>>2179274Vans are nice for having nice space to move around inside and store things, making an effective portable living space. Adding a hitch carrier onto a truck isn't going to give you all the benefits of a van's higher roof and good interior space. I also wouldn't trust them.
>>2179347>>2179357>>2179366Those ratings are based on hitches that mount much closer to the vehicle mount. The bike carriers are cantilevered much farther out, creating more bending stresses.
The hitches also only receive essentially a point load straight down, and a slight load pushing sideways or forwards when turning/braking. The ball shape of the hitch prevents it from adding torsion. In addition to those carriers being farther out and increasing the bending stress from all of the normal hitch functions, it adds new types of stresses. Since it's supporting everything from one connection, it must also support the twist from the bike wanting to topple side to side in turns, and more bouncing from road roughness.
Weight distribution hitches are normally recommended for higher tongue weights to force the front end of the vehicle down some. Those carriers do the opposite, putting all the extra weight behind the rear wheels.
The hitch receivers are also generally pretty loosely fitted too, making the bike and carrier wobble around even more.
That seems like a convenient way to carry a bike, but if I were to do it I'd do it right and make a proper multipoint connection so it's not relying solely on the hitch receiver.
