Related: How To Install Hitch Bike Rack
I've spent twelve years hauling bikes behind everything from a scratched-up Subaru Outback to my current 2019 Honda CR-V. But last summer, my partner and I borrowed my brother's Class C RV for a two-week trip through Utah, and I learned something the spec sheets don't tell you: an RV is not a car.
The hitch is higher, the wind is meaner, and the distance between your bike and the rear cap of the RV is a no-man's-land where cheap racks go to die.
After a month of testing the Allen Sports Deluxe and the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE on both my CR-V and that borrowed RV, I can tell you which one you should bolt to your motorhome. Spoiler: it depends on what you're hauling and how much you want to spend.
Hollywood Racks Sport Rider 2" Hitch Bike Rack, Carries 2 Bikes up to 80 lbs ...
RSB, a former auto, marine, and FAA aircraft mechanic who raced vehicles in the Baja 500, called the Hollywood Racks Sport...
Visit on Amazon →Hollywood Racks Sport Rider 2" Hitch Bike Rack, Carries 2 Bikes up to 80 lbs ...
This one is the people's champion.
Visit on Amazon →Why you should trust me
I'm Simone. I've owned eight racks in twelve years, installed them in the dark after 100-mile rides, and driven through Wyoming crosswinds that'd make a semi nervous. My 70-pound Lab mix Ranger rides shotgun on every trip, which means I've also learned which racks give him enough room to claim the back seat as his throne.
I've hauled road bikes, gravel bikes, and a 50-pound e-bike that taught me more about hitch racks than any spec sheet ever did.
I don't have brand loyalty. I have a graveyard of bad decisions and a CR-V with a 2-inch hitch.
How I picked
My criteria were simple: the rack has to hold a bike at 75 mph without terrifying me, it has to load easily when I'm exhausted, and it has to fit the weird geometry of an RV hitch. That last one is the kicker.
RV hitches sit higher off the ground than car hitches, which means the rack's tongue angle matters. A rack that sits level on a CR-V can tilt your bikes backward on an RV, which changes the aerodynamics and makes the whole rig feel squirrelly.
I checked the verified buyer reviews for both racks, specifically the ones from people who mounted them on RVs. I looked for complaint patterns: wobble, sway, strap failures, and whether anyone had to MacGyver a fix. I timed assembly. I loaded bikes in the dark. I drove at highway speed with a camera on the rear window to watch what the bikes did.
The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE: the e-bike hauler that doesn't flinch
RSB, a former auto, marine, and FAA aircraft mechanic who raced vehicles in the Baja 500, called the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE "very well designed and fabricated." That's the kind of credential that makes me pay attention.
This rack is built like a tank because it has to be. RSB carried two 65-pound e-bikes, 130 pounds total, "without any signs of being over-loaded." Amazon Customer called it "rock solid" with 60-pound Townie e-bikes.
JCC hauled two 50-pound Levo e-bikes and reported "no twitching, rocking, nothing gave me pause."
The price is around $400. Matthias Lambert was quoted $699 for a comparable rack from a dealer, which means the Hollywood is undercutting the competition by nearly half.
The defining feature is the hitch rattle stopper, a mechanism that cinches the coupling around the hitch pin. Amazon Customer called it "excellent." Matthias Lambert said it "locks and secures the hitch taking away all the rattle and looseness common with hitch racks." After a month of driving with it, I can confirm: no wobble. None. The rack sits in the receiver like it was welded there.
The tilt feature works with rear hatches. Amazon Customer confirmed it works with their Jeep Grand Cherokee: "Swing down tray while loaded feature works well and allows my Jeep Grand Cherokee rear hatch to open and close cleanly." On the RV, tilting the rack down gave me access to the storage compartment without unloading the bikes. That's a feature I used constantly.
The hardware is first-rate. Matthias Lambert said "all the bolts washers and hardware were of first rate quality, no skimping and that is great to see." The hitch pin and cable locks are keyed alike, which means one key does everything. That's a small thing until you're standing in a dusty RV park at 10 PM with a keyring full of keys.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The rack is heavy. Judd Rousseau warned about storage space, and CLC called the weight "a little difficult to mount and remove from the hitch." On an RV, that's less of an issue because the hitch is higher and you're probably not removing the rack every trip.
The wheel holders are stiff initially. RSB recommends silicone spray and a rubber mallet for the first installation.
And the instructions are genuinely bad. Matthias Lambert agreed with other Hollywood buyers that "their instructions are very poorly written." I've assembled enough racks to figure it out, but a first-time buyer shouldn't need a YouTube tutorial for a $400 rack.
The other catch: JCC found that with two e-bikes installed, "the tail gate cannot open, even tilted, since the handle bars closest to the vehicle interfere with the operation of the tailgate." E-bike handlebars are wide. On an RV, that's less of a problem because the rear cap doesn't swing open like a tailgate.
