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- #1
I purchased a e-bike and needed a bike rack etc..........
I chose the "Cravot" for aprox $260.00 it was decent for what I paid but there were several things I wanted to change.
1 - It stuck way out from the bumper.
2 - The receiver fit was sloppy, which most receiver mounts are.
3 - The included ramp didn't lock on to the rack well and would slip off.
4 - The height of the rack when installed in the receiver was awkward for me to load my bike on.
5 - The swing up arm for holding/securing the bike's frame was awkward.
6 - No way to lock the bike to the rack.
7 - The LC's anti-back up feature engaged with the rack installed.
(1 and 5) - I cut the swing up arm off the bar completely and removed approx 10" - 16" from the length of the bar. This created another issue of opening the LC's rear hatch with the rack installed. To solve this I purchased a hitch extender from Home Depot, cut that into three parts and used the parts along with some 3/16" plate to make a tilting mech.
(2) - I drilled out the stock 5/8" lock pin holes to 1". I used some 1" round stock to make some slugs and drilled, tapped (to 5/8") and welded the slugs into the receiver tubes ( one for the bumper and one for the new tilt mech). I used some grade 8 bolts and machined some new "screw in" lock pins, which eliminates the receiver slop.
(3 and 4) - I saw a "Lift Caddy" but wasn't paying the $700 for it, so I bought a "electric trailer jack" from Northen Tool for $150.00 and promptly cut that up and welded part of the receiver extender from the previous fix, to the jack tube.
(5) - I fabbed a plate that bolted between the trailer lift motor and the jack and mounted a non-movable arm that the bike's frame secures to (utilizing the Cravot piece).
(6) - Welded a piece of 1/8" pipe to the jack tube that the NY lock slips into and the chain wraps around the bike frame tec.... but allows the lock to be removed from the rack and taken with me.
(7) Which took several attempts to solve. 1st I tried just a light bulb to the "Blue wire" (trailer brake) with no joy. So I thought maybe all the lights had to be hooked to the 7 pin for it to work, again no joy. I ordered the cheapest electro brake magnet I could find (see link below) hooked that up and it worked! Anti-back up disengaged when the 7 pin was hooked up. Figured I might as well add a back up light....... LOL so now my rack is powered up and down, full running, turn, brake and back up lights. I had to mill the magnet housing down in order for it to slip inside and be bolted to the rack receiver tube.
I chose the "Cravot" for aprox $260.00 it was decent for what I paid but there were several things I wanted to change.
1 - It stuck way out from the bumper.
2 - The receiver fit was sloppy, which most receiver mounts are.
3 - The included ramp didn't lock on to the rack well and would slip off.
4 - The height of the rack when installed in the receiver was awkward for me to load my bike on.
5 - The swing up arm for holding/securing the bike's frame was awkward.
6 - No way to lock the bike to the rack.
7 - The LC's anti-back up feature engaged with the rack installed.
(1 and 5) - I cut the swing up arm off the bar completely and removed approx 10" - 16" from the length of the bar. This created another issue of opening the LC's rear hatch with the rack installed. To solve this I purchased a hitch extender from Home Depot, cut that into three parts and used the parts along with some 3/16" plate to make a tilting mech.
(2) - I drilled out the stock 5/8" lock pin holes to 1". I used some 1" round stock to make some slugs and drilled, tapped (to 5/8") and welded the slugs into the receiver tubes ( one for the bumper and one for the new tilt mech). I used some grade 8 bolts and machined some new "screw in" lock pins, which eliminates the receiver slop.
(3 and 4) - I saw a "Lift Caddy" but wasn't paying the $700 for it, so I bought a "electric trailer jack" from Northen Tool for $150.00 and promptly cut that up and welded part of the receiver extender from the previous fix, to the jack tube.
(5) - I fabbed a plate that bolted between the trailer lift motor and the jack and mounted a non-movable arm that the bike's frame secures to (utilizing the Cravot piece).
(6) - Welded a piece of 1/8" pipe to the jack tube that the NY lock slips into and the chain wraps around the bike frame tec.... but allows the lock to be removed from the rack and taken with me.
(7) Which took several attempts to solve. 1st I tried just a light bulb to the "Blue wire" (trailer brake) with no joy. So I thought maybe all the lights had to be hooked to the 7 pin for it to work, again no joy. I ordered the cheapest electro brake magnet I could find (see link below) hooked that up and it worked! Anti-back up disengaged when the 7 pin was hooked up. Figured I might as well add a back up light....... LOL so now my rack is powered up and down, full running, turn, brake and back up lights. I had to mill the magnet housing down in order for it to slip inside and be bolted to the rack receiver tube.
