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# 1
Yakima HangOut 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
I had viewed the video and read the instructions. I downloaded the measurements and notes. Having done this I installed the Hang Out 2 on my 2017 Jeep Renegade in about 10 minutes without any problems. I suspect that the whole process would take longer if you don't read the instructions first. It wasn't noticed until I was reading the installation instructions that the bike rack requires a straight frame between the handle bars and the seat. I needed to order a TubeTop for my wife's ladies frame bike. I wish I had known this when I ordered the rack so I could have saved on shipping and had both arrive together. I am very pleased in the ease of putting the rack on my Jeep when needed and removing the rack when not needed. I use a coated steel cable and lock to lock the rack and bikes to the Jeep's frame.
Product was inexpensive and arrived on time. I was however dissatisfied with the product. Installation instructions were poor at best. We had to watch multiple videos in order to get it to install. It was also understood that I could use the back hatch with the rack installed. However I found this was not the case.
# 2
Yakima HangOut 3 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Pretty easy to put on once you figure it out.
2017 Jeep RenegadeI have now owned my Yakima HangOut 3 Bike Rack a year now and have had it mounted on my 2017 Jeep Renegade full time and hauled bike all across my home state and to three other states. I have had no issues and the bikes are well secured.
# 3
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Work great with my Curt trailer hitch on my Jeep Renegade. The TH934XTR has a solid simple design. It's also light enough for me to hang on a garage wall. The bike rack doesn't rattle with the hitch bolt tightened. Although we're a family of three, it's very convenient to have a 4-bike bike rack. It gives me the option to have some space between the bikes (if needed) and also provides a spot for 1 friend to come along.
The good: I like the way the bikes are held in and the ability to add the upright adapters to the bike frame holders. The straps are quality too. For a jeep with a spare tire, this is the perfect length to clear it. This rack is 5 stars from the bike holders to the base of it. The bad: the 2"receiver adapter and bolt are insufficient. I wish they made this in a solid 2" hitch. The entire setup is held into the receiver by a very short bolt. It only goes about half way into the receiver tube. So your hitch is only "secured" on one side. A hitch pin or bolt should go through the receiver tube completely imo so it can be secured on the other end with a retaining clip or nut. Because this only goes in the one side, the entire weight of the rack plus bikes are held tight to one side of the receiver by the undersized bolt and washer. A few bumps down the road and that bolt loosens. Now instead of distibuting the weight of the rack and bikes on the receiver and post, it's completely up to the bolt to keep you from losing the rack. The bolt threads get damaged too. I took this down a dirt road and nearly lost everything. I had to buy my own bolt with hd fender washers and lock washers to correct this. Thule should've provided this from the start. The current short bolt design where only one side of the receiver secures the rack is unacceptable. This rack is 1 star at best for the connection to the receiver.
# 4
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I am still using it, and please consider what I am going to say before buying or using it. When taking this rack with bike on it offroad the upside down J hook that holds the bike down rattles out of place. This means that the bike is no longer secure. The paint on my bike wore down to the aluminum where the padding rubbed against it. I hit a big bump on the pavement and pulled over to find that the J hook was now barely touching the bike - almost lost the bike just because I hit a bump - not cool. The fix is that I took a foam noodle and use that covered in tape between the pad on the J hook and the bike frame (no more rubbing away paint). I also use a strap with a buckle, buckling it around the bike and bike rack top bar, with the other end tied to the bike rack bottom bar. It's perfect like that.
Reasonable price and strong. Moves a little bit in the hitch but not excessive. Biggest complaint is the lever for the hold down bracket for the bike can be a little difficult to release and adjust.
# 5
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
First-time rack buyer / owner / installer. The rack arrived in a timely fashion, maybe a day or 2 ahead of schedule. It was well packaged. I’m LOVING this bike rack. It was easy to put together and to mount on my new Honda Passport. Thus far, no squeaks in my 2” receiver. Hardest part of initial set-up is figuring out the best way to position two bikes. Trial & error and some patience. The directions weren’t clear as to where the 2 left-over screws went. I found the answer in another review and have posted a pic in case others have the same problem (photo with pen pointing at screw). These screws go in the underneath side of both of the folding arms. They appear to keep the wheel wells from sliding off in case in you drive with an empty, un-folded rack, and forgot to tighten down the wheel wells. The folding arm push / pull pins can be difficult at times. I coated the tips with some lube. That and a little jiggling seems to solve that issue. I guess it’s better for the pins to be snug vs popping right out. I added a small Master lock to the hitch pin (in lieu of the provided cotter pin) as a theft deterrent. I read that a 3/16 shackle lock will fit into the bike clamp down arms to also act as a deterrent. I had an old 3/16 lock that did snugly fit and appeared to be locked. HOWEVER, I yanked on the lock and it came open as there isn’t quite enough clearance for the shackle to lock. I discovered that longer 3/16 shackle locks are hard to find. Have attached a photo of the lock that actually fits and works (Ace Hardware). One lock on the upper clamp down arm will secure both arms as the lower arm can’t be removed without removing the upper arm. The clamp down arms appear to be coated to prevent damage to your bike. I’ve tried a simple rag and ultimately settled on pool noodle pieces as a precautionary measure. I CAN NOT open my tailgate (regardless of whether or not the rack is fold up and in the bike carry position). If that’s a concern for you, then spring for the more costly titling version. My back-up camera still functions.
