# 1
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
So far so good. It is exactly what I thought it would be... So far no surprises. I received it and had it installed within 15 minutes. It's installed on the front of a Ford E350 van which is built out as a Coleman RV. I was worried about clearances but as the pictures show that is not a problem at all.
First-time rack buyer / owner / installer. The rack arrived in a timely fashion, maybe a day or 2 ahead of schedule. It was well packaged. I’m LOVING this bike rack. It was easy to put together and to mount on my new Honda Passport. Thus far, no squeaks in my 2” receiver. Hardest part of initial set-up is figuring out the best way to position two bikes. Trial & error and some patience. The directions weren’t clear as to where the 2 left-over screws went. I found the answer in another review and have posted a pic in case others have the same problem (photo with pen pointing at screw). These screws go in the underneath side of both of the folding arms. They appear to keep the wheel wells from sliding off in case in you drive with an empty, un-folded rack, and forgot to tighten down the wheel wells. The folding arm push / pull pins can be difficult at times. I coated the tips with some lube. That and a little jiggling seems to solve that issue. I guess it’s better for the pins to be snug vs popping right out. I added a small Master lock to the hitch pin (in lieu of the provided cotter pin) as a theft deterrent. I read that a 3/16 shackle lock will fit into the bike clamp down arms to also act as a deterrent. I had an old 3/16 lock that did snugly fit and appeared to be locked. HOWEVER, I yanked on the lock and it came open as there isn’t quite enough clearance for the shackle to lock. I discovered that longer 3/16 shackle locks are hard to find. Have attached a photo of the lock that actually fits and works (Ace Hardware). One lock on the upper clamp down arm will secure both arms as the lower arm can’t be removed without removing the upper arm. The clamp down arms appear to be coated to prevent damage to your bike. I’ve tried a simple rag and ultimately settled on pool noodle pieces as a precautionary measure. I CAN NOT open my tailgate (regardless of whether or not the rack is fold up and in the bike carry position). If that’s a concern for you, then spring for the more costly titling version. My back-up camera still functions.
# 2
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
Excellent and prompt customer service! When I first ordered my product it wasn’t in stock— staff were quick to let me know and offered me comparable products. I ended up waiting for my original order and shipping quick and they stayed in touch with ideas! Thule: The instructions could be a little more detailed. I ended up watching YouTube videos to help me instal. Overall it was easy, and this was the first rack I’ve ever installed and I did it by myself! I was surprised to learn the bike rack is in no way secured inside your vehicle, so.. I store it in my garage when it’s on.
Ordered online, it shipped the same day. Received it 3 days later. There is a little assembly, but, pretty simple. It took me less than 15 minutes to install and no tools were needed. It is adjustable to be used on many different auto types, but, the instructions were very clear about how to adjust it to fit my 2011 Ford Edge. I have used it twice so far to transport my bike. There are a couple of items that are inherent in the design, not a flaw, but, you need to be aware of them. First, you can't use rear window wipers. Second, the back-up alarm goes nuts because it registers a bike less than 6 inches behind you (I tolerate it for the few seconds it takes to back out of my driveway or out of a parking lot). Third, there is a little flexibility, it is held on with straps and clamps, not bolts, so, it bounces a little when you go over bumps or make sharp turns, however, it holds the bike fast to the frame and stays on the car. I use mine to transport my bike on short trips around town to bike trails. On a long trip I would suggest checking that the straps remain tight from time to time during the drive.
# 3
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
The good: I like the way the bikes are held in and the ability to add the upright adapters to the bike frame holders. The straps are quality too. For a jeep with a spare tire, this is the perfect length to clear it. This rack is 5 stars from the bike holders to the base of it. The bad: the 2"receiver adapter and bolt are insufficient. I wish they made this in a solid 2" hitch. The entire setup is held into the receiver by a very short bolt. It only goes about half way into the receiver tube. So your hitch is only "secured" on one side. A hitch pin or bolt should go through the receiver tube completely imo so it can be secured on the other end with a retaining clip or nut. Because this only goes in the one side, the entire weight of the rack plus bikes are held tight to one side of the receiver by the undersized bolt and washer. A few bumps down the road and that bolt loosens. Now instead of distibuting the weight of the rack and bikes on the receiver and post, it's completely up to the bolt to keep you from losing the rack. The bolt threads get damaged too. I took this down a dirt road and nearly lost everything. I had to buy my own bolt with hd fender washers and lock washers to correct this. Thule should've provided this from the start. The current short bolt design where only one side of the receiver secures the rack is unacceptable. This rack is 1 star at best for the connection to the receiver.
I bought this bike rack back in April but wanted to make sure I used it to give the best review. First I want to say I did a lot of research on bike racks and found this one to be the best one to fit my needs. The best price I found was on etrailer.com, at the time it was When I called the customer service to place my order, I spoke to Dan. He was very pleasant on the phone and took the time and listened to what I needed and understood my concerns. I ordered the bike rack and also ordered the Thule Snug Tite Hitch Lock and Anti-Rattle Device and the Thule Cable Lock w/ One Key System Lock. Dan suggested I also get the Thule Bike Adapter Bar, which I never even thought of getting. Delivery was in about two business days, which was really fast and at the time of order they were running a special free delivery over $99. When I went to put it together I noticed I was missing the flat cap screw M6 x 16mm, part number #853-5787-02. I emailed Dan and within 24 hours received an email that the part was sent out and also in the email their was a link to track the order. After I received the part I did notice that the flat cap screw was actually in the 2 inch adaptor sleeve. The instructions were very easy to read, and it took me about 20 minutes to put together. I did have an issue when I positioned the stinger into the cradle, with the 8mm locking nut, it was not staying tight and when I took it off I noticed the threads inside were gone, so I ended up going out to Lowes and buying a new one and its holds perfectly fine. I also had a question about that part because it is not a locking part and was worried someone would try to steal the rack. I contacted etrailer.com to find if they make a locking device for this and they said no but I can contact Thule to double check, I'm still waiting for an answer back from Thule. The weather finally broke and we installed the rack onto my hitch, tightened it and it doesn't rattle. When I finally used the rack and put my bike on, it did sway a little but at 50 mph I was very happy with it. The trailer comes out just enough away from my car that I do not have to fold completely out and I can open my trunk with no issues. I am very happy with my purchase and had a great customer experience with Dan. Would highly recommend ordering from them to anyone.
