearance.

 

[Tdkrum5]

Finally pulled the plug on the 1 up rack thanks to this thread, went with the Equip-D single, with a second bike add on, so when me and the bride are road tripping we can haul 2 bikes, but for the bulk of the year I can remove the add on an just have the single for taking my ebike to the trails (which the wife doesn't do) and with the single the back up camera is not blocked. Really solid unit, built like a tank.

Looks very good what size extender did you use? Where did you get it?

 

[Opus]

I ended up getting a hitch adapter

to use with my OneUp USA rack. It drops the rack just enough that in its lowest position the tailgate will swing open without catching. It was cheaper than getting the reverse plates for the OneUp and I would have needed a hitch extender to get the rack clear of the spare tire regardless.

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