Any thoughts on a single bike rack off the spare?

Just wondering if anyone has hung a single bike rack off the spare tire? I have removed the cover already, and probably will never use it.
Doug

Is there a reason you wouldn’t want to mount a bike rack off of your hitch?

Hi Doug,

A bike rack mounted to the spare tire mounting tube is interesting, never seen it done, would think it requires custom-made hardware.  If designing a method, I advise to offset the bike rack a bit in-board and mount the bike vertically so it does not stick out the side much.  But also consider the swing of the rear storage compartment door.  If none of that works, maybe consider a method to mount the bike vertically to the PC's ladder.


Hi Joseph,

Our bike rack primarily goes on the back of our tow vehicle, but I have also mounted it to the back of our PC.  I do need to use a hitch extender & converter on either vehicle, from the larger 2" receiver to the smaller 1.25" size which moves the bikes nicely away from the vehicles.  Our tow vehicle Jeep Liberty has a rear-hanging spare tire to clear.  I need to clarify that we do not have a PC back ladder to clear.  It is just nice to have the bikes away from the full body paint.

I think the ideal PC-hitch-mounted bike rack is the kind that drops down to provide clearance to open the rear PC storage compartment door.

The weather around here in the Chicago area has finally gotten nice for outdoor activities.
Ron Dittmer

Ron I haul a couple of carbon fiber road bikes. I use a Saris bike rack that hauls the bikes resting on their tires rather than hung from a cross member. Using a dual receiver I can haul the bikes behind the Pc between the PC and the car. The Saris has a dual set up, just pull the sleeve and your able to use a smaller receiver. Once I get where we want to use the bikes I can move the rack to my smart car in a matter of a couple minutes.

I prefer the bikes directly behind the rv for a few reasons. Hauling a few thousand dollars worth of bikes I want them close to the coach where I can see them in the rear camera, where I can hear if anyone is messing with them at night (even though they are cabled) and I also have a cover that protects them from the elements as we’re hauling them.

we’veused folding bikes for years. external racks keep the bikesin a terrible, dirty environment for long periods of time. really hard on the bikes. there are some wonderful folding bikes in the
mRketplace. check it out!

Dave, hence why I have a good bike cover. Folding bikes are nice for their intended purpose. We like to do 20-40 mile rides and those folding bikes with small tires just don’t fit the bill. This and storing folding bikes, or any bikes for that matter, inside isn’t an option.

The reason I asked, I hate dealing with bikes...Period! My thoughts are, most trips I want to take bikes,but have no idea if we will use them, or if we do how much we will use them.
I want them out of the way for everyday traveling. We don't plan on towing a toad, so I would like to mostly warehouse the bikes until needed.
We are not hard core bikers, the folding option would be great but I don't want to house the bikes indoors .Rack hitches make sense, but they are in your face, having to deal with them all the time.
I was just trying to find an option that would house the bike(s) in an out of the way position, until needed.
Thanks for all your input, I have a few other ideas... maybe good, maybe bad...
Doug

Doug, ok understanding more of what your dealing with I’m guessing your hauling heavier traditional bikes. If that’s the case you may have to consider the overall weight of the rack and bikes mounted from the spare rack. Granted the spare is heavy but I’m thinking the bike rack would be hanging out 8 to 12 inches. The torque applied as it flex’s going down the road may be an issue. I really have no idea not being an engineer but at a minimum I’d call PC or any rv builder for some guidance on using that spare mount just to be safe.

Joseph, you are spot on with the flex and weight issue off the spare. I haul bikes off a spare tire on an old landcruiser, but the spare rack is over built, and even so, it takes a lot of abuse.
Yeah my bikes are old, ugly, and heavy, just like me!
I doubt PC over built the spare holder, and we already have 17's, which adds more weight yet.
I've been looking at a hitch rack by 1up, maybe even doing a front bumper mount if I replace the front bumper.  Although I'm not a big fan of blocking intake air, I think it would get them more out of the way than on the rear.
I've got a few ideas for the rear too, Just don't want to look like the Clampets....
Doug