SUMMARY: 

If budget isn’t ever an issue and I had to recommend the best RV bike rack today, it would be Swagman’s XC2 hitch mount bike carrier. And it just so happened that it comes in a fraction of other carriers’ prices!

And considering its unique but functional features, it’s no wonder that it’s become this review’s Editor’s Choice. 

Lightweight and easy to install and use, Swagman’s hitch bike rack is every beginner and a weekend warrior’s dream come true.

But it’s also why I initially underestimated this guy.

It started off really well, with the package arriving much earlier than the promised date. Right out of the box it felt very lightweight, which made me think about its quality.

There are accessories included as well as a manual. Upon installation, I noticed that not only were the manual diagrams too small to see clearly, but the instructions were a bit vague too.

So, if you’re not much of a handyman, it would most likely take you 30 to 45 minutes of installation. But if you’re used to this, it could be done in under 10 minutes, which I did.

The thing with this rack…

It’s a hitch mounted rack, so if you don’t have a trailer hitch on your vehicle, you would have to install one, or this won’t be of much use to you.

It included several washers, but the manual didn’t mention anything about them, so you’d have to be quite intuitive or call the customer care (which was excellent, by the way) to be able to insert them.

As a result, I had to remove the screws on the wheel hoops to be able to insert the washers in. Lucky me because I actually knew where the washers should go. But if you don’t, you may have to do a bit of research before installing this on your vehicle.

Another thing…

The hole in the horizontal bar that goes into the receiver hitch is actually threaded, so you may want to take note of that. 

Because of this, a standard receiver hitch won’t work, and you’d need to purchase a Swagman threaded hitch pin lock. Again, lucky me because I happened to purchase from Swagman just for uniformity. It’s quite expensive, though; much more expensive than other hitch locks. 

On the brighter side…

Once it’s up, it’s one sharp little guy on the back of your vehicle or RV, thanks to its good minimalistic looks.

Another thing that I really like about it is how it hangs just low enough for the bikes to be lifted or hauled easily by anyone in the family (even a child!) but still high enough for it to be safe on rough terrains.

Now, let’s go to the cooler stuff.

It has upright ratchet arms that you can adjust with a press of a button to accommodate any size of bike frame you may have. One thing that I’ve noticed is that an arm tends to leave a gap if clamped down on a very small bike frame.

In that case, you can stuff a filler in, though that wouldn’t feel very secure.

Another thing about the arms is that they’re thoughtfully covered in rubber so as not to damage your bike’s paint job. 

But then, I think it’s still a bit too tough as it was still able to leave a teeny tiny scratch on mine. So, you’d do well to put a cover in between the clamp and your bike while in use. 

But it doesn’t end there.

It also comes in a total of four-wheel hooks to further secure your bikes. They can fit tire sizes from 20 to 29 inches. 

That being said, a fat bike wouldn’t probably fit in it. But if you really want this lightweight best bike rack, you can purchase a bigger wheel loop that’s sold separately.

These wheel loops can be adjusted by sliding them to your desired distance and locking them in place after. 

Overall, this carrier can accommodate bike frames up to 23.2 inches.

But take note:

In a bouncy ride, your bike can also possibly bounce out of the hoops, so I highly suggest that you strap it down on the hoops with a bungee cord or any tough cord.

Once my 30 lbs bike was strapped in, the hold felt noticeably solid. During our trip, it also didn’t sway, so it almost felt like there was nothing hanging on the back of my car.

And the best thing about it? It’s RV-approved, so you can also use it to take your bikes with you on camping or hiking!

Another thing that you might want to consider is while it can be attached to your car’s tail, that would also mean that you’d have to fold it down whenever you want to access your tailgate. This could be an issue if you’re impatient, but generally it’s not much of a nuisance.

And at the end of the day…

You can just fold this little guy up and it will transform into a compact little gear that you can store at the back of your car or any small space. Plus points for that!