# 1
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Photos of the hitch and bike rack on a 2010 ford focus, easy to install, great hitch, and bike rack is very well built and very sturdy.
The bike carrier was easy to set up and has functioned flawlessly. For such a good price, I was surprised at the high quality of parts. The customer service from etrailer.com has been excellent. I use this carrier along with a Draw-Tite receiver hitch on my 2012 Ford Focus.
# 2
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Very easy to put together. Highly functional and easy to stow. I haven't had my bike on the rack yet so I can't comment on how the bike does on the rack. I worked off of the online PDF for the installation. The paper version, it was difficult to see which washers went where, using the digital version allowed me to magnify it to get the detail I needed.
This is a very high quality bike rack but I'm marking this a 2/5 because I'm very disappointed for one major reason: the threaded hitch pin/anti-rattle bolt does NOT prevent rattle. The bolt itself easily slides right through the hole and does not require tightening, and therefore the entire rack rattles. I'm desperately trying to find a solution and I'm very dissatisfied. I'm driving a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium and I'm using the Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch (http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Ford/Focus/2012/24872.html?vehicleid=2012306671).
# 3
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Tilting
Great, sturdy rack for two bikes. Excellent service from etrailer, with very fast delivery.
Well designed and of good construction. Fits easily in trunk of small vehicle when not in use.
# 4
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
The Thule Product is great, but the Receiver L Bracket sticks out too far from the back of the Ford Focus. Need to buy a new L Bracket or have the one that came with this rack fabricated? The receiver under the Ford Focus is almost to the back of the car (bumper). If you look at the picture above you can see how far out this rack sticks. I want the rack to be a couple inches off the back of the car, not 8 - 10 inches off the back of the car. The bikes are way too far back behind Ford Focus. Please let me know if Thule makes a shorter L Bracket? Thanks!
Not good for 4 bikes. Hard to put all on at same time. Bikes scratch and rub together when driving. One of the clamps broke after few uses. The adapter for different size hitch is difficult to use because of small screw.
# 5
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
The perfect bike rack for my 2002 Ford Focus. Quality construction and good looks. Easy to set up and take down. Etrailer's great prices, fast shipping and excellent customer service makes it the place to go.
Received the product quickly. Haven't installed it to the vehicle yet, but from the provided document it should not be too difficult.
# 6
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.
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.
# 7
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Received the product quickly. Haven't installed it to the vehicle yet, but from the provided document it should not be too difficult.
The perfect bike rack for my 2002 Ford Focus. Quality construction and good looks. Easy to set up and take down. Etrailer's great prices, fast shipping and excellent customer service makes it the place to go.
What our customers are saying:
"I ordered a trailer hitch and a bike rack carrier the order was shipped with in three days. To put the hitch on only took about 30 mins. only had to drill two 1/2 holes. fit like a glove."