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Swagman e-Spec Bike Rack

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  • #16

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    • #17
      Puts the top center of the inboard bike about 16” from the back of the tailgate. Will measure on trailer next week.

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      • #18
        I think even if I need to rotate my handle bars, it's still one of the best racks out there for heavy bikes on the back of an RV.

        Jim
        Jim and Ginnie
        2024 Solitude 310GK
        GDRV Technical Forum Moderator
        GDRV Rally Support Coordinator

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        • #19
          howson - What is the tip to tip length of your handle bars? My bike measures 27". On Ginnie's e-bike it's 29-1/2".

          Jim
          Jim and Ginnie
          2024 Solitude 310GK
          GDRV Technical Forum Moderator
          GDRV Rally Support Coordinator

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          • #20
            TucsonJim -- just covered Fran's old bike (that's on the rack), lol. For the other two we have, her new Gazelle's handlebars are about 27", my old Diamondback's are very close to the same. Ginnie's e-bike has wide bars!
            Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

            2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

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            • #21
              howson Mine is more than 17.5” but not more than 17.75”. Limited light so I couldn’t be precise.

              My hitch ends about 1” behind the trailer.

              I’m curious about the hitch clamp. Is that the kind Swagman supplies now? Mine is a threaded pin which tightens in the drawbar of the rack and does an excellent job locking it down.
              John & Kathy
              2014 Reflection 303RLS
              2014 F250 SC SB 6.2

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              • #22
                Originally posted by Jkwilson View Post
                howson Mine is more than 17.5” but not more than 17.75”. Limited light so I couldn’t be precise.

                My hitch ends about 1” behind the trailer.

                I’m curious about the hitch clamp. Is that the kind Swagman supplies now? Mine is a threaded pin which tightens in the drawbar of the rack and does an excellent job locking it down.
                No, the hitch clamp is something I use on every hitch-to-accessory. The pin Swagman provided does work very well, but there was still a slight movement up and down when I tugged on the rack. Due to the forces experienced at the back of the camper I don't want any movement.

                The hitch clamp works especially well with the Blue Ox. Locks down the ball mount to the truck like they are one piece. Otherwise there'd be a lot of movement.

                https://www.amazon.com/Hitch-Clamp-C.../dp/B013J6O5H0 Note these come in different sizes (2" and 2.5"). Highly recommended.
                Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

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                • #23
                  28” on the Specialized Como eBike.

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                  • #24
                    I know this doesn’t help any of you with the Swagman rack but after reading lots of reviews and trying to find a rack that would support the weight of our two e-bikes I chose the Hollywood Racks RV Rider, we did not have any clearance issues with the trailer. We just finished a 1600 mile trek to Alabama and it performed very well. https://hollywoodracks.com/products/...UaAq4WEALw_wcB
                    Scott & Mikaela
                    2022 375 RES
                    2020 F-350 DRW

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                    • #25
                      Originally posted by Sandridge4 View Post
                      I know this doesn’t help any of you with the Swagman rack but after reading lots of reviews and trying to find a rack that would support the weight of our two e-bikes I chose the Hollywood Racks RV Rider, we did not have any clearance issues with the trailer. We just finished a 1600 mile trek to Alabama and it performed very well. https://hollywoodracks.com/products/...UaAq4WEALw_wcB
                      Interesting Scott. It says it's compatible with a fifth wheel, but not a travel trailer. I've never seen that before.

                      Jim
                      Jim and Ginnie
                      2024 Solitude 310GK
                      GDRV Technical Forum Moderator
                      GDRV Rally Support Coordinator

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by TucsonJim View Post

                        Interesting Scott. It says it's compatible with a fifth wheel, but not a travel trailer. I've never seen that before.

                        Jim
                        Jim I think their thought there was the rear bumper on most TT’s that we all know is not acceptable for anything except maybe the spare tire.
                        Scott & Mikaela
                        2022 375 RES
                        2020 F-350 DRW

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                        • #27
                          Sandridge4 and TucsonJim

                          What's really interesting is that in the fine print of Swagman's documentation is this little jewel of a statement: It (the Swagman E-SPEC) can only be used in a Class 3 or Class 4 hitch.

