# 1
Yakima RidgeBack Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Just installed hitch and carrier and it all went smoothly, the videos were terrific on how to install and use.
Only complaint like others have noted is the Yakima logo is a sticker that easily peels off. Other than that, it's strong, sturdy, and easy to load my bikes. I've used it about 6 times over the past year with no problems. I'm very satisfied with my purchase.
# 2
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
This product has stood up very, very well. It is difficult to get four bikes on any rack but we have managed to do it a few times with wiggling here and there. I should note these are all adult-sized bikes, too, not little kid bikes. We have driven from SE Michigan to Madeline Island in Wisconsin and back with this hitch and had no problems whatsoever. That was a 12-hour trip each way. We also drove across the state of MI to the Muskegon area recently with all four bikes on the rack. Before any big trip, we check to make sure nothing is loose. So far, it has worked out really well for us. The best way to get them on is to kind of tilt them and wobble them back and forth, slowly rotating the frames back onto the rack. We are very happy with the product. It's true we cannot open the back of our RAV4 with the rack up but we've discovered it's not such a big deal to lower part of the rack (with built-in pin) if we really need to access the back of the car. We do take the rack off during winter as there doesn't seem much point in having it on during that season.
This is my first bike rack purchase ever and I am very pleased with my choice. I was contemplating between Thule or Yakima, I decided to go with this Thule because it holds 4 bikes and the value and price was just hard to beat. The quality and build of this rack is very nice. After installing it onto the hitch and inserting the anti-rattle bolt, this piece of hardware is going nowhere. It feels very durable and sturdy. Driving with the rack on without any bikes mounted, I did not even notice or feel that there was a rack mounted behind my vehicle. Very low noise and pleasant to drive with. With the bikes mounted on the rack, it holds each bike very tightly with its straps. Still, a pretty quiet ride with the bikes on. Not much of a rattle but you do notice and hear it slightly especially for rear passengers. As the driver, I barely noticed anything until I looked into my rear view mirror. I highly recommend this bike rack, it's easy to install and worth the price. It feels like a quality rack that can last for many years.
# 3
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
The Curt trailer hitch came well packaged. Instructions were easy to follow, even for someone not familiar with vehicle frames and car hitches. Installation did require some special tools (long breaker bar/torque wrench, large socket) for proper installation, which can be rented from a better auto parts store or borrowed from a friend. The hitch fit is excellent. The Swagman bike rack is easy to use and seems sturdy. It fits the 2012 Rav 4 very well and folds down out of the way to allow the door to swing open when not in use. Note-it is difficult to tell how far the rack extends out from the rear if the vertical support is not upright, so back up cautiously. I have made numerous short trips and a couple long distance trips with the rack loaded with adult size trail bikes and I have only good things to say. I would purchase both of these items again.
Nice product, again the video shows all the features accurately. The illustrations with the included instructions are pretty bad and instructions a little thin, but there's really not much to assembly. A few notes: Be sure to stagger the wheel holders or you will be stuck with one long bike and one short bike... Also there is a top and bottom hold-down hooks be sure to put them on in order. If you don't it will be obvious and easy to correct. One tricky part is is bolting thru the trailer hitch. The 2" square rack insert (can remove part of this insert and use on a smaller 1.25" hitch) has a sliding inner core with a threaded hole for the included bolt/lock washer. You may have to use a small screwdriver or pick to slide the core slightly so that the threaded hold aligns with the holes on the insert/hitch. Not sure but I think if you use a different bolt (like the J-pin 63201) that threads all the way thru the hitch, you would need to slide the core all the way out of the way and not use the threaded hole in the core. I ordered J-pin 63201 so I'll update when I try it out. Oh and if you want the locking J-pin order it at the same time or you will get dinged for an additional $5 shipping if ordered separately (i.e. <$100). I'm using this rack with the Draw-Tite 75235 2" hitch on a 2017 Rav4 Hybrid - works great!
# 4
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
This bike rack has served me well over the past year. It's super easy to put on and off of my Rav4 and hold my bike very steady while driving.
The product arrived in very quick time. However, one of the locking spring loaded pins refused to pop out to its locked position. After about a half hour of fiddling it finally popped out as it should have. It is installed in a 2014 Rav 4 XLE and fitted well. I have yet to take it for a test run. The side straps are secured to the back glass window and hopefully will be O.K. It did take quite a bit of adjusting to fit the two bikes as they do not have normal cross bars.
