Originally Posted by Mentor58

I've heard from some sources that you shouldn't do a 4 bike rack on a 1.25 hitch, but I've also seen them for sale, so I'm not sure who to believe.

From what I recall, it's not the weight of the bikes that cause the problem, since a 1.25 is usually rated around 200 pounds tongue weight. (Actual towing capacity is set by the car, not the hitch normally). What I read was that it's because the weight isn't being applied directly in line with the receiver like it would with a trailer, but the actual force on the hitch is magnified because of the leverage of the bike rack. Imagine putting your hand into the hitch and pushing down hard as you can, nothing is going to happen. Now imagine putting a 4 foot crowbar in there and levering on it. I think the fear is that you might over stress the receiver box. I would imagine that sticking a 12 inch adapter / extension might amplify the problem.

All that being said, I'd probably go for it. I know the Hollywood racks makes a 4 rack hitch mount in 1.25, so it may be that some makers are a bit cautious. I'd also probably want to actually BOLT the hitch in place rather than use a pin, just for some extra strength.

M58