Trunk Mount and Rooftop Bike Carrying Options for 2009 Toyota Sienna

Question:

We have a 2009 Sienna and want to put three bikes on the rear of our van no tow package so no hitch and two bikes on top. What would be our best options? We also have the factory installed roof rack with adjustable cross bars and wondered if any bike mounts work with this to save us from having to buy all new cross bars. Thank you.

asked by: Rebekah

Expert Reply:

We have several different trunk mounted bike racks that would work well with your Sienna (click provided link). I can highly recommend the Thule Raceway 3 Trunk Mounted Bike Rack, part # TH9002. Instead of 6 straps and buckles used by most racks, the Raceway uses 4 ratcheting cables that allow the rack to be installed or removed in seconds.

For carrying womens bikes or bikes with sharply angled top tubes or step-through frames on the trunk mounted carrier, using a frame adapter like part # TH982XT is recommended. The adapter spans the distance between the seat post and the handle bar gooseneck, and provides a level attachment point to the bike rack so the bike has greater ground clearance and is not carried at an angle.

To carry the other two bikes using your existing crossbars, I would recommend the SportRack Nomad, part # ABR611. The Nomad rack will fit factory crossbars up to 3-1/2 inches in diameter, which should work well with the crossbars on your Sienna. In order for the Nomad to fit, the center to center distance between your crossbars needs to be between 24 and 34 inches. Since your crossbars are adjustable, I do not think that will be a problem. SportRack is a division of Thule, that makes a high quality product. If you wanted to stick with a Thule product, the Sidearm, part # TH594XT would work well for you.

To see the products I recommended, click the provided links. I have also linked you to some install details and product demonstration videos.

expert reply by: Mike L