# 5
Yakima FullBack 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Since this rack is delivered completely assembled it was easy to install on my 2018 Rav4. As per the instructions, which are excellent, I set the hub to 4, and the upper strap does not put pressure on the spoiler. I attached the trunk security strap to the bottom of the rack, changed the bottom hook to the anchor position, and closed the trunk, then re-attached the strap to the rack. I haven't used the rack yet to go biking, but it is a solid, easy to use, nice looking rack. I recommend this product.
I haven't taken it too far yet, but it's been great so far! It's sturdy - heavy enough that there's a sense it's not going anywhere, light enough to be loaded by one person. Directions are clear and easy to follow. Love the strap holds so the excess straps aren't flapping all over the place. Two things that stuck out to me was the inability to lock one single bike on the rack. With only one bike loaded closest to the car, the lock does not reach that far back. The other issue I've found is that the anchor directions are very vague. Can't seem to figure out how the anchor is supposed to fit through the top of the hatch and there doesn't seem to be any other way to install the rack anchor.
# 6
Malone Runway Spare Tire Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - Adjustable Arms
I was excited to get this and eager to just pop it onto my spare tire like it shows in the video. 45 minutes later and I'm resigned to drilling an extra hole where the buttons are in order to tighten the hold over the tire, and chagrined that I had to "rear" my smaller bike frame angled upwards in order to seat it on the red rack receivers. This was because there wasn't enough room vertically on the frame or horizontally on the frame. Not sure how I would have been able to prepare for that, maybe there is some comment about smaller bike frames somewhere? One strap to secure the bikes is not enough in this situation, so things were strapped every which way, including the front tire of the bike so it wouldn't wobble everywhere. The bike and rack made it home for the maiden 60 mile highway trip, but I was not totally confident with it.
For the price, not bad. This bike rack is a simple design, that's easy to use, but doesn't seem very secure. I have used this on an older model Rav4, which means the bike or bikes are going to stick out more on one side of the vehicle. There seems to be a lot of movement when hitting potholes and bumps in the road. If you don't plan on using this rack often, don't want to spend a lot, this may be for you. Sufficient, but not very sturdy.
# 7
Saris Freedom Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Bike rack arrived fast, easy to assemble, looks sturdy. Won't be able to use it for a few weeks, but sure it will be fine.
# 8
Thule Spare Me 2 Bike Rack - Spare Tire Mount - Folding Dual Arms
This bike rack works great. Took my bike on a cross country road trip from Tampa, Florida to Whistler, British Columbia and back with no issues. There was no slipping or excessive shaking with highway speeds up to 80ish mph. Encountered 105 degree heat, rain squalls and snow storms with no issues. No problems with the set up and the fact that the rear spare tire on my 2011 Toyota Rav4 is off center was not an issue as the rack can accommodate for this. It's a well made product from a reputable company. Make sure to read the directions as they advise against opening the rear hatch with the bike on the rack due to weight concerns. Shipping was quick as were replies to questions to customer service. Follow up correspondence from etrailer was also appreciated. Overall great experience, would highly recommend the product as well as etrailer. Thanks!
I wanted to respond to you to let you know that I had a really good experience ordering from etrailer. I was informed every step of the way, from the moment I ordered it online, all the way up until it was delivered to my doorstep. I was very impressed!! The bike rack itself was easy to install on my car - I have a RAV4 so it was important to me to be able to still be able to open my trunk with the rack on. Haven't gotten to actually use it yet (I've been temporarily deployed with the military), but I can't wait to! I've attached a picture as well - it looks so spiffy, and makes me seem more athletic than I actually am. Again, great experience, and I would definitely recommend etrailer to others in a second. Have a great day!
# 9
Swagman Fork Down Roof Mounted Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
I am very pleased with this bike rack. For the price and sturdiness it works perfectly for my mountain bike. I will probably buy another one for the other side of my roof rack an my Toyota Rav4.
