Anyone who has spent twenty minutes in a caravan park car park trying to line up a hitch pin knows that bike-rack design matters. Yakima has just released a batch of new hitch-mounted gear aimed at cutting that faff to nearly zero — a heavy-duty platform rack, a hitch extender, a clever little alignment tool, and an adjustable awning bracket for campers.
The headline product is the StepUp 2" Platform Hitch Bike Rack, priced at $949 AUD. It carries two bikes on a two-inch receiver, and it's built for just about anything with wheels: road, mountain, BMX, fat-tyre and e-bikes are all fair game, up to 29.5kg each. Loading works via Yakima's StrongArm hooks, which clamp the front tyre rather than the frame — no scratched paintwork — while a flip-away strap secures the rear wheel. A tiered, stadium-style spine plus optional offset tray positions raises the rear bike, so handlebars and pedals don't tangle in transit and ground clearance improves.
Off-road tourers get a specific nod here: the rack carries off-road and RV approval, though the per-bike limit drops to 19.75kg once you leave the tarmac. Other practical touches include a remote three-position tilt (so you can still reach the boot with bikes loaded), integrated SKS locks, compatibility with Yakima's RampUp roll-on trays, and — because it's Yakima — a built-in bottle opener.
Not every vehicle's hitch sits at a convenient height, which is where the FlipFlop Hitch Adapter comes in. At $169, it provides 54mm of rise or drop and extends the receiver by 230mm, letting you dial in the ideal mounting position for the StepUp 2 as well as existing Yakima racks like the HoldUp, StageTwo and OnRamp. It's rated to carry up to 158.5kg on-road and 106kg off-road, secured with hex-driven wedge technology and a HitchLock.
The third piece of the bike-hauling puzzle is the BookMark 12 Pack ($220, three silver and nine black markers) — a simple guide that marks the ideal hitch bolt position, ending the trial-and-error pin alignment ritual that has defeated campers for decades.
For the 4WD and camper crowd, there's also the Adjustable Awning Bracket ($159, 2.51kg). It fits all Yakima awnings and offers 95mm of vertical adjustment, so you can raise the shelter to clear tall vehicle doors or drop it for a sleeker, more aerodynamic drive.
Why should travellers care? If your holiday style involves bikes on the back of a 4WD, a camper trailer or a rooftop tent, this gear directly targets the annoying bits of the setup: heavy e-bikes, awkward hitch heights, clashing handlebars and awnings that sit too low. It's the difference between arriving at camp and immediately getting on with dinner versus spending an hour on hardware. Availability and local pricing run through Yakima Australia.
