Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount

I ordered the Swagman Chinook 2 Bike Platform Rack on line from etrailer and so far have been very satisfied. The bike rack was delivered in less than a week. Unpacking the rack and assembly was fairly straightforward. I have read some reviews that complained the assembly instructions were a bit vague. I didn't have a problem but can see where others without a mechanical background get confused.

The rack is very sturdy, but there is some side to side play in the tilt mechanism. I'm not sure this can be avoided with a rack that folds down. Installing the Curt trunk stabilizing strap takes most of the sway out of the rack.

Installation is fairly easy and quick. It takes me 6 - 7 minutes to install the back on my hitch, and to install the bike and be ready to drive away. That seems reasonable to me. So far I've only loaded 1 bike.

I've included pictures of my installation on a 2014 Mercedes Benz E350 sedan. Clearance between the bikes, the rack and the car are good. With the bike loaded in the inside, most forward position, I have 6" clearance between the pedal and the bumper. With the bike removed, the center support folded flat and the rack folded up in the storage position, I have 4" clearance between the closest part of the bike rack (the fold down hinge assembly) and the back bumper of the car.

I am able to open the trunk of the car without removing the bikes or using the tilt feature, but I do have to remove the stabilizing strap first.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the bike rack and think it will serve me much better than my old strap on rack. Since the weather has been cool since getting the bike carrier, I haven't taken any long trips to give it a real workout. 356818

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Capt J.

3/21/2018

Im still very pleased with the bike rack. Have taken several 200 mile trips with 2 bikes and am very satisfied.

Truly grooving on my wife's new Swagman Chinook bike rack. She wanted to be able to transport her nice road bike easily without throwing it in the back of her car, and since a roof rack is out of the question, this Swagman model fit the bill perfectly.

It arrived quickly on the anticipated date. Kudos to etrailer.com for the email updates to keep me informed of my purchase. Within one hour, it was installed on my wife's 2014 Mazda3 hatchback. The Swagman is heavy and solid, which is reassuring as it makes me feel confident that it will keep the bikes secure. It also makes me feel like I got my money's worth. A ratchet wrench and Phillip's head screwdriver were the only tools required for the easy install.

I did my research before purchasing the Chinook model as I was also eyeballing a very similar Thule rack that was slightly more expensive. I spoke with an etrailer.com expert who gave me the lowdown on both models. Ultimately, the Swagman won out because it has a smaller 'footprint' while extended or folded up ... and also can tilt away from the car for easy access to the hatchback area. Very convenient!

FYI: Mazda doesn't make a trailer hitch for the Mazda3 as it's a small car with a small engine and has no business towing anything. Thankfully, the Curt company makes an aftermarket frame and trailer hitch that fits the Mazda3 hatchback perfectly with no drilling. Stupidly, I purchased it from another online company thinking I was getting a good deal. Turns out etrailer.com had it for less with FREE shipping. Oh well ... live and learn. Now I know that etrailer.com is one-stop shopping for bike racks AND trailer hitches. (Full disclosure: I had the garage down the street install the frame as it's easier with a lift)

Only snafu: the shipment contained an extra set of keys that I assumed was for the hitch bolt lock (there was also a set of keys on the bolt itself). I spent 15 minutes using those keys trying to figure out how to remove the lock from the bolt to install it on the hitch. The keys just wouldn't turn in the lock. I called etrailer.com and Kevin told me to try the other set of keys ... and they worked. So an extra set of keys came with it that did absolutely nothing ... weird!

Obviously, I can't speak to the longevity and durability of the Swagman Chinook 2 Bike Platform Rack as I just installed it. What I can speak to is the sturdiness of it, the ease of the installation and my complete satisfaction with the good folks at etrailer.com.505791

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Steve H.

5/8/2019

Its been a year and my wife thinks her Swagman dual bike rack is the cats meow. Its works as well as the day we purchased it with absolutely no issues. The best thing a bout the rack is how easy it is to put back on the car. My wife, out of the blue, said she wanted to go riding and that she needs the rack. I took it out of the shed, []ed it into the hitch, tightened the bolt with a ratchet wrench, and 5 minutes later, she was good to go!

This bike rack is very sturdy, which adds to its hefty weight. Overall, it secures my bikes very well and the locking mechanism for both the hitch and bikes seems to be of good quality. The bikes would probably have to be damaged to be removed from the rack while it's locked, so that's about as much as you could ask for I guess. I bought this to enable transport of my triathlon bike with a disc wheel, which works perfect, even without the rear wheel strapped. The bike secures very snugly, so it doesn't shake around at all, although there is minimal play in the hitch...only very slight sway. For the price, quality, and utility, I'd definitely recommend this rack!272303

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Joshua M.

