It is a fact that sometimes this easy and popular means of pure entertainment demands attention. Carrying your bike is one of such issues that sometimes ask questions. If you are frequently transporting your bike far with your car, you know that there is a necessity for a proper hitch.
Furthermore, if you intend to take your bike on a road trip or go camping, a good hitch rack for mounting your bike is a necessity. Unfortunately, most bikers are incapable of determining which hitch is the right fit for them. Consequently, they end up buying the wrong kind, which neither fits their cars nor fits their bike racks.
As you continue reading, you are going to discover in-depth information regarding the best trailer hitch for bike rack of the recent times. At the end of this piece, you will be able to begin to realize the pros and cons of this type of hitch and the reason why it is so popular. So, let’s get started.
How does Trailer Hitch differ from other trailer hitches that are available on the market?
There are various types of hitches. They have different types of features and functions that make them suitable for different kinds of use. For instance, the trailer hitch not only provides a sturdy platform for bike racks, but it also allows you to tow anything that you may need.
This is because trailer hitches are normally attached to the back end of your vehicle, which makes it really simple and straightforward to put it together. Perhaps you can do it by yourself without getting any expert’s help. You just need a few common tools to secure the screws to your vehicle and make the hitch ready to carry your bikes.
The next time you have to load your bike onto a roof-mounted rack on your vehicle alone, you are bound to feel very annoyed at times. This is because you have to lift your bike overhead, which is tiresome work and can ruin your mood, and eventually can prevent the trip from happening.
In this case, you don’t need to worry about that: you have the trailer hitch which is very easy to install the bike racks to, and it also takes a bit of time to complete the loading process without having to rely on a third party for assistance. Also, it is much safer than the overhead bike racks.
The best time to use a trailer hitch is if your car does not have enough clearance for a trailer. It is important to understand that whenever your roof is stacked with bikes, it will increase in height an additional one and a half meters. This may make it difficult for you to drive beneath a low pass due to the fact that the bicycle racks are stacked over your roof.
How To Set Up A Trailer Hitch
First of all, you might wonder if it is hard to set up the trailer hitch if it is too complicated. Is that true?
I honestly do not think so. To be honest, trailer hitches are probably the easiest to use as a way to set up your bike racks. All you need to do is fasten one bolt at the hitch receiver for your bike racks to be on. Depending on the capacity of the bike rack, you can carry up to five bikes at the same time.
There are four general types of trailer hitches, which determine their ability to carry the weight of the trailer that is mounted on them. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the lightweight trailer hitch has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.
In my opinion, it would be appropriate to point out that the average weight of a road bike is between 17 and 80 pounds. That means even the smallest trailer hitch is far more capable of carrying three or four bikes at the same time. But keep in mind that it’s not always about the hitch. In addition, you also have to understand the potential of your bike rack.
We have two separate factors working in conjunction here to enable us to carry your bike. The first is a trailer hitch that is mounted to the rear lower part of your car. Secondly, we have a bike rack that is attached to the receiver end of the trailer hitch in order to carry your bike.
All it takes is the removal of the bolts from your car’s bottom in order to set up the hitch. It’s great to know that most cars come with built-in hitching capabilities. The bolts are already mounted in your car, so you do not have to do anything. Once the bolts are unscrewn, you can pin the hitch in place and the hitch is ready to go.
Well, some of you might be curious how would you be able to determine if the hitch is suitable for your bike rack or not. Let me tell you how to find out if it is the right hitch for your bike rack.
First of all, you need to take note that the class 3 trailer hitch receivers come in two standard sizes: one that measures 1.25 square inches and another that measures 2 square inches. At the same time, the bike racks are also designed keeping in mind the dimensions of the hitch receiver.
Do not panic if you end up buying the wrong bike racks for your trailer hitch. There are adapters that you can find from your rack maker if you need to adjust the racks according to the receiver of the hatch, but you do not have to change your hitch or racks. Install one of those adapters and you can adjust your racks accordingly.
