After reading the tales of caution posted in this and other forums regarding hitch mounted bike racks extending off the end of travel trailers, I've determined that as a newbie, I'm not going to take the risk with our 16' Scamp (2020). Which puts me in a quandary as I need a way to transport 2 bikes. I'm trying to see if any of the tongue mount racks are an option. The Arvika looks great, but with the limited available frame space I don't see any way to successfully attach it. The Jack-it 2 (Lippert) looks more promising, but I'm concerned about the space available between its rack location and the front of the Scamp. Has anyone successfully installed and used the Jack-it 2 with a Scamp to transport 2 adult sized bikes? If so, any cautions?
Mon, 09/07/2020 - 16:37
#1
Tongue Mounted Bike Rack - Options - anybody use the Jack-it 2?
I use the Jack-It rack on an Escape 21 and like it a lot, but I've never tried it on the Scamp. I just went out and measured and it would be a tight fit on the Scamp I think. If your TV is a pickup truck you could probably turn the Jack-It around and carry the bikes over the bed of the truck. Somewhere along the road I'm pretty sure I've seen a Scamp with a Stromberg Carlson tongue mount rack so that might be a possibility for you. I sure like carrying the bikes on the tongue rather than behind the trailer. I can see them, they get a smooth ride, and they stay a lot cleaner.
Eric
Good advice and thoughts. I think the Jack-it probably is too tight faced as designed (back) on the Scamp. Your measuring provides some more confirmation. I am hoping that someone has installed the Jack-it on a Scamp and could verify for sure one way or the other. I hadn't thought of turning the angle to the front (my TV is a 2020 Ford Ranger) to ride over the pickup bed. I'll look into that. Thanks
Ed and Mary Alice
After looking at both trailers side-by-side in daylight I think the Jack-It would probably work after all as the upper part of the Scamp slopes back more than the Escape. If you go to Fiberglass RV and do a search for "Casita Front Mounted Bike Rack" you will find some photos of tongue mounted racks on both Casita and Scamp. If I wanted to carry bikes on my Scamp I would look closely at the Stromberg Carlson CC-275 combined with a Go Aero V2.
Eric
Thanks for the advice. I will certainly look into those options and the Casita posting. I've also been looking at a Yakima roof rack as a fall back (I already have bike mounts from 25 years ago). I'm getting a little old for putting bikes on high (Ranger with 18" wheels) roofs, so I'm hoping a tongue mounted rack will work.
Ed and Mary Alice
Thanks Larry for joining the forum and sharing your experiences. I have the taller tower and wish I had the shorter 18.5" one. If I decide to carry bikes on the Scamp I will get a shorter one for sure. Have you had any difficulty loading the bike that is closest to the trailer?
Eric
No I am able to get both bikes up by myself but it is definitely a lot easier when my wife helps me.
It did take quite a while to figure out how to position the bikes on the rack. After I figured out where to position the brackets I labeled each one so I can reassemble it the same way and took pictures so I put the bikes up in the same position every time.
Also I remove the bike pedals on both bikes before I put them up. This makes it a lot easier to get them up and down and in to position.
I still have the old bike rack mounted on the back of the Scamp in the receiver hitch when traveling. I just don't put any bikes on it. When I get to the campground and unhook the Scamp I move the bike rack from the back of the Scamp to the tow vehicle.
Thanks for the information. As luck would have it, I missed your post because we were out camping in our Scamp when you posted. :) . Whilst camping, I did see some Jack-it racks mounted on non-Scamp trailers and got to talking and measuring; convinced myself it would work, but wondering if I'd need to remove the pedals. Ordered the 22.5" tower from eTrailers when I got back... they had both, but the 18.5" was $100 more (go figure), so I decided 4" wasn't going to be a big issue. Glad to hear this is going to work and everything pulls well. The custom solutions that are out there look great, but I have zero welding skill, so this commercial option is attractive. I also ordered a "bump-it" for about $50; It basically is a metal arm that attaches to a hitch receiver and allows you to connect the Jack-it top, effectively turning the Jack-it into a hitch mounted bike rack. I'll post more when I get it, but at least in theory it obviates the need to carry another rack.
Ed and Mary Alice
I wasn't aware of the bump it. That looks like a good addition. Reduced weight and space versus bringing the yakima carrier. I ordered the jack it directly from the manufacturer and they sold me the short tower for same price as etrailer and Amazon were selling the taller tower for.
Like Larry, I used to carry a conventional bike rack to use on the TV when we left the trailer in camp, but recently bought the Bump-It bar so that I can use the Jack-It rack on the TV. As Larry mentioned, it takes some trial & error to get the rack set up for your bikes. Also, it will take some practice before you can load the bikes gracefully. You wouldn't want to practice in a campground with lots of other campers watching. Might not even want your neighbors watching. I'm 74 and still loading the bikes OK.
Eric
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