Fifth Element Camping
A Home on the road when you want it
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Bring Your Bike

Mountain biking is the biggest reason we road trip & is why our system offers an option internal Bike Fork Mount. Here are a few things that transport or rides and hold them up when we arrive.

Bring Your Bike

Mountain biking is the biggest reason we road trip & is why our system offers an option internal Bike Fork Mount. Here are a few things that transport or rides and hold them up when we arrive.


 This hitch rack is nearly perfect. It accommodates a wide variety of mountain  bikes from 20-29" wheels & tires up to 4.8". Loading / unloading bikes is a breeze & the integrated cable lock is a plus, but only a deterrent to a determined thief. One of the more unique features of this rack is the work stand that quickly ratchets & rotates to grab seat posts or frames. You can add an additional 2 bike tray to carry 4 bikes. It also tilts down with a push of your foot to allow access to the rear of your vehicle. The only two things we dislike (we are nitpicking here) are the weight (52lbs) & that the Element tailgate rests on it when tilted down. Don't let these sway you from purchase, it's the most solid hitch rack we have ever used & works as advertised on the Element. We fixed the tailgate issue with the Element by adding a hitch extension.


We loaned our Kuat NV to a friend who needed to carry more bikes on a long road trip. In exchange they left us their 1UP USA Bike Rack. Wow, this single rack is really impressive. available in multiple configurations, this would be our choice. It’s a 2” Single that can be converted to a Double or Triple tray rack. Outside of the solid build, our favorite feature is that it is angled up & each tray you add to it sits higher than the last. This give you better ground clearance into steep driveways & off road. This Single rack still needs to be tilted down to lower the tailgate, but it’s fully covered by the tailgate. This lets you enjoy the Element tailgate seat. When our Kuat needs to be replaced we will definitely be looking at 1UP.


A light weight low profile versatile rack we use on top of our Ecamper, available in six colors. Not a ton of features to list, but it matched our white Ecamper top & was much lighter than the other racks we looked at. It's just a solid rack that meet our needs & was reasonably priced.


This is the Bike Fork Mount we use in our micro system, quick & secure loading of your ride. It includes multiple sleeves to fit different sized axle's. The added lock is just one more way to protect your ride.


A premium MTB stand with a compact folding design. Please note, this stand requires a hollow crankset of 24, 30 or 10mm. We used to haul a full sized stand which is much sturdier than this, but took up a ton of room. The Hex is more than adequate for our needs on the road and is our go to travel stand.


Trails are shared by many user groups & this simple device reduces conflict while giving proper waning to all others on the trail. I previously used a bear bell & this is a much better version of that. This device not only has a more pleasant “jingle” it also lets allows you to turn it on/off at the flip of a switch. We can all be better & this is an easy way to do your part. This device will also alert wildlife, keeping both of you safe.

We have been big fans of OneUp Components since early on with their 42T Sprocket, our first taste of big gears.

When I saw this OneUp EDC Tool System in action at my local bike shop I was instantly sold. This thing is basically perfect & I didn’t know I even needed it. This bike tool has great leverage & stashes in your fork’s steer tube or inside the EDC Pump linked below. The capsule below can stash additional small items.

Please note: to install this in your steer tube yourself, you will need the EDC Top Cap Kit & EDC Tap Kit linked below. Or visit your local bike shop, buy all of this there & have them install it. Save $25 not buying the TAP KIT & support your LBS.


I added OneUp’s EDC Plug Plier Kit, it stashes inside the capsule & the tire plunge screws into the tool carrier (the black plastic). This has got me out of one tire change so far…successfully plugging a tubeless tire vs tire lever & tube inside all that goo was priceless.



If you want the full OneUp EDC experience, riding with all the tools you need attached to your bike & without a backpack, get the EDC pump. This 100cc version will stash the entire EDC Tool Kit inside. It comes with a bottle mount attachment that stores it beside your water bottle cage. A smaller 70cc version is available, but only the EDC Tool will fit, not the capsule below.