Hitch-mounted bike racks are incredibly convenient for transporting standard bicycles. However, the equation changes dramatically when you introduce electric bikes, or e-bikes, especially if, like many of us, you’re not getting any younger. Lifting a pair of twenty-pound bikes onto a rack is manageable; grappling with e-bikes that tip the scales at sixty pounds or more is a different story altogether.
My wife and I are avid e-bike enthusiasts, eager to embark on numerous weekend getaways this summer. Our e-bikes, however, are nudging the 120-pound weight limit of our current hitch-mounted rack. Beyond the weight, the sheer effort of hoisting these hefty bikes onto and off the rack is becoming increasingly tiresome. There had to be a better way to manage this.
Why Consider a Trailer for Your E-bikes?
Living in a region like Colorado, you constantly see people using trailers to haul ATVs and dirt bikes up to the mountains. This got me thinking: why not apply the same principle to our e-bikes? We already have a hitch installed on our SUV for our bike rack. Why couldn’t we utilize a trailer instead? Surely, someone must be offering trailers specifically designed for hauling e-bikes, right?
Upon researching online, I was surprised to find mostly trailers designed to be pulled by e-bikes, not to haul them. I did stumble upon a Yakima trailer option, but with the necessary bike mounts, it was looking to be a $3,000+ investment. Disappointing, to say the least.
But as anyone familiar with online searching knows, persistent digging often unearths unexpected gems. My search queries started leading me to utility trailers, and a thought began to form… why not a utility trailer?
The $999 Utility Trailer Revelation
The more I considered it, the more logical it seemed. Utility trailers are commonly used to transport lawnmowers and various equipment. Why couldn’t they work for e-bikes? Rolling bikes up a ramp onto a trailer certainly sounded easier than wrestling them onto a hitch rack.
This idea had potential.
Browsing the offerings at Home Depot and Lowe’s, I noticed foldable trailers, which seemed appealing for garage space-saving. However, the thought of the hassle of disassembling and reassembling it every time I wanted to fold it deterred me.
Ultimately, I opted for a 5×8 utility trailer with a wood floor from Tractor Supply. The wooden floor seemed crucial for easily attaching bike securing components. At $999, the trailer was a worthwhile investment and I drove out to Tractor Supply to pick up my new e-bike hauler.
My new utility trailer, a 5×8 Karavan wood-floord trailer, ready for modification to carry e-bikes.
Securing Bikes: From Motorcycles to E-bikes
My wife and I did have an initial concern about the new trailer: the side rails were quite low. A bike tipping over could easily fall off the side. I needed a robust way to secure the bikes, especially considering a light trailer like this could experience some bounce on the road.
Thinking about how motorcycles are transported on trailers sparked an idea. Motorcycles are often secured using wheel chocks and tie-down straps. Why couldn’t a similar approach work for e-bikes and bicycles? Bolting items down to the wooden floor of the trailer would be straightforward.
Stock photo of two motorcycles loaded onto a trailer, secured with wheel chocks and tie-downs for safe transport.
While wheel chocks and tie-downs were a viable option, another idea emerged unexpectedly.
Reusing Our Hitch Mount Bike Rack
While contemplating the trailer, I glanced at our old Rocky Mounts hitch rack, pondering its future. Should we keep it, just in case? Or perhaps sell it?
Our Rocky Mounts Backstage hitch rack, now potentially repurposed for a new role on a trailer.
Then, I noticed how the individual trays that hold the bikes were bolted onto the main hitch mount structure.
Close-up view of the Rocky Mounts Backstage bike rack, highlighting the bolts securing the bike trays to the main unit, indicating potential for disassembly and reuse.
Each tray on my Rocky Mounts Backstage rack was attached with four bolts. Suddenly, the solution clicked: why not mount these trays directly onto the trailer floor?
This was the breakthrough. I proceeded to unbolt the trays from the hitch rack and then bolted them onto the wooden bed of the utility trailer.
Rocky Mounts bike rack trays now securely mounted to the utility trailer floor, creating dedicated bike parking spots.
As an extra precaution, I also added side rails to the trailer, providing additional anchor points for tie-downs, ensuring the bikes would remain completely secure.
The result was a simple yet effective DIY e-bike trailer. I had transformed a basic utility trailer into a dedicated e-bike hauler.
Rear view of the completed e-bike trailer with two e-bikes loaded and ready for transport, showcasing the successful DIY bike rack on a trailer setup.
Here are my wife’s Magnum Metro and my Fatte-Bikes Londonderry, loaded and securely fastened on our newly completed e-bike trailer.
Front view of the e-bike trailer with two e-bikes mounted, demonstrating the stability and ease of loading achieved with the repurposed bike rack on a trailer system.
So far, we’ve only taken it for short test drives around town. My next steps include adding a storage box to hold wheel chocks, tie-downs, and some essential tools. Security is also on my mind. I need to figure out how to lock the bikes and secure the trailer itself to deter theft, especially given Colorado’s unfortunate bike theft issues. Perhaps that’s a topic for another article.
A Potential Business Opportunity
With the increasing popularity of e-bikes, I believe more and more people will be seeking better transportation solutions than traditional hitch-mounted racks, especially for heavier models.
It’s surprising that a dedicated e-bike trailer market hasn’t fully emerged yet. I envision a demand for purpose-built e-bike or bicycle trailers, or even just kits with trays and mounts for DIY enthusiasts like myself.
For anyone seeking a product development idea with untapped potential, this could be it. Unfortunately, I’m too occupied or perhaps too unmotivated to pursue it myself.
Even if you’re not looking for a business venture, I hope my DIY project inspires you with what’s possible. If you have any further ideas or improvements to share, I’d be happy to hear them.
