Receiver Hitch Receiver Hitch Add-on

[Bernie & Lynne]

OK folks, bear with me as I'm kind of a newbie & this is my first post/question.

I'm looking to add a receiver hitch for a bike rack to our "Chug-a-Bug" 2011 550 Ultra w/ rear bumper option. I would like to hear from CI as to whether the factory unit is made in-house by them or a stock product available aftermarket. I would also like to hear from the community as to their experiences and recommendations re: what equipment they chose & hauling bikes on their unit in general.

I'm looking at the Yakima SwingDaddy carrier as it looks like a nice concept for getting the bikes well out of the way of the hatch in a quick & easy fashion. My greatest concern is the amount of rattling around the rack and bikes will undergo between wind, bumps and amount of wheel hop inherent in a lightweight trailer.

Thanks much in advance,
Bernie

 

[Mark & Casandra]

Just now seeing your post. We love mountain biking and take our bikes with us on a lot of our camping trips.......many times we choose a camping destination specifically so we can mountain bike. We bought our 560 used & it did not have the receiver hitch. Since we drove from Texas to Minnesota to purchase our camper, we just drove a few more hours to the factory and had them install the hitch (and a few other things) for us while we were "in the neighborhood". So, I'm not sure if they make it or use a stock product. Just give Cary a call on that one.


As far as bike racks go, the Yakima SwingDaddy you are considering looks really enticing for the swing function to be able to move the bikes/rack out of the way of the galley without having to actually remove the rack from the trailer. My concern (like yours) would be how well and securely the bikes would travel down the road on that type of carrier on our lightweight trailers. They might get bounced around, sway some, or rub and mar your frames where they attach & secure to the rack. If you are carrying fairly inexpensive/recreational bikes this may not be a big issue for some. My mountain bike is carbon fiber (which should not be carried on a frame mounted style rack ) & my bike cost a good bit more than my first car (used) did, so I was very particular in choosing a bike rack to protect my steed . So after studying a lot of racks & talking to our local bike shop owner (with 20+ years experience) we decided that a wheel tray/mount style rack was best for us.....and the Kuat NV rack in particular is the one the bike shop owner uses himself and highly recommended. We have owned the Kuat rack for about 4 years now and love it! They are highly engineered & very well made & the company has great customer service, much like our Camp-Inn trailers! We’ve carried our bikes with the Kuat rack on trips of 1,000 miles with zero problems. We only have the 2 bike receiver style rack, so I cannot speak for the 2 bike add on which allows you to carry 4 bikes total, but I’m sure it would be top notch as well……just not sure about that much weight on the back of our trailer………so we bought the Kuat roof mounted Vagabond Rack instead for when we need to carry one or two more bikes & gear. Check them out here..........Küat Racks

Here are some trip photos I found carrying our bikes with the Kuat racks.

 

[Bernie & Lynne]

Mark & Cassandra,
Thanks for your reply... sorry I don't frequent this site very often and so my response is s bit dated as well.
Contacted Cary and subsequently ordered receiver add-on (there is a separate part of CI web site for custom order parts in addition to the normal CI Accessories Store). Install was pretty straightforward but a little tricky on the lift into position if working by oneself. I also ordered the Alcan cover add-on, which was a little more scary to install than the receiver. After consult w/ Cary re: upper bracket holes not lining up w/ originals @ seam, I finally "got over it" and pierced the precious skin of my expensive baby (ouch!).
That said, thanks for your feedback. I looked @ Kuat site and they look very nice, unfortunately I'm hooked on getting the rack out of the way completely and easily and they don't seem to offer something in that vein. I also appreciate your input re: bike to bike & bike to trailer contact. As a casual rider, the value of bikes I will be carrying pales in comparison to the trailer itself (and my tow vehicle, for that matter).
I have yet to make a purchase, but am planning a road trip soon and expect to do so shortly. Will post when I have something on both counts under my belt.
Regards,
Bernie