1/15/2018

The bike rack is still holding up well. We use it almost every weekend and its been great. No issues whatsoever.

Love my new Swagman Chinook 2-bike rack! Impressive packaging to protect product for shipping. Assembled easily and transports my bike beautifully. I appreciate easy adjustments, multi-folding features, sturdy design and locks: 1) from rack to car receiver and 2) locking bike(s) onto rack.1009295

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Glenn

4/14/2022

Working great a year later. I’ve used it many times to transfer my bike and, multiple times to transport 2 bikes. Very sturdy. In generally keep the rack on the car so the folding feature is great. I have also used the tip away feature to open the back gate of my Ford Escape when the bikes are on the rack. I don’t notice any rust developing so far. I’m very happy with this purchase.

by: Susan06/11/2021

The install was super easy following along with the video. The Chinook is excellent quality. A year later and lots of local trips and two trips from PA to Florida and the rack is still in perfect condition. The key for us is IT DOESN'T RATTLE ON THE HIGHWAY! If I had to listen to 14 hours of rattling on I95 the bikes and rack would have been on the side of the highway. Exceptional value and quality!1062095

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Susan

6/12/2022

STILL NO RATTLE! We use it all the time and it is as great as the first day we used it!

by: Joey01/15/2023

Highly recommend the Swagman Chinook Bike Rack! I have been using mine regularly during the last year and have had no issues. It's easy to attach and remove from my Honda CR-V. It's very sturdy and doesn't shift or 'bounce' around when I'm driving.1500226

Joey

1/16/2024

A year later and Im still loving the Swagman Chinook Bike Rack! My original review sums it up.

I Don’t need anything fancy this one certainly fits the bill. Great bike rack for the price. And as always fast shipping2456736

waited a few weeks to review in order to fully use the rack as intended. First off, assembly was a breeze. I mounted this on a 2019 Subaru Outback 3.6 with a 2" receiver hitch. With 2 mountain bikes mounted up the rack showed very little to no sway while driving. The rack is very solidly built. The included wheel trays will fit up to a 3" wide tire (tested with a Specialized Fuse Comp 27.5+). The tilting feature gives plenty of room for the rear hatch to open. Levers for the tilt function and the support bar are solid and lock into place very well.

The only real negative with this is that it does block the rear view camera and back up sensors but that is to be expected with something that is mounted right in front of the bumper.

Overall, well worth the wait for it to arrive back in stock and highly recommend the Swagman Chinook over the pricier Thule Doubletrack.867571

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I have been using this with 1 bike (not 2 yet) for about a month now, and it has worked great for me so far. Yes it is pretty heavy and still has movement going over bumps, but it seems very strong. I just took the 2nd bike tire mounts off until I need them. Everything is metal on this except the bike frame ratchet track and button mostly. I use it on a 2014 sonic hatchback with the trailer hitch I bought from here as well. I recommend this for people not wanting to risk scratching the paint on their car. The pictures make it look like it sticks way past the sides of my car, but that's not correct.432749

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Things I wanted in a platform bike rack:
-Rack that could accommodate at least a 49" wheel base
-At least 35 lbs per bike capacity, but preferably 45 lbs
-A Rack that could fold up and out of the way without hitting the bumper or interfering with the rear hatch opening.
-A rack that would have enough clearance to still open the hatch with the bikes mounted and tilted away.
-My bike (that I was concerned about fitting): 2017 Trek Fuel EX 7 29er, size XXL.

This rack hit all of those requirements! I was a bit hesitant because there was no confirmed fitment for the 2014+ Forester (beyond some measurements), but I ordered it anyway.

I'm happy to report that the rack fits perfectly. I attached pictures that show that there is plenty of clearance when the bike is mounted, bike is mounted and tilted away (to open the hatch), and when the rack is folded up (to clear bumper and open the rear hatch).

Rack itself:

-Assembly and installation was fairly easy. The directions could be somewhat confusing, but read carefully and pay attention and it will be easy.
-The cam locks that are used to tilt/fold the rack and to release the vertical arm are much more convenient than having to remove and re-insert a pin.
--there is some up and down play from the tilt/fold cam lock, but it actually does not cause excess movement when the bikes are mounted and the car is moving, hitting bumps, turning, etc.
-Very minimal movement from the rack while in motion.
-The padding on the hooks is fairly hard, so I did buy some pipe insulation to protect the top tube on my bikes.
-The rack hooks lock and there is a lock for the hitch pin. No cables necessary!
-The wheel trays are very sturdy and easy to adjust.
-The price was very reasonable, especially considering that locks are included.

