Most Popular Kuat for 2009 Ford Expedition

What an awesome rack. The modular aspect of it is fantastic. Sometimes it’s just my and my wife, no need for a 4 bike carrier. Other times, another couple may want to go with us, not a problem, add on the extension to make it a four bike rack. I’ve never timed it, but I don’t think it takes more than 15 minutes to add the extension. The hitch tension wheel (sorry, don’t recall what KUAT calls it) is great. Pin the hitch, hand tighten the wheel and you’ll think that the rack was part of your vehicle. No swaying or bouncing around. The cradle and hook system is quite secure, I’ve never felt unsure about it. The built in cable locks are nice if you are overnighting at a hotel, great peace of mind that your bikes will still be there in the morning. The drop mechanism is spot on, the hatch clears when you drop it down, if only by a smidge causing my wife to gasp once or twice that her paint would get scratched by a handle bar. Naturally, lifting the rack back up with 4 bikes loaded on it can be a chore but the rack never claimed to defy the laws of physics. The only downsides: the rack is too heavy and awkward to handle with the extension. If you have the extension on and loaded, there is a lot of weight back there. This rack is for my wife’s Expedition, no small vehicle, and if I change lanes too quickly, it will definitely give you some sway. I could only imagine what it would feel like in a smaller vehicle. Obviously, with the extension on, it adds quite a bit of length to your vehicle. However the last 2 points are easily managed simply by remembering the bike rack is on there.

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You get what you pay for.... the Kuat NV 2.0 Hitch Bike Rack isn't cheap, but it is exceptional quality and looks great!! Kuat seemed to incorporate every detail you can imagine: it securely fits and tightens into the receiver so there is NO wobble, the rack folds down/away from our Expedition so we can access storage with the bikes loaded on the rack, the integrated cable/lock is very secure, the bike stand is a great feature to make adjustment, it is well built and should last for years. We love our Kuat NV 2.0 Hitch Bike Rack!

When I ordered this rack, I was thinking " Wow, this is a lot of money for a bike rack." Now that its assembled and I loaded it with 4 bike's (don't ask me what the bike's cost) I'm thinking "Wow, this is a lot of bike rack for the money". Awesome product and customer service.

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This rack definitely has some pros and cons (as do most racks). A minor frustration is that despite ordering the rack and add-on at the same time, the keys don’t match so if locking three or more bikes you need two different keys (this has only really irritated me when it was raining). As other reviewers have mentioned, this thing is heavy. Neither my wife nor kids can lift it to put it on or get it off the car by themselves. The downside is that given the size of the rack it is not real convenient to just leave it on the car. When the rack is in the up position, it is impossible to get in the back so it is necessary to lower the rack each time you want to get in. The other downside is that the rack significantly cuts down on visibility when backing up. All that being said, the rack is rock solid and the bikes are very secure. The rack is great for extended trips. When loaded and tipped down, it is great to be able to open and access the back. The spacing of the bikes is great and I don’t have to spend 15 minutes figuring out how to slide four bikes in just the right spot to make them all fit as I did with my old rack. Best of all the bikes are only sustaining damage on the trail, not on the back of the car! Despite some minor annoyances, I highly recommend this rack. As for assembly, my 13 year old put it together by himself in about 20 minutes (I promised him i would include that fact).

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