It is not difficult to carry your bike racks with the help of one of the following trailer hitches:
Despite the fact that many trailer hitches are available for carrying your bike, you should also know that this is not the sole purpose of the trailer hitch. These hitches are capable of pulling much larger objects, such as boats, cargo, food carts, etc. This is a good thing for you because you can also use your trailer hitches for other purposes.
The truth is that when you wish to buy something, you will always choose the best one. I bet you wouldn’t want to choose a weak trailer hitch just because you will be carrying your bikes, would you? This article is an example of a well-researched and equipped hitch that is one of the toughest on the market.
We’re going to be focusing more on trailers hitches that are designed to adapt to bike racks. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best trailer hitches that you can install on your car, not only for bike racks but also for some other things as well.
In the dozens of trailer hitches available on the market today, we’ve selected our top picks for you. So, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s find out which is the best for you.
1. CURT 13182 Class 3 Trailer Hitch
We should spend a little time reading a little bit more about this US-based company, CURT, before we talk about the product itself, as this company has made towing things so much easier for everyone. CURT has been the pioneer of producing top-class hitches that ensure both quality and safety.
For a better understanding of the CURT 13182 trailer hitch, let me introduce you to the concept of a class 3 hitch. The hitches are classified according to their weight capacities. It is also known as a heavy-duty hitch as it is attached to the vehicle’s frame and can be used to tow up to 6000 pounds of weight.
It is now time to take a look at the CURT 13182’s build quality and other features in more detail.
The first thing we need to address is the design of the product. CURT uses real-life cars to create a perfect design for their hitches. Cutting-edge software ensures that the angles and load distribution of the hitch are well balanced and it is safe to operate.
It is sometimes impossible to compromise the durability of things. When it comes to hitching, the most important thing to know is whether it has enough strength to keep things together. That is why CURT has a combination of robotic and manual arms to provide a level of welding that is among the best in the industry.
The production house ensures that all the hitches are to their optimal strength and the weld lines are perfectly aligned so that you will not encounter any problems when setting up the hitch in the correct position. For your hitch to fit perfectly, you may want to clean the area where your car’s hitch mounts in order to remove any dirt.
In order to smoothen the surface of the CURT 13182 hitch, the hitch is automatically scraped. Bonderite has been used all around the hitch for long-lasting protection against rust and corrosion, but the customers weren’t satisfied with all these yet. To give the hitch a shiny finish, a special black powder coat was applied.
As a result of this advanced coating, your hatch is guaranteed to not be rusting any time soon. Sometimes, a discolored or faded hitch can ruin the feel of your car. Because of this, CURT coated your hitch with a UV-resistant coating to ensure that the unruly sun will not fade away your hitch’s shiny surface.
It is now time to talk about the technical aspects of the trailer hitch, so let us get started.
CURT 13182 has the same 2*2 inch receiver as all the other standard class 3 trailer hitches out there. This means that you can set up your bike’s rack pretty easily because most of the bike racks coming out today are designed with the same dimensions as the CURT 13182.
You can not only use it to tow your bike rack, but you can also use it to tow other things. If you are planning to pull anything large, it should be noted that this class 3 trailer hitch is capable of handling a ball mount, cargo carrier, and tow hook. When pulling something heavy, you should keep in mind that its weight distribution capacity is 7500 lbs.
The solid material it is made of allows you to use it at its maximum capacity without causing any kind of damage to it. Since it is tested according to SAE J684 for safety, you have no reason to worry about towing your stuff. If you are considering it for your bike racks, you will not be disappointed.
2. Draw-Tite 76034 Class III Round Tube Max-Frame Receiver
There are a lot of luxury brands that are devoted to the production of custom-fitted vehicles and its custom hits. Draw-Tite is one such brand that makes high-quality hitches and towing products based on pure passion since 1947. Another product that was introduced in 2017 is the Draw-Tite 76034, which can be installed on various types of vehicles.
A class 3 trailer hitch has a round tube design. There is one big difference between a wide-sqree frame and a round tube. The round tube is usually much lighter than the wide-sqree frame. There is a belief that a square-shaped hitch is stronger than a round one. But if you’re one of those, then you’re going to be disappointed.
