Suggestions for hauling 6 bikes
 

We have a trailer hitch on our GMC Acadia and looking for a way to haul 6 bikes (2 adult 4 children bikes).

I have been looking into bike racks that attach to the trailer hitch and trailers.

Suggestions appreciated.

Thank you

Truck, Van, Yukon?

Tie the kids on the roof and throw the bikes inside?

You can buy roof racks and trailer hitch racks, but I think the capacity is generally around 4 bikes. You can probably fudge a bit with small BMX style bikes. Or, take the tires off and squish the BMX bikes inside the car and the rest go on the rack.

An option is to get both a roof rack and a trailer hitch rack.

In the past, we've carried bikes in the back of a pickup. But, I think that was in an era when all the pickups had full 8 foot beds. Now, in general, the more passenger capacity, the less bed capacity.

Tailgate pad will hold six full size bikes in a full size truck, or five in a Taco. Even the crew cab short bed versions

I wonder if it is safer that way, rather than just tossing them in the bed.

@Fhcfhj never mentioned what kind of GMC he/she was driving.

https://nsmb.com/media/original_imag...ra-88.jpgw1600

https://nsmb.com/media/original_imag...kes_2.jpgw1600

Even getting the big bikes out of the way, small bikes could go into the bed, or squeezed between the larger bikes.

"We have a hitch" is sort of vague too. Could mean looking for a hitch rack or could mean hitch is occupied/unavailable. When we are packing for a travel trailer trip the two adult bikes go on the tailgate with a blanket and the kid bikes are willy-nilly in the bed. On occasions when we are bringing my wife's Vespa in the truck, we put the adult bikes in the aisle of the trailer.

Yep exactly. If you have a pickup with a hitch you could do 4 on a 4-bike rack and two in the bed just like above. I've done this exact thing in the past.

GMC Acadia

We have a GMC Acadia with a trailer hitch attached. I don’t know much about either. My husband purchased the trailer hitch. I’m looking for something that would be easy for me to use with or without my husband’s help. Sometimes we will go bike riding without my husband and our children are young.

My husband won’t always be with us when we ride and I am not very tall. Putting bikes on the roof would probably be difficult for me.

We have a GMC Acadia

OK, got it. Never mind all the above crap I wrote about tailgates and travel trailers, obviously.

There are lots of options for hitch racks up to four bikes but six is a stretch. I found a few that are like a regular 2-bike tylp but more of them are the kind that carry the bikes in a wheelie. Some of them block the lift gate. Do you feel like the roof is too far to reach? There's room for four there too.

This is not a very big vehicle to carry six people and all their stuff. You can also use that hitch to haul a trailer. If that's the plan anyhow you can put a roof rack on a Coleman style pop up

My husband is tall and stronger than I am, so the roof wouldn’t be an issue when it is the 6 of us. During the times when it is just me and our children, putting a bike on the roof of our vehicle would be difficult for me. I am a petite woman.

Is there a trailer size that you would suggest?

Years ago I bought a "Haulin" flatbed trailer. I've done some work on it off and on over the years. But, it is just a BEAST of a little trailer. Far superior to the Harbor Freight trailers of similar size.

Long out of production. I think the company is still around, but they've gone bigger. Still, you may find one if you hunt.

Similar to this one.
https://www.forsaletrailer.com/1999-...ailer-vy1.html

https://dealer-cdn.com/8gRX6l/7kAq6T...ler_dq0cxo.jpg

You'd need to build a bike rack for it though. And, of course, become rather trailer savvy about towing it. You can purchase fork mounts for bikes, and then build a rack for the wheels and tiedowns.

I don't know if there any particularly commercial bicycle trailers for families.

:foo:

Looking at the photo, that is probably similar to a group of small "snowmobile trailers", although some of those tend to be a little wider.

If you don't tow trailers, then there is a bit of a learning curve. Not too bad, but you have to always remember it is back there, and it may take some practice backing it, or parallel parking it.

Instead, I'd probably look for a good sturdy 4 bike rack, then perhaps toss one or two of the smallest bikes into the back of your vehicle.

I'd only recommend the trailer if you were taking everyone to a camping trip, or something like that. If the kid bikes are small the 4-bike hitch rack and smallest bike in the hatch sounds reasonable, if the other partner is along add the roof rack and put two up there.

A small box utility trailer would have a door to lock ..
But remember more than one Rock Band, has had such a trailer
full of even more expensive Amps & stuff stolen , trailer & all..

The hanging from the front wheel style hitch rack come in 6 bike size. (North Shore Rack, Recon Rack are the two I know off the top of my head, there are some others in that style)

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a4515c0037.jpg

Five bikes, 3 full size bike and 2 children's bike on a 1986 Toyota Corolla taken coming home to Germany from a trip to Lisse NL after riding through the tulip fields. Inexpensive roof rack attached with strap/hook assembly to rain gutters and inexpensive rear rack held on by straps attached to trunk lid.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f04c95b838.jpg

I’ve been investigating the exact same thing. I think with an Acadia you could do a roof rack but would need a stool to access for a shorter person. For that route I was thinking about doing three cross bars. To hold the adult bikes use the outer two crossbars and use the middle ones and alternating with the front or back for the kids bikes. Not sure if that would work though!

As far as using the hitch like another poster mentioned there are a couple of companies that offer something but in my research they did offer some restrictions. Yakima, for instance, makes the hangover but it only works on bikes with a suspension fork because of how it holds your bike. Swagman and Thule have hitch racks that are more traditional and work with 5 bikes so that’d be okay for outings without your husband.