I've been using this rack weekly hauling a TT setup and a heavy mountain bike. I highly recommend this product to anyone seeking affordable dependability! -c
# 10
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Assembled in about 3 minutes with tools provided. Looks solid. I will opt for a 2" x 1-1/4" reducer sleeve rather than the bolt on plates provided. I think this will result in a better connection to my 2" hitch. If it ever stops snowing I may get to use it!
# 11
Yakima SpareRide 2 Bike Rack - Spare Tire Mount - Folding Arms
Great bike rack. I had tried several for my Rav4, but none were quite right. This rack is solid, fits nicely on my spare tire. I am now able to access my trunk with my bike rack in place! Relatively easy installation, though had some trouble unscrewing one piece.
Arrived promptly from etrailer in just a few days. very easy to install on my 2008 Toyota Rav4. the rack is very sturdy and high quality. i put my 29er mountain bike and my road bike on it with no problems. i used to have a roof rack bike carrier and this is much better.
# 12
Yakima FullBack 3 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Since this rack is delivered completely assembled it was easy to install on my 2018 Rav4. As per the instructions, which are excellent, I set the hub to 4, and the upper strap does not put pressure on the spoiler. I attached the trunk security strap to the bottom of the rack, changed the bottom hook to the anchor position, and closed the trunk, then re-attached the strap to the rack. I haven't used the rack yet to go biking, but it is a solid, easy to use, nice looking rack. I recommend this product.
I haven't taken it too far yet, but it's been great so far! It's sturdy - heavy enough that there's a sense it's not going anywhere, light enough to be loaded by one person. Directions are clear and easy to follow. Love the strap holds so the excess straps aren't flapping all over the place. Two things that stuck out to me was the inability to lock one single bike on the rack. With only one bike loaded closest to the car, the lock does not reach that far back. The other issue I've found is that the anchor directions are very vague. Can't seem to figure out how the anchor is supposed to fit through the top of the hatch and there doesn't seem to be any other way to install the rack anchor.
# 13
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
The Trailhead rack unpacked and assembled as described, with only one minor issue, the pin that holds the rack in the horizontal position needed a little. . . . persuasion to go into place. Can't wait for the rain to stop so I can go for a ride.
Besides the awesome "Swagman" name, I feel confident towing two bikes off the back of my Rav4 through our upcoming North American Roadtrip. Installation was easy, however I would have liked if the rack folded down more in order to be able to open the back door of a 2005 Rav4 without removing the rack. Other than that, really like the product!
# 14
Surco Spare Tire 3-Bike Carrier
I bought this to replace the exact same rack I've had for about 7 years. The first Surco OSI Spare Tire Bike Rack became corroded after a time. I live in the northeast and left it on the car all year, so it's life expectancy could have been longer, but it was a "task" to remove it. It's definitely a hardy rack, but in reality it's a pain in the butt to use. It's the nature of the design. Also, it is designed to hold 3 bikes, but not without some cosmetic damage (at the very least) to the bikes. The only reason I bought it again is because it's the only feasible and reasonably priced bike rack for my 2003 Toyota RAV, which I've had for 13 years. I'm not going to replace the car right now, so I didn't have much of a choice. I only gave it 3 stars because I really don't like it, but it is a solid bike rack.
Works great on my old 2003 RAV4. Easy to install. Great service
# 15
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
Bought two. Easy to put together and install. Holds bikes tight.
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.
# 16
Hollywood Racks SR1 2-Bike Carrier - Spare Tire Mount
This rack is very easy to put on the spare tire. It works fine with most bikes. It does not work with the newer expensive mtn bikes whose frames are really wide. it doesn't sit in the rubber holders correctly. It's great for slim framed bikes.
I used to have a trailer hitch bike rack on a Toyota RAV4. It worked well but was difficult and messy to swing out of the way to open the door and put groceries in the back. The Toyota died and I got a similar Honda CRV. I knew the downside of the trailer hitch so I got a roof rack bike mount. It looked awesome but was VERY difficult to get bikes on after a long ride and in the wind on non-level ground. I had to carry a step stool with me. I still scraped up the side of my car. The final disaster was I forgot the bike was still on top and backed into my covered car port. DOH! So I looked into tire rack mounts. Both Honda and Toyota mount the spare tire off-center. Some of the brands cannot adjust for this and your bike sticks out a couple of feet on the passenger side. Some brands must be mounted to the spare tire itself and cannot have a tire cover. The SR1 rack below has held up great the last year. It was a fraction of the price of the big name bike carriers. I leave it on 24/7/365 and take it through the car wash with no issues. I live in the sunny SW and it has survived the sun and heat. It has not slipped at all when put over the vinyl tire cover. The only issue is you do need to supply a short bungee cord to keep the arms retracted when folded back and not in use.