The Swagman XTC-2 platform bike carrier arrived very quickly from etrailer and in good shape, the actual carrier box is inside another shipper box, which I'm sure helped with its condition. Assembly was relatively quick and painless, even though the instructions could be a little more thorough. Installing the carrier on the back of our Jeep Patriot also was quick, it helps to have an extra ratchet & 3/4" socket laying around for just this purpose. Installing the bikes takes a little patience and trial and error the first time you try and put them on the carrier. It's easy enough to adjust the wheel holders to fit the wheelbase of your bikes, but for us at least, the challenge was trying to swing the vertical support bar up into position after putting on the first bike (closest to the Jeep). We couldn't angle the bike enough toward the Jeep to have the bar clear the bike. We learned that the easiest way to secure the first bike was to remove the ratcheting frame hooks altogether, put the bike in the carrier, swing up the vertical support bar, put in the pin, and then slide one of the frame hooks down on the bar. The outside bike is much easier because you can set the bike in the carrier at whatever angle you need, not being limited by the back of the vehicle. One thing we did to protect the bike frames was to use some foam pipe insulation as cushion between the frame hook and the frame (see pictures). Once you get a system for installing the bikes, it is very quick to load/unload them. The rack seems to be well made and doesn't wiggle excessively when traveling. All in all a good product for a good price, would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a platform bike carrier.
# 6
Saris Bones EX 3 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Great product so far! Easy to install and adjust. A little tricky to load 2 large handlebar mountain bikes and a third smaller bike, but we just turned them sideways with the front wheels taken off. We had racks on bikes which were probably the impediment. We got them on though! Love how it folds up easy for quick storage. Works great on 2014 Subaru Outback.
# 7
Yakima FullBack 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
I am so happy with this product. Easy to install, easy to take off when you don’t need it. I was also really impressed with how quickly it arrived after ordering.
# 8
Rhino-Rack XTray Pro Cargo Basket and 2 Bike Carrier - Steel - 58-1/4" x 41" - 165 lbs
The Rhino Rack has been the perfect addition to my Outback. It looks great, and I love the built-in through-axel bike mounts. It's nice not to have to have an additional mount for my bicycles! Is this the perfect cargo basket?
Phenomenal Product. We purchased for our 1200 mile road trip in August 2019 to Sedona the coast and back home in Northern California. Everything was safe and secure our entire trip & no problems other than lots of bugs to clean off our rack & baskets when we arrived at our final destination. We would highly recommend this product and the excellent customer service at etrailer.com.
# 9
Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gunmetal Gray
This thing is built like a tank! It is of the best fit and funtion I have seen in a bike rack! Solid as can be, fits my bikes perfectly and looks awesome! Plus it folds completely out of the way to access the rear liftgate on my 2022 Rav4!
Great service from etrailer and the rack arrived as expected. Fairly easy assembly. OK video on Kuat’s site, but didn’t cover the foot pedal. Really glad we got the 2” hitch. It tightened up and we’re impressed with the quality and the stability of the rack. We haven’t done a road test yet, but look forward to putting it to the test. We have a Ford F-150 and it works great. The bikes were fairly easy to load with the batteries out and two people. We do need the strap extenders for our RadMini Step Thru’s. The tires are too big for the ones that come with. Only one set of extenders came with the bike and one adapter for a smaller tire. It’s okay, but since it’s a two bike unit, would have been nice to have both extenders. Otherwise, we are really liking the look and stability.
