Combining spare-on-bumper with bike rack

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navigare

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Hi all, once again I think this is a fresh topic. I have been mulling i.a. an auxilliary fuel tank, in which case the spare wheel needs to land on the rear bumper. But I also have a bicycle rack with a vertical arm to which the bike frames are attached, as in the picture. Now, that arm would of course get in the way of the spare wheel. Does anybody have a solution? A bike rack model without such an arm? Or with the arm very low, or further away from the rear of the vehicle, so that the spare would fit between it and the boot door? It is currently some 8 inches away, and it would need to be at least 11, more likely 12 inches…

Or if none of those are possible, has anyone tried alternating between a bike rack and the spare? What I mean is, I mostly use the bikes on shorter trips, when I only have one spare (not two like when overlanding) - and I can carry that on the roof rack, even with the RTT on. But the spare HOLDER (without the actual wheel), once installed, would of course remain in place. So I need to make sure that at least the two holders don’t smash each other. Anybody have experience with that kind of juggling things? Does a spare holder not rattle noisily when empty?
 

PaulLR3

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All of us Defender owners are dealing with the same issue. Your best option may be a hitch extender to mount the bike rack on. That would give you clearance for a rear mounted spare tire.

Here in the US, we are ordering this solution: https://rakattach.com/

Not sure if they ship to Western Europe where you are located.
 

El Solis

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I’m having a buddy weld a receiver hitch on my swing out so I can mount a bike rack there and keep the spare and access the rear cargo area. Waiting for the bike rack to ship but should have this done in April.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Snag_Devil

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You might try a vertical bike rack like Lolo Racks. They just came out with a new swing away arm. It's an awesome combination and the way the rack fits I suspect you could carry at least three (maybe four or five) bikes and your spare tire mount won't be an issue.
 

ryanjl

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I have to use a tray mount for my bike as it has a carbon frame. If I got a rear-mount spare, I'd just space it out a little more. Downside, of course, is the decreased departure angle if I wanted to off-road with my bike on the back for some reason.

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djkaosone

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Just get a swing out bike rack. I just sold mine 3 weeks ago. It was an older yakima 4 bike carrier that swings out at 90 and 180 degrees. The rack base also rotates 90 degrees so the bikes will be parallel to the side of the truck.

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Rover Runner

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This is what I did for my LR3. Got tired of having to lower the spare from the roof. I made it from a bicycle rack.

FOVER SPARE TIRE (2).jpg


FOVER SPARE TIRE (3).jpg


FOVER SPARE TIRE (4).jpg
 

avslash

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Thule makes a spare tire mounted bike rack.

I have used it on my TR swing out without issue.

I see them fairly often around here on Jeeps, as well.
 

navigare

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Thule makes a spare tire mounted bike rack.
I have used it on my TR swing out without issue.
I see them fairly often around here on Jeeps, as well.

I guess yours is the only solution I can really use. I haven't thought of European hitches being different from American ones - ours have a ball at the end. I find the US solution more practicable.
 

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