# 17
Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Just put the Swagman Chinook on my 2016 RAV4. For a reasonable price, the quality seems very good. Assembly is easy, and it is much lighter weight than another brand I returned. The rear hatch opens with the bikes and rack tilted back. Since I most often use a single hybrid bike but occasionally like to also bring my mountain bike, I can set the Chinook up for one or two bikes, leaving three large pieces at home if I only need one bike. A platform bike rack like this keeps the bike wheels away from the car exhaust, and from scraping ground when going up driveways.
One year later I'm still delighted with this bike rack. I love that it is so versatile, allowing me to open the RAV4 back hatch using the tilt feature. The bicycle rides so securely and without wiggle at all. I also feel confident in the security of the locking features. This was one of the best purchases I've ever made! My only frustration is that I cannot use this bike rack when I am towing my new camper, which has zero to do with the product. Sad face.
Kuat Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4
Hi, everyone. Adam, with etrailer.com. Today, we're going to be taking a look at the Kuat Transfer Platform Style Bike Rack on our 2018 Toyota RAV4.This is going to have no frame contact, and it's going to allow you to tilt the whole entire rack with your bikes installed. All you have to do is push this little lever down, and that's going to allow you to have all access to the back of your RAV4. So you can grab a book bag, maybe a helmet, a lunch or two. Whatever it is that you're taking on the trail with you, you're going to be able to access that with your bikes installed.
Hollywood Racks Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4
Speaker 1: Today, on our 2018 Toyota RAV4, we're gonna be doing a test fit on the Hollywood Racks Trail Rider Two Bike Platform Rack, part number HR200Z. Now, with a bike installed, let's take a closer look and show off some of the features. To start, our wheel trace can adjust by loosening and tightening this hand knob like so. This is gonna help accommodate bikes of different lengths that you might have. Our bike is secured at three different points of contact. We have a hook and loop strap at the front right here, securing the front wheel.
Hollywood Racks Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4 HR1000Z
Speaker 1: Today our 2018 Toyota Rav4. We're gonna be doing a test fit on the Hollywood Rack Sport Rider 2 - 2 bike platform rack. Part number HR1000z.Now with the bike installed let's take a closer look and show off some of the features. To start, like most platform racks, we can tilt this away from the vehicle to give us access to the trunk. We can come down here first and remove both of these pin and clips, like so. You can let them hang there.
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota Rav4
Speaker 1: Today on our 2018 Toyota RAV4 we're going to be taking a look at the Thule Roadway 2 bike rack, part number TH912XTR.So we already have a bike mounted up to our bike rack on our RAV4 and we're going to have three points of contact that are going to be holding it in place. We're going to have two straps going across the top cross tube here as well as one going across the vertical tube to keep it from swaying back and forth too much. So let's go ahead and take our bike off and take a closer look at some of the details.We're going to have rubber coated straps holding our bike in place. We're not going to have to worry about any scratches or abrasions and we can simply just pull them loose. And you always want to make sure you have a firm hold of your bike so it doesn't go falling off. We'll remove it and set it aside.The cradles where our bike are going to sit are going to have a nice cushion to them as well as these channels here that are going to allow any kind of cables or anything to sit nicely in there and not get pinched.
Yakima Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4
Speaker 1: Today on our 2018 Toyota Rav4, we're going to be test fitting the Yakima Four Timer Four Bike Platform Rack, part number: YO2469. This is designed to work with two-inch hitches only, and while it is four bike, like you see here, by removing this bolt up towards the front you actually can convert it from a four bike to a two bike.Like most platform-style racks, this will tilt away from the vehicle with all bikes still attached so you can gain rear-hatch access. To do that, we'll pull the gray pin on the side and then lifting up a little bit on the hitch, or on the bike rack itself, we'll pinch this button in, pull out and let it tilt towards us. Now, unfortunately with the Toyota RAV4, it is going to make contact with our handlebars here; but you still have some room to get some of the accessories that you may need.To put it back up, you simply lift up on the bike rack until you hear that click. Then you place in that gray pin again, lifting up slightly on the bike rack. How the bike is held into place, we're going to have three points of contact.