# 10
Malone Pilot Roof Mounted Bike Rack - Wheel Mount
Less sturdy than advertised during actual driving. The thumb-nuts and bolts holding the tray and attachments aren't exact enough IMHO and the attachments move around, slide off, and the hardware strips or gets lost. I think it could be done better :(
I bought this rack to mount in a custom location. I thought about buying all the components individually and then spotted this rack that had everything I needed at a great price. I just needed to fabricate a couple of custom mounting brackets for the tray and a support brace for the wheel arm. It works great!
# 11
Kuat NV 2.0 Base Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Matte Black
I've taken this rack all over New England on the front of my Dodge Ram 3500 pick up truck with a truck camper. I had no idea it was possible to love a bike rack so much. After one drive I didn't ever worry about it again. So nice that it locks up when I am camping or taking a quick stop for food on the road. So glad I bought it from etrailer. They totally help me pick the perfect rack for my challenging set up.
Still very new, but what an awesome bike rack! Assembly was a snap and the rack is rock-solid when you secure it to the hitch receiver. etrailer was amazing too - excellent communication, price and fast, free delivery. Overall I am extremely happy with the rack and service!
# 12
Saris SuperClamp EX Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
At the age of 70, I needed a “friendlier” mounting and bike access rack. A platform rack seemed to be the solution. I had one caveat. My Subaru Forester had a 1and 1/4” receiver (with a non-standard 3/4” length mounting hole). My Volvo had a tuck away 2” receiver. After some research I gravitated toward Thule only to find out they had no solution for my above conundrum. In fact their customer service offered no interest in solving my problem which others also must have had. More research…enter Saris! An American made company with an innovative solution. I quickly received my SuperClamp EX-2 from ETrailer along with excellent customer service support. The ease of constructing the unit for use and the obvious structural integrity was immediately apparent. My wife couldn’t believe how easy it was to use and to stow away on my garage wall after use. Thank you Saris and ETrailer for a wonderful product and experience. I guess American made is still alive and well. I highly recommend this product and the associated companies.
Purchased this bike rack last year and am very pleased with the stability of the rack. The straps and clamps secure the bike well to the rack. Some things that I learned: When attaching the rack onto your hitch, it helps to put a piece of tape on the rack (hitchtite) once you have lined up the holes. This will make it easier to find the exact location of the holes the next time that you want to use the rack. Finding the exact location allows you to smoothly hand tighten the bolt to the end of the hitch. At that point, just use a socket wrench to finish the tightening. When putting the bike on the rack, I loosely secure the clamps to the tires at first. This allows me to rotate the tires to find the right location in the wheel well for the straps to go around the spokes. I next secure the bike with the straps and then fininsh securing the clamps to the tires.
# 13
Kuat Sherpa 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gray
OMG!! I have been researching and pricing bike racks for a month. Every time I thought I was ready to pull the trigger, I have a question or review that through me off the trail. I was ready to purchase the rack from outdoor retail store and drive 2 hours to pick it up from store to save the $75 shipping, when I thought about etrailer that I had used when I had a travel trailer. Checked them out, they had the exact rack I decided to buy, with $[XX] discount and free shipping. Life doesn’t get any better. It was delivered right on time and in great shape. BTW etrailers website description and videos were better than the racks manufacturer site. You are Rock Stars in my book. Overall, start to finish was above and beyond expectations.
So after much research into bike racks, I decided on pulling the plug on the Kuat Sherpa 2.0. I've looked into the Kuat NV and other brands, but they were just too much for my needs. If you've got "regular" bikes and not the heavier eBikes, then this rack is perfect. I wanted a hitch rack that was user friendly and not overly complicated. I have a mixed bag of bikes and this rack can handle them all, from mountain bikes, street bikes, and BMX bikes. I like that this rack comes with an adapter piece for 20"-24" wheels. Assembly of the Kuat Sherpa 2.0 is really a no-brainer. I think it's only 4-5 bolts really. Everything else is ready to go. The anti-rattle hitch ball mechanism is simple to use with just a twist of the dial, easy. The tilt pedal/lever is also easy to access should you need to open your hatch, a solid "click" assures it's in place. So far, loving this rack. Fit and finish is superb. Thanks to Jerred and etrailer for answering my questions, always helpful.
# 14
Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
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!
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.
