[quote author=skypuff link=board=19;threadid=1866;start=msg13239#msg1323 9 date=1082647666]
We have a 2003 2720SL towed by a Honda Odyssey. I've read several comments concerning bike racks...I need to know the best way. We don't have room in our van for more than the children's bikes. Does TM offer anything at their plant?
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AFAIK, TM does not offer any such bicycle accessories. Some folks have had TM do a custom rear bumper with embedded hitch receiver but that had to be done at time of manufacture. Others have used clamp-on or welded-on hitch receivers attached to the rear bumper. However, if you are carrying more than one or two steel framed bikes on a rack attached to a bumper hitch, you will
signifcantly reduce your TM's inherent sway resistance. Several members of this board have reported having noticeable sway with multiple bicycles mounted behind their trailer...the weight of the bikes and rack that far behind the TM's axle is the cause.
If you don't want to put the bikes on a roof carrier on your Ody, then the best way to carrry bikes is this 3-bike "towing rack" made by Swagman:
It has a 3 inch long square tube that goes around your hitch bar (the part that slides into your Ody's hitch receiver), the vertical part is long enough to elevate your bikes well above the hitch/tongue area. The best price I've found by far was at
Camping World . Camping World's price is only $79.99 and many of their stores have it in stock; most bike specialty shops will have to special order it and you'll pay the full retail which was around $120 the last I checked. I bought one at the Denver Camping World store last week and am very pleased with the construction. The only potential gotcha is you
must have a 3 inch section of
straight hitch bar available between the end of the receiver and start of the ball assembly when the hitch bar is inserted into the receiver.
Best way to transport bikes
Linear Mode