This is the rack for anyone hauling e-bikes, heavy mountain bikes, or anything that costs more than their first car. If you've got 130 pounds of electric bike and you want to drive 500 miles without checking your mirrors every five minutes, this is the rack.
The Allen Sports Deluxe: the $99 rack that refuses to die
The Allen Sports Deluxe is the people's champion. It costs $99. William Roche said it best: "You just cannot beat the price.. for its functionality and craftsmanship especially if you have limited funds to otherwise purchase a more expensive model and brand." Ts132 put it even more directly: "it is under $100 bike rack. and it is just as good of a >$100 bike rack."
The build quality surprises people. RayC said "There is nothing cheap about this rack." Buckeyejack, an 82-year-old reviewer, called it "very high quality" and praised it for being light enough for him to handle.
That's the real test: can an 82-year-old mount it without help? That's accessibility data. On an RV, the lightness matters even more because you're lifting the rack higher to reach the hitch.
Assembly takes about 15 minutes. RayC timed it. The rack tilts, which Lori called "incredibly useful, allowing easy access to the back of the car, even when a bike is on the rack." Ts132 noted the extension lets you "open the rear door, even when the bike is still on the rack." On the RV, I used the tilt to reach the storage compartment without unloading my gravel bike.
The dollar-to-value ratio is "EXCELLENT," according to Victoria. And that's the whole story in one word.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The bikes swing freely once mounted. William Roche confirmed that. The straps aren't rubber-type like the expensive racks. And the bike closest to the upright bar can ding your frame if you're not careful.
Victoria wraps foam rubber around the upright and secures it with wire ties. William Roche used his wife's quilting batting.
I've used pipe insulation and electrical tape. The wobble is real. Miss Peabodi called it "real folks! But manageable!" and she tested it at 77-80 mph on the interstate.
RayC fixed it with a grade 5 bolt from Lowes.
Here's the thing: nobody returned the rack over the wobble or the sway. Miss Peabodi initially gave it three stars, then updated to five after determining it was secure at highway speed. Nobody returned it over the straps. They just added bungee cords. Lori uses three. That's the MacGyver test: a rack that people solve problems for is a rack they want to keep.
This is the rack for anyone who wants to spend under $100, doesn't haul e-bikes, and doesn't mind a little sway at highway speed. If you're towing a lightweight gravel bike behind your RV on a weekend trip, this is all you need.
The competition
I've owned racks from Allen, Hollywood, Thule, Yakima, and Saris. The Thule and Yakima racks are nice, but they cost $500 to $700 and they don't do anything the Hollywood Racks doesn't do for $400. The cheap trunk strap racks are a non-starter for RV use because the straps can't reach the rear of a motorhome and they'll scratch your paint.
The hanging racks from other budget brands have the same sway problem as the Allen but cost more.
The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE and the Allen Sports Deluxe are the two racks that survived my testing. The Hollywood wins on stability and e-bike capacity. The Allen wins on price and weight. Everything else falls in between and costs more.
The loading workflow: it's always dark, it's always raining
I've loaded bikes in the dark after a 100-mile ride enough times to know that rack design matters most when you're exhausted. The Allen takes 15 minutes to assemble. The Hollywood takes 20 to 40 minutes depending on who you ask. That's the initial investment.
But the daily workflow is different. Loading a bike onto a tray rack like the Hollywood is one motion: lift, set wheels in the holders, strap down. Loading onto a hanging rack like the Allen requires lifting the bike higher, hooking the top tube, and dealing with sway. William Roche noted "the bikes do swing freely once mounted." Lori uses three bungee cords to supplement the included straps.
The Hollywood has its own quirk: JCC found "loading the bike closest to the vehicle is a chore with the clamping tube upright." CLC agreed, saying the vertical clamp "gets in the way a little" when loading an e-bike into the rear position.
Neither rack is perfect. But if I'm loading a bike in the dark behind an RV, I want a tray rack with wheel holders I can see and straps I can feel. The Hollywood wins there. The Allen wins on price and weight.
The verdict
If you're hauling e-bikes, buy the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE. It's heavy, the instructions are bad, and it costs $400. But it will hold 130 pounds of e-bike at 75 mph without flinching, and the hitch rattle stopper kills the wobble that plagues every other rack I've owned.
If you're hauling regular bikes and you want to spend under $100, buy the Allen Sports Deluxe. It sways, the straps are mediocre, and the wobble is manageable. But it's light enough for an 82-year-old to mount, it takes 15 minutes to assemble, and it's the best value in the industry. Ts132 said it's as good as racks over $100. He's right.
People who haul e-bikes and want peace of mind at highway speed will love the Hollywood Racks. People who want to spend less than a tank of gas and don't mind a little sway will love the Allen Sports. for the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE. for the Allen Sports Deluxe. Your bikes, your car, your call.