Regarding etrailer.com
-awesome database of information AND the best prices that I could find.
-the support team is also very responsive and helpful.

I'm very happy with my hitch rack so far, and I'm very happy to have ditched my roof bike carriers! 289376

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Overall value 5/5
Overall features 4.5/5
Overall quality 4/5

Assembly instructions that do not have a parts list???
Instructions poorly (not horribly) written. Luckily it's easy to assemble. Like the overall rack. Fits modern 29" mountain bike without issue. 487291

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David I.

6/9/2021

Not great, had to upgrade Would rate it a three start product in retrospect. Much of the hardware is cheap. Having a single rail to move wheel cradle son really limits adjustments.

The ordering process was easy, lots of pictures. The package was delivered on time and the box was without any damage. The bike rack was really easy to put together. All metal construction, except for the contact point for the bike. Feels solid.1752098

This worked well on my 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. I bought this rack to haul my two bikes 2300 plus miles from Charleston, SC to Las Vegas, NV and I am extremely pleased with it. It comes with bike and hitch locks that give you just enough security for those quick bathroom stops where your bike might be out of your sight for a few minutes. I was travelling alone so this was perfect for my needs at quick stops. The one night I stayed in a hotel, I did bring the bikes in the room with me. The mounted rack with the bikes felt solid and sturdy but did have a little wobble which is normal with hitch type bike racks. I have a Class II Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver (Item # C12115) and Curt recommends the use of stabilzer straps to be used with all non trailer loads so I used the Curt Cam Buckle Stabilizing strap (Item # 18050) and let me tell you, it works and I recommend it. It drastically reduced the wobble and kept the bike rack steady during my trip. I encountered heavy rain, snow, high winds and wind gusts and the rack withstood speeds up to 80 mph with no problems whatsoever. I love this rack and I highly recommend it. Great bang for your buck in my opinion.588393

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by: Timecatcher6402/08/2021

Great 2 bike rack, it's heavier than I thought but easy to assemble. The bikes are easy to load/unload and they stay very secured while you drive. My only concern is the tire cradles when you're not using the rack they are easy to be stolen. I bought a wire lock to add a little more security. Anyway I'm happy with my purchase.953925

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The rack was easy to assemble and fits my Nissan Rouge perfectly.1761502

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by: Diane 08/12/2022

Very easy to install by one person. Easy to put bikes on. My 38lb electric bike ride without much wiggle/wobble. I did put a piece of insulating tubing on my bikes cross bar to double protect the paint. Very happy with this bike rack. Have told my friends they should consider the Swagman Bike Rack for their lighter weight ebikes or non ebikes.1354732

Diane

8/13/2023

After a year of use, I still find the Swagman hitch a great purchase and would absolutely purchase again.

I purchased this rack for my 2014 Subaru Forester. I originally bought a used Thule rack that hung the bikes from the top tube (or the top tube adapter, in the case of my mountain bikes), but my bike hung too low. After much research into various racks, I selected this Swagman Chinook. The ratings were good, the price was right, and it had all the features of a much more expensive rack. The rack was very easy to put together upon arrival, and it took me just a few minutes to adjust it to my mountain bike's size. I really like the fact that the rack locks to the car and also locks the bikes down to the rack. The rack tilts in easily to the vehicle when not in use. It's easy to put the rack on and take off of my car as well. I found the easiest way to load my bike (Niner RIP 9) is to raise the top hook to the tallest height and then lower the top tube hook rack. After I put the bike wheels in the tray and ratchet them down with the padded straps, I swing the top tube rack up and lock it down. If I attempted to load the bike with the top tube rack up, I had to really maneuver the bike around it while trying to get the wheels seated, and worried I'd scratch my car. I took it on a trip up north on a very windy day, and there was no sway. So many great features at a price that can't be beat. 524838

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Theresa

6/21/2019

Pretty good after a year. Discovered I need to re-tighten the hitch bolt where it connects the rack to the hitch - it loosens off with time. Otherwise, an excellent rack.

