1Up is by far the best rack out there for 1 or 2 bikes, but for 4 bikes it's just stupidly unwieldy. Velicirax is FAR superior for more than 2 bikes.

 

I think you're right, as bikes get bigger and heavier.

A hanging hitch rack though like a Velocirax is a big commitment. They work well in vans and SUVs but it's hard to leave them on full-time for most folks since they look like antenna structures, especially for sedans. Some are bigger than others. Hard to take on/off too.

Velocirax i think is the best of the upright/hanging hitch racks.

 

Plus, I suspect only a 1/2 ton truck hitch would be able to handle the weight when loaded with all AM or e bikes.

 

You may be right there. The weight of the rack and 4 ebikes is 350 lbs. But the leverage is great as the rack extends out 3-4 feet.

Half-ton hitches are only found in full-sized trucks usually, right?

 

The One ups are great for hiding your license plate - free tolls! (if you are in a state w/o front plates).
With two bikes on mine, it noticeably flexes the trailer hitch on my Mazda3. i saw a Prius the other day with 4 bikes. Can't imagine what it is doing to that unibody.

 

Right? Toll fee loophole for now.

A Prius with 4 bikes... the rack and load will actually steer the car IMHO.

 

This rack is fantastic for RV/offroad use, the wheel chocks work for regular and e-bikes to minimize movement. My one beef is use of regular hex head bolts to hold the trays on. In seconds someone can steal the trays or your bike with the trays if just using the wheel locks. Nothing is 100% theft proof but for the cost they could at least use security hex head bolts to help be more of a deterrent.

 

One attachment point is the weak spot of all racks. Anyone that was at Darrington will know what I'm talking about. Euro racks that use two attachment points are infinitely better for any off-road.

Not that this can hold as much weight...but for what it can hold, it will be FAR more secure off road.

 

Hey - I like your adj level better than mine, when did 1Up go to that newest design on the Super Duty??
I've had my 1Up since Feb-2020, a couple of sharing's:

yes - I do love the ability to go from 1-2-3 trays so quick

The 3/8" ball bearing on mine cracked after 2 years of usage, best practices is replace yearly.

 

I’ll add a side benefit is, if you have a very long driveway like I have a 600 foot long easement, it’s great to use the rear hitch bike carrier to take your 65 gallon trash cans out.

 

Is that a off road vehicle?😜 My buddy that has $2k Italian hiking shoes thinks so.

 

Single-point of failure hitch racks create crazy forces when they hit bumps due to accelerations when loaded with 250lbs of bike. One bike was ejected and trashed, another rack flexed enough for the bike to hit the car. What we are asking the receiver to do with at best 2" square as far as tortional forces is crazy...and none of that exists for towing, the more weight, the worse it is, no matter how strong the rack is. I don't know what the perfect solution is, but the euro racks seem to address it better.

 

I’ve seen a 4 tray 1up on a 1/2 ton pickup. There was significant vertical movement going into a parking lot. I’ve banged down service roads with my 1up, but only 2 trays.

Edit - it was the HD version

 

I have a OneUp. Wish I would have purchased a QuickRStuff rack instead. Way better design.

 

Nice, but it it $300 nicer? Nearly doubling the price is a pretty big ask when the 1Up is already so good.

 

Then if you want to put a fat bike on it then you have to spend another $40 for the spacer kit.

Fat Tire Spacer Kit (Equip'D)

Transform your 1UP USA Equip’D rack into a fat tire bike rack with this spacer kit, expanding tire clearance to haul wide tires with confidence.

1up-usa.com

...

As one who works as a design engineer for a living for the past 32 years

LOL, REALLY? When I wanted to put my fat bike on my 1Up I simply grabbed a 3/4" hole saw and took the 3 minutes to punch 8 spacers out of some 1/4" G10 I had lying around. Cost maybe a dime and took 3 minutes. Are you the kind of engineer that every person that actually puts hands on a product hates?

 

Time constraints at the time. Ordered the kit but could have done the same as you.

I'm gonna make some spacers on the 3d printer and put the standard spacer kit back on since the V notch on the standard spacer will work slightly better for the road bikes.

Seems some folks also came up with ideas for an EZ Pull handle that should have been standard on the rack but 1up wants to charge you another $100 after spending $700 on their rack. Dumb.

 

As one who works as a design engineer for a living for the past 32 years I could have done a lot better for the $700 price they charge for a rack that is missing some features that should be standard, not additional costs.

Have at it, take a swing at working for yourself and successfully market a product.

If I had to do it over again, I would buy the QuickrStuff rack. Unfortunately when I purchased the 1up rack I wasn't aware of QuickrStuff racks.

Sell the bike rack, take your losses, and buy (or design, build, and market) what makes you happy.

 

True. The hitch is not the weakest link. I would kind of sorta disagree that the towing capacity is solely based on the drivetrain. This topic was discussed in the RV forums and I personally took it to heart when my trailer anti sway engaged and scared the shite out of me. In some ways drivetrain has out paced chassis capabilities. As I previously mentioned, a high profile trailer is safely maxed out around 26ft, 8k lbs with a high quality WDH with my 150. Towing my trailer with a 3/4 ton would be easy peezy. It’s the the high desert and plains winds, especially on interstates that blows the trailer and my truck around. The 1000 ftlb 1 ton diesels can suffer the same dilemma towing bigggg trailers. As far as the 5th wheel rating being slightly lower, I assume it’s because the weight behind the rear axle is considered tongue weight. I purposely put very little weight in my bed. Your thoughts? Towing is an endeavor that requires humility. I’m always willing to learn.

i thought the 10-13% rule applied to tongue weight. I want to say the allowed tongue weight with a WDH for my F150 is 1200lbs. So guessing the tongue weight, 10% of a 12000lb trailer is 1200lb. Actual tongue weight should be obtained using truck scales. My measured trailer weighed 7700lb fully loaded. But, I had four 6v batteries and two big propane tanks on my tongue. So instead of the assumed 770lb tongue weight, measured tongue weight was 1100lb.

 

The hitch is not the weakest link. I would kind of sorta disagree that the towing capacity is solely based on the drivetrain.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1502-sae-j2807-tow-tests-the-standard/

 

Informative, but fails to mention real world scenarios. Can you use a 1/2 ton to pull a 31ft 11000 lb travel trailer? Yes, but should you coming down a Colorado mountain pass, on the interstate in NM with 20mph winds, or on the undulating roads in the Navajo reservation?

 

Still no practical fold after all those years. The locking collar is a no go. Thule got it right.

 

Thule lol...

 

I have a Thule classic that is at least 15 years old, stored outside, works like the first day. Keeping it as a backup now, since the new one is better.
Best folding in the business. Far better than oneup. My friends with oneup either gave up on daily use of the trunk, or have only one rail to make it possible. Weak.

 

The reason for the sticker over the ball on the hitch is because THE BALL WILL FALL OUT. I almost lost it once after it rolled across the driveway.

 

"The arms now open very wide and they can be pushed to the ground to make way for an optional ramp use." This would be nice for the ebike, they should make this as a retrofit option for there existing racks.

 

130 pounds...wow!