This is due to the fact that all of the class 3 hitches which come from the Draw-Tittemeet V-5 and SAE J684 standards is capable of carrying a lot of load. It is designed especially for modern-day trucks, sports utility vehicles, and standard passenger cars.
It comes with a two-inch square receiver tube, so you can attach any kind of bike rack to it with minimum effort, and you won’t even need to buy any extra screws or parts for the installation because they’ve included the screws already in the packaging. There’s no need to buy any extra screws or parts for this hitch installation either since it comes with the screws already included in the packaging.
You don’t need to drill holes in your car body or do any welding for the installation. All you need to do is to attach it to the frame of your car and bolt it with a simple tool, then tighten it with your hand. Voila! You’re done!
The company introduced computer-aided design to ensure that they were able to achieve the proper weight distribution dimensions. Their hitches have been fatigue tested and are committed to delivering the best towing performance available on the market.
The CURT 13182 trailer hitch is also rust-proof all around, similar to the CURT 13182 trailer hitch. Due to the A-coat formula, your hitch will remain the same color and look no matter how tough the weather is, for years to come. It does not matter whether the hitch is exposed to the sun or the rain, it is guaranteed to keep shining for a long time.
In addition to a custom-designed max-frame receiver hitch, Draw-Tite has also designed its hitches every time a new model of car was introduced. This ensures that your trailer hitch is designed according to the manufacturer and the model year specifications of the car you own.
Despite the fact that you will be using the trailer hitch to carry your bike rack, it is still advisable to know the maximum towing capacity of the hitch. It is generally the case that max-frame receivers are rated up to 8000 pounds. So, you can tow anything heavy as well as your bike racks. For the receiver, carrying three or four bikes at the same time will be a breeze.
3. Reese Towpower 44569 Class III Custom-Fit Hitch
A unique aspect of this list is that Reese is one of the only vendors to not have a recurring product on the list. However, it is worth pointing out that the Reese Towpower 44569 class 3 custom-fit trailer hitch has made its way here because of its widely acclaimed reputation for durability and performance.
There is no doubt that this Reese trailer hitch is lightweight and compact. You don’t often find a class 3 trailer hitch that weighs this little. It is made with high-quality materials, so the hitch weighs a lot less than most of them. The dimensions of the hitch are 45.25 x 15.63 x 7.25 inches, which is considered smaller than the average size.
There is no doubt that this hitch could be the perfect choice for you if you intend to carry your bicycles while on a tour, or if you just wish to ride alone and refresh your mind. It is because of the intention of most people who search for a class 3 hitch to carry a heavy load such as a boat or cart that people search for a class 3 hitch.
In order to compensate for this, manufacturers usually give the hitches a larger shape. However, with the Reese Towpower 44569, the good thing is it is not designed to be overly wide or heavy. The manufacturers have made it so it can be installed by anyone with no expertise needed.
This hitch can only be used with a bike rack that is compatible with a 2 inch receiver. There is something unique about the engineering behind this particular item. It is normal for trailer hitches to come with six mounting holes on both ends of the hitches in order to allow them to be securely attached to the car’s frame.
There are, however, two holes on each side of each of them and two additional holes in the center just above the hitch receiver to give additional support to the hitch receiver. This little piece of engineering has both advantages and disadvantages as well. Since not all cars have these center holes for hitches, this little piece of engineering is both advantageous and disadvantageous.
So if your car doesn’t come with this facility, you may need to call someone to help you or you may need to do this by yourself with the drilling machine you have in your hand in order to make the two additional holes precisely, but it’s not like you can’t use the hitch if you don’t secure the center screws.
Nevertheless, if you plan on using bike racks with your hitch, make sure you fasten the center bolts. Since bike racks made for trailer hitches are the hanging ones and they do not have any ground support, they will be prevented from jumping too much. Therefore, you will be able to ride your bike well and with a close fit.
With a tongue weight capacity of up to 500 lbs, the Reese Towpower 44569 hitch has a gross towing capacity of up to 5000 lbs, ensuring a solid construction and an outstanding glossy appearance. A smooth welding finish and black powder coat ensure the hitch has a firm construction and an outstanding glossy appearance.
It is the goal of Reese to always offer its customers something extra when it comes to its products. That is why you get a hitch box cover with this item as well.
