5 Best RV Storage Racks For Outdoor Gear That Nomads Swear By
Organize your gear with these nomad-tested racks.
You’ve finally found the perfect campsite, but your camp chairs are buried under a pile of hoses and leveling blocks in the pass-through storage. Your bikes are crammed inside, threatening to grease up the dinette cushions. This is the moment every RVer faces: the realization that interior space is finite, and outdoor gear wants to live outside.
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External storage isn’t just a luxury; it’s a fundamental part of a functional, enjoyable RV lifestyle. It frees up precious living space, keeps dirty gear from mucking up your clean interior, and makes setting up camp infinitely faster. The right rack system transforms your rig from a simple camper into a well-organized basecamp for adventure.
This isn’t about just bolting any old rack to your bumper and hoping for the best. It’s about understanding the forces at play on the back of a bouncing trailer and choosing a solution that’s safe, secure, and perfectly matched to your gear and travel style. We’re going to break down the systems that seasoned nomads actually rely on, day in and day out.
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Find Your Perfect RV Outdoor Gear Storage Rack
The biggest challenge in small-space living is managing the stuff that makes the lifestyle worthwhile. Your kayaks, bikes, and climbing gear are your tickets to freedom, but they’re also bulky and awkward. An exterior rack is the single most effective way to solve this puzzle.
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These systems are designed to reclaim your living space and streamline your adventures. Imagine pulling into a spot and having your bikes or camp chairs accessible in seconds, without ever opening a storage bay. That efficiency is what separates a frustrating travel day from a seamless one.
We’ll explore five distinct solutions that address different needs, from simple chair carriers to complex modular systems. Each one represents a smart answer to a common problem, trusted by travelers who have put thousands of miles on their rigs. The goal is to find the system that integrates perfectly with how you travel.
Kuat NV 2.0: Secure Your Bikes on Any Adventure
Transport your bikes securely with the KUAT NV 2.0 hitch rack. Its robust design carries two bikes, including e-bikes, and features an integrated Trail Doc repair stand for on-the-go maintenance.
When you’ve invested in quality bikes, the last thing you want is to hang them by the frame on a rack that wasn’t built for RV travel. The Kuat NV 2.0 addresses this head-on with a tray-style system that secures bikes by their tires. This no-frame contact is crucial for protecting carbon frames and custom paint jobs.
What truly sets it apart for nomads is that specific models are RV-rated. This isn’t just a marketing term; it means the rack is engineered to withstand the amplified bouncing and swaying forces that occur at the back of a trailer or motorhome. A standard car rack can fail under these conditions, but an RV-rated Kuat is built for the abuse.
The trade-off is a higher price point and a heavier build, but it’s a worthy investment for peace of mind. It also includes integrated cable locks and a robust hitch lock, providing a solid layer of security at the campground or a rest stop. For serious cyclists, it’s the professional-grade solution.
Let’s Go Aero GearSpace: Protect Your Valuables
Expand your vehicle's storage with the GearSpace Slideout Cargo Carrier. This durable, dark gray carrier offers 150 lbs of capacity and slides out for easy access to your gear.
Open racks are great for bikes and chairs, but what about your expensive generator, portable grill, or sensitive electronics? The Let’s Go Aero GearSpace is an enclosed cargo carrier that functions like a secure, weatherproof trunk for the back of your RV. It’s a game-changer for protecting valuables from theft and the elements.
This system slides into your receiver hitch and provides a significant amount of lockable storage—often over 30 cubic feet. Unlike a rooftop box, it’s at a convenient height for loading and unloading heavy items. The design also incorporates taillights and a license plate holder, ensuring you remain street-legal and visible.
The key consideration here is access. While some models swing away to allow access to rear doors or storage compartments, you’re still adding a large box to the back of your rig. It’s a fantastic solution for full-timers carrying essential but bulky equipment, but you have to plan your rig’s layout around it.
Mount-n-Lock: Reinforce Your Bumper for More
Here’s a hard truth: the standard 4-inch square tube bumper on most travel trailers is dangerously weak. It’s typically made of thin steel, tacked on with flimsy welds, and was never intended to support the dynamic weight of a generator or a couple of e-bikes. This is where most DIY storage solutions fail, often catastrophically.
The Mount-n-Lock system isn’t a rack itself, but a set of heavy-duty safety struts that solve this core problem. These brackets bolt directly to your RV’s frame and clamp securely to the bumper, effectively transferring the load from the weak bumper welds to the strong chassis. This reinforcement dramatically increases the bumper’s safe carrying capacity.
Installing a system like this is a foundational upgrade. It opens up a world of possibilities for safely mounting bike racks, cargo trays, and other accessories that your stock bumper could never handle. Think of it as the essential first step before you add any significant weight to the back of your trailer.