# 4
Hollywood Racks Trail Rider Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I love this bike rack. It was easy to install, has zero problems/issues and my bike was always secure and safe. I did add a cable and lock to act as a theft deterrent while paying for gas, etc. The price is very reasonable compared to others in the market and e-trailers made every step of the purchase and install easy and as simple as one could hope for.
Overall the hitch works great sturdy heavy duty easy to load. The only difficulty was getting a receiver mounted on our little Honda Civic that took a mechanic! This hitch is much better than the kind we used to use strapping on the back of the car much more secure.
Yakima QuickBack 2 Bike Rack Review - 2011 Ford Crown Victoria
Today on this 2011 Ford Crown Victoria were going to do a test fit of a Yakima Quickpack II trunk mounted rack, part number Y02621. This bicycle rack has an integrated knob that adjusts to a telescoping base to make for the best fit on your vehicle. Theres also a side knob that repositions the angles of the arms to give you more adjustment. All the attachment points that touch the car are tri-padded and have padded buckles to protect the vehicle paint. Well go ahead and get started. Well start off by putting the bicycle rack on the trunk and taking the security strap and pushing it between the trunk lid and back glass so it goes to the inside.
Yakima KingJoe 2 Bike Rack Review - 2011 Ford Crown Victoria
Today on our 2011 Ford Crown Victoria, we will be test fitting the Yakima King Joe 2 bike rack. Before beginning it is a good idea to apply a thick coat of wax to the surface of the trunk, to prevent scratches or minor blemishes in the pain. Included in the instructions that are given to you with the purchase of the bike rack will be a fit instruction. We have already predetermined the positioning of this bike rack to the trunk lid of this Crown Victoria, to do that just refer to the instructions that come with the bike rack. Okay what were going to do first is to sit the bike rack up on the front and secure the front to our top straps to the top of the deck lid. We will secure the side strap near the taillight; we will secure the lower strap on the medal lid on the inside of the trunk lid.
Thule Gateway 2 Bike Carrier Review - 2011 Ford Crown Victoria
All right. On its 2011 Ford Crown Victoria, we're going to do a test of part number TH9006 from Thule. This is our Gateway 2 Rear Mounted Bike Rack. We're going to start off with bicycle rack already adjusted according to manufacturer's instructions for this particular car. Before we start our test, we want to make sure that we put a coat of wax over the paint so it helps protect the car. We'll set our bike rack into place.
Thule Archway 2 Bike Carrier Review - 2011 Ford Crown Victoria
Today, on a 2011 Ford Crown Victoria we're going to do a test fit of the Thule Bike Rack, product number TH9009. This is their Archway Bicycle Rack. This bike rack will fit a variety of vehicles. We already have it configured to the manufacturer's instructions for our Crown Victoria. Alright, before we put our bicycle rack on the car, it's a good idea to clean up the car first, maybe a coat of wax to help protect the finish when we put the bike rack on. We'll go ahead and put the bike rack on to the trunk.
Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2007 Ford Crown Victoria
Today on our 2007 Ford Crown Victoria well be test fitting the Thule Hitching Post, part number TH934XTR. Now, with the included two inch adapter already installed on the bike rack, well slide the bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and install and tighten down our anti-rattle bolt. With our bolt tight, our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. Now well go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the bike rack is 10 inches, and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is five and a half inches. Well now go ahead and pull the pin at the bottom of the bike rack mast to allow the mast to tilt down.
Yakima DoubleDown Ace Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2007 Ford Crown Victoria
Today on our 2007 Ford Crown Victoria well be test fitting part number Y02451. This is the Yakima Doubledown Ace four bike carrier for both inch and a quarter and two inch hitches. With the adapter already on our bike rack shank well slide the shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and install the attached hitch pin. With that done well then simply move to the back of the shank and turn the knob, tightening down the anti-rattle device, securing our bike rack to the vehicle. Well now go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the bike rack is 10 inches, and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is three and a half inches.
Thule Doubletrack Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2007 Ford Crown Victoria
Today on our 2007 Ford Crown Victoria well be test fitting the Thule Doubletrack platform style two bike carrier for both inch and a quarter and two inch hitches, part number TH990XT. With the included adapter already on the bike rack well slide the bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and install and tighten down our anti-rattle bolt. With the bolt tight, our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. Now well go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the bike rack is 10 inches, and from the closest point of the bike rack platform to the vehicle is three inches. Well now go ahead and unfold the bike rack platform and give you a few more measurements.
What our customers are saying:
"Wow!! Ordered on Tues. Recieved by Fri. in California. The hitch took 8 minutes to install on my 2005 Corolla!! 8 Minutes. Easiest hitch install ever. The bike rack is great too. It folds away like its not even there. Thanks for the great service."