4. CURT 13146 Class III Trailer Hitch
As for our fourth trailer hitch, we decided to go back to the CURT once again. This is a class 3 hitch, which enables towing towing for pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, snowmobiles, passenger vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, trailers, and racks for bikes and cargos.
A hitch made of carbon steel ensures that it will withstand the maximum load that could be put on it while also holding things together. It has a gross trailer weight of 6000 pounds and a weight distribution gross trailer weight of 8,000 pounds.
We wish to draw your attention to the fact that, just as the previous CURT trailer hitch, this one has also been tested for safety as per the SAE J684 etiquettes, which means you can install it without hesitation.
A hitch with a receiver tube opening of 2 inches is easily compatible with a wide variety of hitch-mounted fittings like bike racks, cargo racks, and ball mounts which allow towing heavy trailers with ease. In the same way that any other hitch receiver is placed near the center of the bumper edge, the hitch receiver is also placed near the center of the bumper edge.
Despite the fact that you can see the welding line of this class 3 hitch in broad daylight, you shouldn’t worry about its quality, since it’s made of high quality materials. It is the robotic arms that perform the welding at the CURT workshop in the USA, and then the expert manual hands are the ones who recheck the welding procedure and furnish it.
To ensure that all the hitches that leave the station are 100% ready to take loads, each one goes through several testing units to ensure that each one goes through a rigorous testing process. In addition to performing in-house testing at their Detroit engineering facility, they also conduct aftermarket inspections outside the factory.
After the strenuous tests are done, the hitches are dipped in high-quality ink, referred to as liquid A-coat, twice to ensure that the coatings are sufficiently sturdy to survive in hostile weather conditions. In order to protect against rust and UV rays, CURT uses a special co-cured solution that includes a black powder coating.
Lastly, the last thing you’d want to know about the hitch is whether it can be difficult to install. Well, it is very easy to install the hitch since it is a bolt-on installation. You don’t need to weld the hitch to your car if it is not rusted or broken, as long as the hitch mounting frame of your car is not rusty or broken.
You don’t need to worry about the installation process because CURT is a well-respected company that knows their customers. So, they have provided you with the hardware kit and an updated instruction manual, so you can easily carry out the installation operation.
5. Draw-Tite 75579 Max-Frame Class III Receiver Hitch
It is now time for us to take a closer look at another product on our list, the 75579-receiver hitch from Draw-Tite. We have already read about the company’s status in an earlier part of this article, so let’s try to figure out why this is a good choice for your bike racks.
It is important to note that even though both of these products are manufactured by the same manufacturer, they still differ in significant ways. The Draw-Tite 76034 is comparatively heavier than the previous receiver hitch. This time, the weighing scale reaches 45 pounds instead of 28 pounds.
The advantage of this hitch is that its design is more elegant than those of the earlier ones. As a matter of fact, it is flat and straight in its shape, which gives it a distinctive appearance. However, it is a matter of concern that no one will see your hitch except for the receiver end once it has been installed.
In any case, there is another difference here as this one does not have any center securing bolts. There are 5 securing bolt holes on the brackets together. Due to the fact that many of the selected cars for this item have air conditioning lines, Draw-Tite had to make a small adjustment to the driver’s end of the hitch.
The left bracket has a shorter length as a result of this. You’ll get three holes on the left bracket, and two holes on the right bracket. However, no additional drilling will be required to install the hitch. If you don’t encounter any problems during the installation process, it shouldn’t take you longer than 20 minutes.
I would like to take this opportunity to mention that this hitch has a premium finish which passed several tests as prescribed in the SAE specifications before it was put into use. The double-layer A-coat and black power finish ensure the hitch will remain rust and scratch-free for many years to come.
It can be attached to any trailer as well as a bike rack with the hitch receiver that measures 2*2 inches. You can also add a cargo carrier to this receiver if you have a car that has a limited amount of cargo space. In this case, you’ll definitely see that you’ll have a lot more space to carry your goods with you.
