I recently ordered a RigD Rambleswing to use with our 4 bike 1up rack, and I wanted to post my initial observations for anyone considering one, or looking for what seems to be the most rigid swing away available that will fit on the 200 series. There are a few negatives that you'll have to weigh for yourself. Overall, I think the Rambleswing is a good product and may fit your needs. We do multiple trips a year with 4 bikes, camping gear, etc. and access to the rear with bikes loaded is a primary concern. We love our 1up rack, but pivoting it down and up with 4 bikes is a chore and offers marginal access to the rear even in the folded down position.
First impressions, this thing is BEEFY, and well made. The pivot is really tight initially, but loosens up pretty quickly. Also, it takes some force to close and open the latch handle, but I expect this to wear in some as well. Even with a full load of mountain bikes including an e-bike, it doesn't sag AT ALL, and easily pivots with this load. I always told people how stout the 1up super duty rack is, but this thing is another level of stout. The powder coating seems thick and looks high quality, and the shipping packaging kept everything perfect.
From a 200 series perspective the main limitation for swing away accessories with the 200 is the high receiver and tailgate. Many swing away accessories have interference with the tailgate that would prevent their use, including RigD's Ultraswing series. The Rambleswing has no such interference as you can see below, either opened or closed.
![IMG_3625[1].JPG](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg' width='1920' height='1440' viewBox%3D'0 0 1920 1440'%2F%3E "IMG_3625[1].JPG")
From a length perspective, the 4 bike 1up is already pretty long. The Rambleswing adds about 8.5" of length to the 1up rack when installed in the furthest in hitch pin hole (There are 2 positions). The 1 up has to hang about 3-4" out of the receiver to not hit the tailgate without the rambleswing, but it can slide all the way into the Rambleswing, so you gain some benefit in length there.
Negative #1 - With long Slack MTBs with big 29" wheels/tires, you have to cheat the bike pretty far away from the pivot side or the tires will hit the bumper/tail light before you can lock the swing away open as shown. This may or may not be a big deal for you. Positioning the Rambleswing further out, or putting smaller bikes closer to the tailgate would make this a non-issue.
The above issue really isn't a big problem for us, except maybe on a severe side hill, as you don't have to open very far to access the rear of the vehicle.
I've always noticed that the receiver in the 200 is the tightest of any vehicle I've had, and is also fairly shallow. This leads to...
Negative #2: The fit in the receiver is VERY tight. I needed my deadblow hammer to persuade it in all the way even after cleaning and greasing the tongue and the receiver hole. Also, due to the length of the tongue of the Rambleswing, I initially couldn't get it in far enough to get a full size hitch pin in the shallower hole (There are two hitch pin holes on teh Rambleswing). I decided to lower the spare and move the Rambleswing into the deeper hitch pin hole, and this necessitated moving the spare forward about an inch, as shown below. This isn't an issue for me with a 33" spare, but those that are pushing the boundaries of spare size may have issues.
In the deeper pin position, the tongue has about 1.5" deeper it COULD go before bottoming out on the hitch. This is close enough for me, but if you're looking for every little bit of length or departure angle with the swing on, this may bother you.
Also, with regards to the tight fit in the receiver, I'm planning to remove the Rambleswing and take a flapper wheel to some of the powder coating to make it easier to install. While the bike rack lives on the Cruiser most of the time, the added difficulty to remove in it's current configuration is too much for me. I hate removing the coating, but I'll keep a layer of grease on it, so rust shouldn't be an issue.
![IMG_3633[1].JPG](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg' width='1440' height='1920' viewBox%3D'0 0 1440 1920'%2F%3E "IMG_3633[1].JPG")
So, if you're looking for a really REALLY strong swing away for hitch mounted accessories, and don't mind a super tight fit in the receiver, I would give the Rambleswing a look. I'll update here with any changes or long term observations as we get this thing on the road.
First impressions, this thing is BEEFY, and well made. The pivot is really tight initially, but loosens up pretty quickly. Also, it takes some force to close and open the latch handle, but I expect this to wear in some as well. Even with a full load of mountain bikes including an e-bike, it doesn't sag AT ALL, and easily pivots with this load. I always told people how stout the 1up super duty rack is, but this thing is another level of stout. The powder coating seems thick and looks high quality, and the shipping packaging kept everything perfect.
From a 200 series perspective the main limitation for swing away accessories with the 200 is the high receiver and tailgate. Many swing away accessories have interference with the tailgate that would prevent their use, including RigD's Ultraswing series. The Rambleswing has no such interference as you can see below, either opened or closed.
From a length perspective, the 4 bike 1up is already pretty long. The Rambleswing adds about 8.5" of length to the 1up rack when installed in the furthest in hitch pin hole (There are 2 positions). The 1 up has to hang about 3-4" out of the receiver to not hit the tailgate without the rambleswing, but it can slide all the way into the Rambleswing, so you gain some benefit in length there.
Negative #1 - With long Slack MTBs with big 29" wheels/tires, you have to cheat the bike pretty far away from the pivot side or the tires will hit the bumper/tail light before you can lock the swing away open as shown. This may or may not be a big deal for you. Positioning the Rambleswing further out, or putting smaller bikes closer to the tailgate would make this a non-issue.
The above issue really isn't a big problem for us, except maybe on a severe side hill, as you don't have to open very far to access the rear of the vehicle.
I've always noticed that the receiver in the 200 is the tightest of any vehicle I've had, and is also fairly shallow. This leads to...
Negative #2: The fit in the receiver is VERY tight. I needed my deadblow hammer to persuade it in all the way even after cleaning and greasing the tongue and the receiver hole. Also, due to the length of the tongue of the Rambleswing, I initially couldn't get it in far enough to get a full size hitch pin in the shallower hole (There are two hitch pin holes on teh Rambleswing). I decided to lower the spare and move the Rambleswing into the deeper hitch pin hole, and this necessitated moving the spare forward about an inch, as shown below. This isn't an issue for me with a 33" spare, but those that are pushing the boundaries of spare size may have issues.
In the deeper pin position, the tongue has about 1.5" deeper it COULD go before bottoming out on the hitch. This is close enough for me, but if you're looking for every little bit of length or departure angle with the swing on, this may bother you.
Also, with regards to the tight fit in the receiver, I'm planning to remove the Rambleswing and take a flapper wheel to some of the powder coating to make it easier to install. While the bike rack lives on the Cruiser most of the time, the added difficulty to remove in it's current configuration is too much for me. I hate removing the coating, but I'll keep a layer of grease on it, so rust shouldn't be an issue.
So, if you're looking for a really REALLY strong swing away for hitch mounted accessories, and don't mind a super tight fit in the receiver, I would give the Rambleswing a look. I'll update here with any changes or long term observations as we get this thing on the road.