Used our Swagman Chinook 2 bike platform for the first time today. My wife and I really like it. Drove about 60 miles to a rail trail at a state park. Easy to load and unload, travels well on the highway and secondary roads. Love the ability to tilt the rack with the bikes on for easy access to the rear door of our Subaru Outback. It appears to be a very well made carrier. It does weigh almost 50 lbs, and that is our only complaint.401946

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Howard

7/5/2018

One year later and we have used it numerous times. Still works great, no complaints.

by: Rene06/04/2021

We love it. It was easy to put on. Love how it folds up too. We notice after one year now it needs some silicone so the parts will move better. Highl1055026

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by: ML09/29/2021

We bought the Swagman Chinook Hitch Bike Rack a year ago for our 2017 Subaru Forester. We had to have a hitch installed and the rack attached. It was too heavy for us to do it ourselves. But we needed an easier option than lifting our bikes onto the hanging rack we had. We realized we weren't riding as much as we wanted because it was such a hassle to get the bikes up and on the rack. This platform solved that problem, and now we ride several times a week. It is so much easier to handle the bikes now. We live in a high traffic, hilly area so we aren't comfortable riding on city streets. But now we can easily load the bikes and get to greenways and trails where we can safely ride. Great solution! We have talked with other older couples who have racks similar to our old hanging rack. They express frustration. But they also say adding a hitch + this Chinook rack is "too expensive". Yes, it does cost. But hey, our health--we're in our mid-70's--is worth everything, and if this means we ride more, it's money well spent. It too awhile to learn the steps when loading and unloading but now it takes only minutes. Thanks, Swagman!1165329

Ml

9/30/2022

We still ride, still use our Swagman Chinook Hitch Bike Rack, and still think its the best! A great investment. We leave it on all the time and its been through all kinds of weather. Still works great. I added fingernail polish to mark where the wheel trays go as they can get loose and move around when bikes are not on them makes it a lot easier to make sure theyre in the right place before loading. Its frustrating to lift a bike and then have the wheel trays not be in the right place. Minor issue, easily solved.

by: Sam S03/27/2018

I have had this bike rack for a year now and use it nearly every week. This bike rack beat my expections by miles. Easy to install, easy to load bikes, secure, love the built-in lock on the hitch and bike rack. I have a full suspension Trek that makes it hard to secure with frame racks but this rack makes it a non-issue. The down side is finding the right distance for the tire craddles but really not too difficult. I couldn’t be happier with it. 489730

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We ordered the Swagman Chinook 2 platform bike rack to use with our Draw-Tite Max-Frame class III hitch that we installed on our 2019 Chevy Equinox. We are one trip in and loving it! It's very easy to load and unload the bikes. The tilt feature allows us to have full access to the rear hatch with the bikes loaded. The rack folds up easily when not in use. The lock features work great! We have a men's 3G beach cruiser and a women's Townie Electra. We were particularly worried about the rack fitting the women's Electra without using an adapter bar since this is a step-through bike, and it fitting the men's 3G wheels since they measure 3". It works without any issues on both bikes! We do have to put the women's bike on the outside and the men's bike on the inside to get the right fit - not a big deal, but takes a slightly bit more maneuvering. There is some movement, but nothing more than what would be expected. It does sit somewhat low on our vehicle, so use caution when driving on a steeper drive. Overall, we are very pleased with this purchase!815231

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First off I got tired of putting my bike in the back end of my 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek!
So, birthday present to myself. I bought the Curt 1 1/4" class 1 receiver hitch from Etrailer of course (posted install).
Then I ordered the Swagman Chinook platform bike carrier! Best bike rack purchase ever!
I did a lot of online comparisons, always been a Thule fan? But hands down the Swagman Chinook was the best bang for the buck @ $$$ and change from Etrailer!
It took me @ 15 minutes to put together straight out of the box, and waited til yesterday to put it on my car. As you can see from photos attached it works awsome! Now it's going to be a lot easier to travel to the BMX races!336348

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Have had the carrier long enough to use it and tell you its a winner. Installation instructions were good. You might add a deep socket would be useful when installing the hitch pin stabilizer. What's great is that when the bikes are loaded you can easily lower them to open the SUV door. Returning the bikes to the upright position is easy. They bicycles ride tight and secure down the road. I'd recommend this rack.328863

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I have a Specialized Turbo Como, which is an Electric assist bike, so a bit heavier and bulkier than a standard bike. I ordered the Swagman Chinook because I wanted support for the wheels as opposed to hanging by the frame.
It works perfectly.
I added a picture of the through bolt that is designed draw the 2" rack insert tight to the receiver to minimize sway, which it does. The problem is that the locking feature won't work because it extends too far and interferes with the tow package connections. If this bolt was 1 1/2" shorter it would work fine. I don't know why it is as long as it is for a 2" receiver, but it makes the lock unusable. My vehicle is a GMC Denali, but this would probably be true for all GMC and Chevy vehicles for the past ten years. That would be a great fix.471833

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