Stromberg Carlson Ladder Rack: Simple Chair Storage
Easily transport your bike with the Stromberg Carlson LA-102 ladder-mounted bike rack. It securely holds up to 50 lbs and features extended bike arms for convenient loading.
Sometimes the most elegant solution is the simplest one. The frustrating dance of Tetris-ing camp chairs into a packed storage bay is a universal RVer complaint. The Stromberg Carlson Ladder Rack is a brilliantly simple device that solves this one problem perfectly.
This rack is essentially a set of hooked arms that hang securely on the rungs of your existing RV ladder. You can then hang up to four folding chairs on it, held in place with a simple strap. It gets the bulkiest, most-used items out of your storage bays and makes them instantly accessible upon arrival.
Of course, its utility is limited. You need an RV ladder, and it’s only designed for lightweight items like chairs or a beach umbrella. But for a minimal investment, it frees up a surprising amount of interior storage and eliminates a common setup hassle.
YAKIMA EXO System: Maximize Your Hauling Power
Transform your 2-inch hitch into a versatile cargo platform with the Yakima EXO SwingBase. Easily swing your loaded gear away for rear vehicle access, and enjoy secure, tool-free installation with integrated locks.
For the nomad who needs to carry a bit of everything, the YAKIMA EXO System is the ultimate modular solution. It’s built on a swing-away base that fits into your hitch receiver, but its genius lies in its two-tiered, multi-accessory design. This isn’t just one rack; it’s a platform for building the exact hauling system you need.
You can start with a base level cargo carrier (the GearLocker) and add a second tier on top with a bike rack (the DoubleUp). Or, you could mount two enclosed boxes for maximum secure storage. You can even combine a ski rack with an open-air basket, tailoring the setup for a summer mountain biking trip or a winter ski adventure.
The primary considerations are cost and weight. This is a premium, heavy-duty system with a price tag to match, and all that steel adds significant weight to the back of your rig. However, for those who refuse to compromise on their gear, the EXO system offers unmatched versatility and hauling capacity.
How to Choose the Right RV Rack for Your Rig
Choosing the right rack isn’t about finding the "best" one, but the best one for you. It starts with a clear-eyed assessment of three things: your gear, your rig, and your travel style. Get this balance right, and you’ll have a system that feels like a natural extension of your RV.
First, take inventory of what you actually need to carry. Is it two lightweight mountain bikes or two heavy e-bikes? Are you hauling a quiet inverter generator or just a few camp chairs? The weight, shape, and value of your gear will immediately narrow your options.
Next, you must understand your RV’s limitations. Don’t guess.
- Hitch Receiver Rating: Know the maximum tongue weight your hitch can support.
- Bumper Capacity: Assume it’s very low unless you’ve reinforced it.
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): Every pound you add to a rack is a pound you can’t carry inside.
- Rear Axle Weight Rating (RAWR): Adding weight far behind the axle acts like a lever, putting immense stress on it.
Finally, consider how you travel. A full-timer who boondocks for weeks has different needs than a weekend warrior hitting state parks. If you’re constantly on rough forest service roads, an RV-rated, high-clearance rack is non-negotiable. If you primarily stay in resorts, a simpler system might suffice.
Your Top RV Storage Rack Questions Answered
One of the most common questions is, "Can I just use my car’s bike rack on my RV?" The answer is almost always no, unless it is explicitly RV-rated. The violent up-and-down motion at the far back of an RV can destroy a rack not built to handle it. The forces are completely different from those on the back of a passenger car.
Another concern is how a rack impacts handling. Adding hundreds of pounds of weight cantilevered off the rear of your rig can reduce the tongue weight, which may lead to dangerous trailer sway. It also increases your overall length, making tight turns and backing up more challenging. Always load your heaviest items in the RV over the axles first, and use the rear rack for bulkier, lighter gear when possible.
Finally, what about security? Your gear is a tempting target for thieves. Look for racks with integrated locking systems for both the rack itself (to the hitch) and for your gear (to the rack). For ultimate security, an enclosed and locked cargo box like the GearSpace is the best option, acting as a powerful visual and physical deterrent.
Ultimately, the right external storage rack is about more than just hauling gear. It’s a strategic upgrade that unlocks a more capable, flexible, and enjoyable travel life. It allows you to bring the tools of your favorite hobbies without sacrificing the comfort of your living space.
Don’t treat storage as an afterthought. Plan your system by looking at the whole picture: the gear you love, the rig you drive, and the adventures you’re chasing. By making a smart, informed choice, you’re not just adding a rack—you’re investing in a smoother, more adventurous journey ahead.
The goal is to make your rig work for you, not the other way around. A well-chosen storage system is one of the most powerful tools for achieving that balance, ensuring you’re always ready for whatever the road has in store.
