# 1
Swagman XTC4 Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Solid trailer, not too difficult to put together. After putting it together I took a 100 mile trip with four bikes and it worked great. Two tips from others helped. I installed in "on the car" (and was able to do it by myself) and I took some time to put the bikes in the order we would always load it (with our current four bikes), essentially "setting" the wheel holders to the exact bike. Great product and great price.
Great quality, awesome price I ordered this on etrailer Feb 1st, got the delivery on Feb 8th. Perfect packing. The product was very easy to assemble. There were finally 4 small screws that I was not clear what to do with. Called etrailer and they clearly told me where the screws go. The rack is built strong, really good quality. I was actually surprised to see such great quality at less than half the price of a Thule or Yakima. Overall the product is easy to use. Yes it has some quirks like when you fold the center rachet arm, the cotter pin to hold it in place is sometimes hard to push in. Not a big deal but something that swagman can improve on. Also one other key point is the total dimension of this rack. I have a Honda Odyssey and with 4 bikes mounted on the rack, it takes about 3-3.5 feet of space at the back (juts out). A thule T2 or Yakima hold up for 4 bikes will be close to 5.6-6 feet. The swagman has a great advantage in reducing vehicle sway and drag. As with anything this comes with a drawback that you need to play around and figure out the best positions for the bikes. Again not a big deal, one time job of 10 mins. Overall I am very happy with the bike rack and even more happy with etrailer. I will be coming to etrailer for all my future rack, hitch needs.
# 2
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I have been using this hitch daily for about 3 weeks. Installation was straight-forward and I had no problems getting it on my 2015 Honda Odyssey. The unit is solid and the amount of sway is minimal. In addition to the rack, I also purchased the Locking Anti-Rattle Threaded hitch pin (S64029). It works fine as well. I did not order the cable that goes with it because of some other reviews I read, but I think I will be ordering the cable shortly. My wife's bike required the use of an Alternate Frame Bike adapter (64005), which I also purchased and it works well. My only suggestion is put additional protective wrap around the frame where the bike is secured on top. I went to the local hardware store and purchased a length of pipe insulation, and then cut it to size. It adds additional protection to reduce scratches and wear on the frame. This was an idea presented in other reviews. I researched a number of other racks, including Thule, and I think this is the best rack for the money. I would recommend this rack to anyone.
This rack it nice and decently made. Really easy to use as long as you use the same bikes in same positions every time. The one thing I was surprised at was very few reviewers if any mentioned that the three bolts that serve to allow the 3 arms to pivot are just simple carriage bolts with regular nuts on the end. All I needed was an adjustable wrench and I the middle arm off in a few seconds. That would mean your bikes are gone even it you use padlocks in the ratchet arms. Seems kind of stupid to use a padlock and key when all a thief really needs is and adjustable wrench. I guess I will take a chisel and damage the extend portion of the bolt threads to make this a little harder from someone to undo the nuts. It really is a weak spot that should be addressed. I am actually thinking a decent cable lock running through the bikes, rack and secured to the car hitch might be more secure than a locking hitch bolt and 2 padlocks for the ratchets. Or perhaps a combination of all the above. As expected Etrailer's service and shipping were excellent.
# 3
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Quick and reliable shipping and was able to take to my mechanic to get it installed and it works perfectly with my bike rack!
This is a very solid product! I have used it for over a year now and love it! I have had up to 3 bikes on this without a problem and have traveled over 8 hours in the car one way with absolutely no issues. Many other bike racks like this one that I see on other cars look unstable this is not unstable in anyway. I did have to file some of the paint off of the rack to get it to fit in my 1 and 1/4" hitch but once that was done it has been perfect. I also bought the locking hitch bolt which is awesome too.
# 4
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
Planning on bringing bikes while camping. I mounted 2 of the Swagman bike racks to my new Sportrack on my pop-up camper. The bikes fit perfectly. The racks seem sturdy enough. Not heavy duty, but for my needs they should be fine. Assembly was relatively fast and easy.
We have used the Swagman Roof Rack a number of times when we have needed the additional bike carrying capacity. It took a couple attempts to get the initial spacing of the bike rack properly balanced on the van’s roof rack as recommended by the instructions. But it was easy to do and once set was very easy and quick to put on and take off. The rack works great, the bike is easy to put into place and secure. The bike and rack are very stable and quiet and haven’t required any mid-trip adjustments. We always put the cheapest bike on the roof (lol) but do use a bit of duct tape to protect the finish just Incase. We are very satisfied with the rack and consider it quite a deal for the money.
# 5
Swagman XP Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
Purchased this after reading some of the other reviews and Q&A on etrailer - i hadn't thought about the fact that how the crossbars on the bike are configured makes a difference - 3 of our 5 bikes wouldn't have fit on a two bar bike rack because the openings are two small (I ended up measuring them before selecting a rack). I still ended up having to use the adapter for one of them which works great. Installation was easy (I had uhaul put a receiver hitch on my 2012 odyssey the week before) - you do have to pull a pin on the bottom of the rack when you tilt it, which some might consider an inconvenience compared to some of the other brands that just have release levers, but i view it as less stuff to break compared to those racks. If you're going to have it on a lot and park in a garage, consider the fact that it doesn't collapse because it does add significant length to the vehicle. 5 bikes are definitely doable if you set it up correctly. I think its the most versatile rack you can get based on the way it holds the bikes and would definitely recommend.
I will describe the few issues first: 1) the bike rack does not fold down. It tilts away from the car, but it doesn’t fold down when in use. So, the giant bar is always sticking out from your vehicle unless you remove the hitch. 2) the weight limit is 100 lbs total. For 5 bikes, this is typically NOT enough. My kids bikes (20”) are 20 lbs each, my bike is 30 lbs. 3) cross check the price. Prices from Swagmans own site are better than listed here. So I did price match. The construction is sturdy enough and the clasps look good, but we returned for the first two issues above.
What our customers are saying:
"Loved the hitch 5-bike bike rack. Came quickly and is as advertised."