                          As I'm sure you're aware, a Class III can hold up to 500lbs. Is there any GD trailer with a hitch that has a 500lbs rating? Not to my knowledge--300lbs is the limit (so it's a Class II).
                          Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                          2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by howson View Post
                            Sandridge4 and TucsonJim

                            What's really interesting is that in the fine print of Swagman's documentation is this little jewel of a statement: It (the Swagman E-SPEC) can only be used in a Class 3 or Class 4 hitch.

                            As I'm sure you're aware, a Class III can hold up to 500lbs. Is there any GD trailer with a hitch that has a 500lbs rating? Not to my knowledge--300lbs is the limit (so it's a Class II).
                            I saw that about the Hollywood rack also. I did some research prior and from what I found the weight rating is really the only difference (Curt claims a class II only has an 1.25 receiver). I also talked to a trailer repair company about upgrading and for my situation they didn’t think it would matter. He gave me some things to watch for and said his recommendation would be to have it welded in a few more spots (have not had this done yet, not sure if I will or just have it replaced with a III).

                            I imagine no RV manufactures are putting anything more than a class II as some class III have almost 8,000lb capacities and I think that would be a recipe for disaster if someone were to add that much weight behind an already heavy 5th wheel or TT.

                            Scott & Mikaela
                            2022 375 RES
                            2020 F-350 DRW

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                            • #29
                              I think that the RV "rated" bike racks are one of those things that forces one to buy something "extra" and not just the normal. I have used 2 different types of non RV rated bike racks, one the bikes hang on the other they sit on, and neither has had any ill effects on the bikes, hitch , or RV. I have kept both tight to the hitch to eliminate any extra bounce. Watching them with the rear view camera and there is very little or no movement when traveling. I have seen some racks on the back of cars and trucks that are bouncing and moving all over the place. I would think that as long as it is built well and held securely to the hitch with no movement it should be fine, but that is just my 2 pennies worth.

                              Brian
                              Brian & Michelle
                              2018 Reflection 29RS
                              2022 Chevy 3500HD

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                              • #30
                                WARNING--this mod is NOT approved by Swagman.

                                The idea I decided to implement is to bore out the holes in the receiver bar of the rack attached to the main gusset to give some adjustment to the upright bar. Parts are identified below. Remember that when I started, there was only 1" of clearance between the handlebar and the rear window. The "86.2" means there was a 3.8 degree pitch of the upright bar towards the rear of the camper.

                                Click image for larger version  Name:	01 espec.jpg Views:	0 Size:	94.3 KB ID:	97235

                                The receiver bar (and main gusset for that matter) have 1/2" holes. I bored out both of the receiver bar holes to 3/4". That allowed me to tilt back the main gusset (thus the entire assembly) to nearly vertical. Note I did NOT modify the Main Gusset's 1/2 hole.

                                Edit: For clarity, on the receiver bar there are forward holes and rear holes. Both the forward and rear were bored out on both sides. I used a step-drill bit that had a maximum size of 3/4" so it was easy to do (perfectly) with a common DeWalt battery powered hand drill. The reason both the forward and rear were bored out is to provide enough adjustment to get the upright to almost perfectly vertical. Using the step drill I drilled the stock rear 1/2" holes to 9/16", reinstalled the gusset and measured the angle. Found it wasn't enough so drilled out to 5/8", reinstalled and measured again. It wasn't until I (finally) had both the front and rear holes drilled to 3/4" (took me awhile!) before I was satisfied.

                                Click image for larger version  Name:	03 espec.jpg Views:	0 Size:	41.8 KB ID:	97236

                                I now have 4" of clearance between the handlebar and the window.

                                Click image for larger version  Name:	04 espec.jpg Views:	0 Size:	68.8 KB ID:	97237

                                I torqued the bolts to a face-reddening tightness, but will likely take the receiver bar with gusset attached to a welder and have the two parts permanently melted together.

                                Click image for larger version  Name:	05 espec.jpg Views:	0 Size:	98.0 KB ID:	97238

                                Of course, now that I've done all of that I find the DW's new bike doesn't fit very well on this E-SPEC (sigh). More on that later...

                                Howard
                                Last edited by howson; 10-15-2022, 01:34 PM.
                                Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                                2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

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