There is something interesting about the manufacturer presenting the Draw-Tite 75579 as both a class III and a class IV hitch. Therefore, you can consider it as a very heavy-duty trailer hitch. Its weight capacity is 4000 pounds gross and its tongue weight is 400 pounds. Thus, you should not find it hard to load some of your favorite bikes on it, because it has a gross trailer weight of 4000 pounds.
There are a number of factors you should consider before buying a trailer hitch for your bike racks.
This is the end of the article and I hope you have gained an understanding of what a hitch is, as well as the essential characteristics that make a good trailer hitch. However, here are a few guidelines that everyone should follow before purchasing a hitch. So, let’s go one by one so that you can figure out which hitch is best for your bike rack.
Make sure you don’t compromise on the durability of your product
You might argue that I should go for a class 3 hitch rather than merely using it to carry my lightweight bicycles. Because there are lower grade hitches that are also cheaper and enables me to use bike racks. So, what’s the point?
Obviously, lower grade hitches would work for bike racks too. But I don’t think it makes sense to buy a hitch just for the purpose of towing a cargo trolley behind your car. Who is to say that you won’t feel the urge to tow a cargo trolley at some point in the future?
Purchasing another hitch and trying to save a few bucks is not something you want to do. You know you do not want to spend double while trying to save a few bucks. So, I suggest that you go for the tougher one. After all, you won’t be buying hitches every day. Remember, it’s better to have a more robust one.
It is important to make sure that it fits your vehicle before you buy it
Well, don’t squeeze your eyebrows mate, since there are a lot of people who fail to check whether the hitch model they intend to purchase is compatible with their car. They forget to check whether the hitch model is a fit for their car.
As with cars, there are specific hitch mounts that need to be used. The same goes for RVs as well as trailer hookups. The best thing you can do is to keep an eye on the size and dimension charts for these things.
It is reasonable for clients to ask around and do a bit of digging when fitting these things. Buying from brick and mortar stores, however, is going to take some work. If you do not wish to do some leg work, go to the seller’s website (amazon has arranged these charts for a multitude of products as well).
It is just important that you make sure that the trailer hitch you buy is the correct one.
Make sure you are aware of the capabilities of your vehicle
There is a wide range of hitch models available for most of the vehicles today. So, before you choose one, try to determine what your hitch will be used for. The max frame hitches are recommended if you will be doing heavy work frequently using the hitch. They look larger and tend to pull heavy loads as well.
For those of you who are planning to use your hitch to carry bike racks or small cargo, the smaller hitches should be adequate for the job. However, do not compromise on the hitch’s class. The hitches are available in a variety of sizes and also come in class III. However, there are some small and simple-sized hitches that are also available in class III.
Take a look at how the hitch will look on your car
When you have the option of choosing between the hitches, why don’t you go with the glorious one? This is because there are at least three or four manufactures that offer the same kind of hitches. However, at this point, you should know that there are two types of hitches available on the market today.
There are two kinds of hitches, one that is concealed under the vehicle and the other that is exposed to the world. The concealed hitch will remain hidden under the vehicle, while the exposed hitch will remain exposed to the world.
As a result, you can go through different websites and choose a website that you think will add extra charm to your car along with offering you the services you require.
Here is the bottom line of all of this:
It is true that you might be looking for the best trailer hitch for bike rack that can carry your bikes and keep them safe, but you shouldn’t just consider this hitch for bikes only. Because you never know when you might need to transport something heavy and you don’t want your bike to be damaged.
It is also important to keep in mind that in order to attach your gear to the hitch, you are going to need additional accessories, such as a ball mount, a trailer ball, a hitch lock, and a wiring harness. These items are not included in the hitch, so you will need to purchase them online or at your nearest hardware store.
When it comes to bike racks, you don’t need to install any additional accessories because they just need to be bolted to the hitch receiver in order to function. By attaching tilting hanging bike racks to the hitch, you can provide additional stability to the bike racks so that you won’t have to worry about your vehicle and bike colliding while driving.
A final point to keep in mind is that you should not exert excessive pressure on your hitch. Because it is not just the hitch that should bear the load, but also your vehicle. Therefore, it would be wise to read the vehicle manuals before you tow anything with the hitch so that you do not experience any unwanted circumstances.
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