Swagman XTC-2 Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4
Speaker 1: Today on our 2018 Toyota RAV4 we're test fitting the Swagman XTC 2. Now this is a 2-bike platform-style rack. It's been designed for use with the 1-1/4" or with 2" hitches. The part number is S64670. Now this is an extremely popular rack. I think that comes from its sturdy construction, its ease of use.
Yakima Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4 Y02479
Speaker 1: Today on our 2018 Toyota RAV4, we're going to be test fitting the Yakima HoldUp EVO 2 Bike Platform Rack for 2" hitches, part number Y02479. We already have our bike installed on the rack. Let's take a closer look and show off some of the features. Unlike its previous model, this can and is already ready to take fat bikes, as you can see here, and can also carry e-bikes up to 50 pounds. It does have a weight capacity of 50 pounds per bike, and does have a place at the end here where you can add an extension, to make this a four bike rack as well.Like most platform style bike rakes, this can tilt away from the vehicle, to have full hatch access. To do that, we have this handle at the front.
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4
Speaker 1: Today on our 2018 Toyota RAV4, we're gonna be doing a test fit on the Thule T2 classic, part number TH9044. I've already got it loaded up on my RAV4 with my electric bike just to give you a good idea of what it looks like and how it's gonna hold our bikes. The nice thing about this bike rack is it has a weight capacity of 60 pounds per bike, so it's gonna work out great for our electric bikes that come in around that range. One of my favorite features is that it has the ability to tilt away with bikes loaded so we can gain access to our rear hatch. And we can do that by pulling out the safety pin first, then pulling our lever towards us, and then we're just gonna lower it down until it rests. You can see we're able to get into our rear hatch no problem to remove any cargo, gear, groceries, anything we might have with us on our trip.
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4 TH9034XT
Speaker 1: So today on our 2018 Toyota RAV4, we're going to be doing a test fit on the Thule T2 Pro XTB Platform Style 2 Bike Rack. That's going to be part number TH9034XT.So, we've already got it loaded up on the RAV4 just to give you a good idea of what it looks like. We've actually got one of our electric bikes here today, loaded up on there as well. The nice thing about this bike rack is that we're going to be able to carry electric bikes, no problem, because of its weight capacity, comes in around 60 pounds per bike, so if your electric bikes come in around that, you're going to be all set.One of my favorite features about this bike rack is that it can be tilted away with bikes loaded, so we can gain access to our rear hatch. We'll pull up the handle here at the rear, lower it down. As you can see, we're going to clear the pedals and the handlebars to remove anything we may have in the back, gear, cargo, groceries, whatever you've got.
Saris Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4
Speaker 1: Today on our 2018 Toyota Rav4, we're going to be a test fit on a Saris SuperClamp EX Platform Style 2 Bike rack. That's part number SA4025F. Now, I've already got it loaded up on the Rav4 just to give you a good idea of what it looks like, and I've actually got one of my electric bikes on it today. It's one of the nice things about this bike rack is it has a weight capacity of 60 pounds per bike so it will work out great for your electric bikes that come in around that range. Now, it's also going to work out great for your other bikes, too.One of its best features is is it tilts away from the vehicle so we can gain access to our rear hatch. What we're going to do is we're going to pull out the handle here at the front, tilt away until it rests.
Kuat Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2018 Toyota RAV4
Speaker 1: Today on our 2018 Toyota Rav4, we're going to be doing a test fit on the Kuat NV 2.0 platform two bike rack. That's part number NV22G. So I've already got it loaded up on the Rav4, just to give you a good idea what it looks like. And I've actually got my electric bike loaded up on the bike rack. The NV has a weigh capacity of 60 pounds per bike, so it's going to work great for our electric bikes that come in right around that range.One of its best features is, it can be tilted away from the RAV4 so we can gain access to our rear hatch. And that's with bikes loaded.
What our customers are saying:
"great experience!!! I've been looking for a hitch. With the experience I just had with the bike rack, I;kk definitely come back and order the hitch when I have a little more $$$. delivery was quick! the product was awesome!!! Frank"