# has anyone used a dual hitch receiver to tow a small trailer and hold a bike rack?



## goodmojo (Sep 12, 2011)

I have a one up rack and want to either have a cargo tray/box or tow a small trailer

I was thinking a dual receiver like this would be good. Has anyone done this?


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## cgrutt (Dec 14, 2015)

Haven't but don't see why it wouldn't work as long as you stay within max tongue capacity. Just make sure your trailer clears your bikes when turning/backing up...


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

cgrutt said:


> Haven't but don't see why it wouldn't work as long as you stay within max tongue capacity. Just make sure your trailer clears your bikes when turning/backing up...


Extenders reduce weight capacity by 50%, according to the folks at etrailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-hitch-adapters-extenders.aspx


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

Harold said:


> Extenders reduce weight capacity by 50%, according to the folks at etrailer.
> 
> https://www.etrailer.com/faq-hitch-adapters-extenders.aspx


Depends upon how long the extender is, but, yes, to be safe, the shortest ones immediately drop capacity by 50%.

You can also add a bolt-on hitch to the trailer tongue and negate the extender issue.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Flamingtaco said:


> Depends upon how long the extender is, but, yes, to be safe, the shortest ones immediately drop capacity by 50%.
> 
> You can also add a bolt-on hitch to the trailer tongue and negate the extender issue.


Have a link to one of those bolt-on hitches? One of these days, I intend to buy a small camper, and was thinking of welding one on. But if a bolt-on solution exists that's solid enough, it sounds like a better idea.


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

eTrailer much? There are a crapload of bolt-on hitches there, look at the ones for RV's. Would be much cheaper to weld up your own, though.

Don't weld to the tongue of light trailers. Weld brackets to the side of a receiver tube that extend to below the tongue, run two bolts through.

Watch craiglist. I picked up a universal hitch for $50 that I was able to cannibalize for parts to install a 2" receiver in the same location as the oem 1-1/4".

If you have a strong mounting point, one of these, a drill, two bolts and ten minutes gets you a fine mount for a bike rack.


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## J_Westy (Jan 7, 2009)

goodmojo said:


> I have a one up rack and want to either have a cargo tray/box or tow a small trailer
> 
> I was thinking a dual receiver like this would be good. Has anyone done this?
> 
> View attachment 1042917


Yup. As mentioned you have to be careful of weight etc, but I've put 10s of thousands of miles on my setup. Livinlite campers are all aluminum and very light. I had mine built with an 18" longer tongue for more room for the bikes.

Note that most of the sag in the pictures is due to slop in the connections... I want to try adding some shims this season to square things up.

2011 Detonator Yellow Unlimited - Page 3 - Jeep Wrangler Forum


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## goodmojo (Sep 12, 2011)

Thanks that is awesome with the trailer plus 1up


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

The Jeep doesn't look bad, but the Explorer has enough torque on the rear to lift the front. Four bikes on a 1Up will put a lot of torque on a receiver, and you've added a trailer on an extender, with a long draw bar. As you increase the distance from the rear axle, you increase the torque applied by a given weight.

The item below would bring both the bikes and the trailer significantly closer to the rear of the Explorer:









but might be too close on the Jeep due to the tire.

Safe towing!


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## goodmojo (Sep 12, 2011)

Flamingtaco said:


> The Jeep doesn't look bad, but the Explorer has enough torque on the rear to lift the front. Four bikes on a 1Up will put a lot of torque on a receiver, and you've added a trailer on an extender, with a long draw bar. As you increase the distance from the rear axle, you increase the torque applied by a given weight.
> 
> The item below would bring both the bikes and the trailer significantly closer to the rear of the Explorer:
> 
> ...


great idea i bought that one.


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## J_Westy (Jan 7, 2009)

Flamingtaco said:


> The Jeep doesn't look bad, but the Explorer has enough torque on the rear to lift the front. Four bikes on a 1Up will put a lot of torque on a receiver, and you've added a trailer on an extender, with a long draw bar. As you increase the distance from the rear axle, you increase the torque applied by a given weight.
> 
> The item below would bring both the bikes and the trailer significantly closer to the rear of the Explorer:
> 
> ...


As I mentioned, most of the droop is due to slop in the receiver joints and I want to try shims this season.

Note that even with my longer trailer tongue, I also needed a long tow bar to make room for the four bikes while turning. That said, I agree it does "look" kinda sketchy, but it does tow great since the trailer is so light and therefore I can keep the tongue weight low

Also keep in mind my wife and two daughters don't exactly travel light, so the Explorer is low in the back because the trunk is full too 

Bottom line I guess is that this method must only be used with good planning with a light trailer. I've gone from Colorodo to Montana to Maine with no funky handling.

If I only had two bikes, I would have come up with some way to put them on the trailer tongue like they often do in Europe:


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

I was looking at the height of the vehicle over the rear wheel Vs the front, not the sag of the draw bar. I used a 2" adapter for awhile. There was almost zero play between the receiver and adapter, but the tray looked like it was going to fall out of the adapter. An aluminum shim fixed that.

Modern (unibody) vehicles aren't designed to handle additional weight. We all want a comfortable ride, but that's not possible without adding weight, which kills the CAFE. Four adults maxes out most vehicle's gross weight capacity. Or two adults, two kids, and one piece of luggage.

Couldn't tell by your pictures, but if you've got an a-frame tongue, or side supports for the tongue, there are 2" receiver adaptors that permit mounting a bike rack above a storage box. They use u-clamps, have a low total weight, and tend to bend forward a LOT when near their max.

I'd prefer to weld brackets to the tongue or frame body to mount a custom receiver that can be removed by pulling out a pin on either side.

Kudos for not going into all-out extended crew cab retard mode. I takes a bit of forethought to find a combination that works, but much like planning for a long backpack trip, it can be done, and you feel good once you've figured it out, are out on the trail, and aren't humping a bunch of crap (and weight) you didn't need.


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

goodmojo said:


> great idea i bought that one.


Good deal. I'd suggest a roof box or roof cargo tray instead of a cargo tray, as you can carry still carry bulky gear when you've got bikes on the back. Much better weight distribution.

I'm planning my next setup around the current Explorer. I've picked up a roof box for the things we need to unload once (tent, grill, sleeping bags, etc), and have my eye on a 1up for the rear. Bike gear and backpacks in the trunk for quick access, and a double receiver in the front with a custom tray for the heavy gear, namely the cooler and propane tanks. If I can't find a balance that doesn't block the lights or stifle the radiator, I'll build a micro trailer for the heavy gear, mount the roof box to it, and put a cargo tray on the roof.

Now, If I can just get Ford to put the hi-po motor in, and an oem air assist suspension, I think I'll have the perfect not too big but can handle a lot of sh1t daily driver vehicle.


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## 06HokieMTB (Apr 25, 2011)

J_Westy said:


> 2011 Detonator Yellow Unlimited - Page 3 - Jeep Wrangler Forum


Wow. Thanks for posting this. I've got a hitch extender (straight piece, no 2nd tongue receiver... but I have one of those as well) on the rear of my TJ. Without it, my Thule T2 XTR rack won't fold up (hits the spare tire). But, with the extra piece, it rattles.

Buying a Stowaway2 tonight! https://www.stowaway2.com/store/products/601/StowAway-Hitch-Tightener


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