# 15
Yakima HighRoad Roof Bike Rack - Wheel Mount - Clamp On
1. One star ding for price. Fairly expensive for a single bike, especially after adding a lock core. 2. The rack works exceptionally well and I'm not disappointed with the purchase. Installation is fairly simple. It does take a bit of fiddling to get the tension down on the rack clamps (connecting it to car) but it is a simple affair, and I'm able to move it between an aero rack and a round rack with out adjusting the tension. The sliding tray in the rear is a bit sticky, so if you carry bikes of different wheelbases, you may need to add some lubrication to the tract. Front wheel locks into place (I've used 700x25 and 29x2.3) simply, and the clutch in the tension wheel is a nice addition. It would be nice if there was a quick release button (like in times past) but it spins fairly quickly to unload. The locking whip is a nice addition. I have been able to rout it over the chainstay on both bikes. However, it is too short to route around chainstay and wheel. I'd prefer to include my rear wheel inside the lock. Overall, I'm very happy with the product.
This was incredibly easy to install. Took less than 10 mins. It comes out of the box ready to go, no tools, and instructions are super straightforward. I put my mountain bike on top and it worked perfect. Very stable. I also noticed (or didn’t notice) wind noise. It’s very quiet in the flat position and it looks great on my Forester Wilderness. Will buy another one soon. And etrailer.com is an absolutely first class company to work with. All accessories for my vehicles from here on will be purchased from this site.
# 16
Yakima FullBack 3 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
I am so happy with this product. Easy to install, easy to take off when you don’t need it. I was also really impressed with how quickly it arrived after ordering.
# 17
SeaSucker Hornet Rear Window Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Handlebar Mount - Vacuum Cup Mounted
I have a step-through sport utility bike that I can’t put on a standard bike carrier because the frame doesn’t have a top tube. My car is a hybrid & will not accommodate a trailer hitch. My car is an SUV, so a roof rack is not practical for me. Hatchback bike racks are not suitable for the particular make & model of my SUV. The Seasucker Hornet seemed to be my only option. I’m happy to say that the Seasucker Hornet solved my problem & now I can transport my bicycle anywhere.
Shipping was quick and easy, and product exactly as described!
# 18
SportRack Ridge Swing 4 Bike Rack - 2" Hitches - Swinging
Solid rack for half the price of the name brands. Don’t waste your money! Thanks to the extensive reviews on etrailer and a free shipping promotion I took a chance and ordered this along with the three of their crossbars, anti rattle hitch pin and cable lock. All for well less than the name brand rack alone. Shipping was painful. Etrailer said it was in stock but then due to a delay with the manufacturer it took 35 days from order to arrival. I wasn’t in a hurry so I waited patiently, and etrailer reps emailed often to lmk they hadn’t forgotten. I thought some kind of reward for my extreme patience was in order- discount, gift card, free bag of chips- but they politely declined. Oh well. In the end it arrived when they (eventually) said it would, all in one box, in great shape. The rack was super easy to assemble. You’ll need a ratchet or two and you’ll need to crank those bolts to assemble- they don’t just “insert.” But otherwise it’s only a few steps; I had mine hanging on my truck in probably 15 minutes. Swings away and locks smoothly and requires no effort to do so. Everything feels quite sturdy and well made. No rattle on initial test drive either. This will be a once in a while rack at best for our family of four. We have two SUVs so I needed a rack that could get out of the way of the rear hatch WITH bikes on it. This will do that. And now I don’t need to stuff four dirty bikes into the back of my truck, getting them all tangled and scratched!
2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and 2017 Toyota Tacoma - Having heavily researched this and other products for a 4 bike rack for our Rubicon and Tacoma, I decided on the SR2415. The Rubicon was the concern with finding a rack that would work for both vehicles. We have an after market Class III hitch on the Rubicon that is almost flush with the rear bumper (protrudes about 1" or less). This rack came very close to touching the tire at the top when the Bike Holder Bar is in the stored position (about 1/2" of clearance). We have BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM LT255-75-R17. Purchased a Locking Hitch pin with this, but the rack comes with a threaded ping and the racks pin hole is also threaded on the right side. Was not able to use the locking bolt but the bolt that came with it holds it very tight. Only concern it being stolen. The Tacoma wasn't a concern but having the swing feature is extremely helpful for needing to access the bed/tailgate.Swings out and away from the Jeep with a little more effort than expected. Overall we are very happy and excited to start using this and will report back any updates. Hitch: Smittybilt JH45 Receiver Hitch Read Tire: BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM LT255-75-R17 Vehicles: 2017 Jeep Rubicon and 2017 Toyota Tacoma Dimensions: Tire to Closest Part to Rack: ~1/2in or less (Top of Rack when folded down - Folded out for use is 3-4 inches) Next Closest Point of Contact: Hand Tightening Bolt is 1-2 in from the tire, makes it a little difficult to tighten.
# 19
Swagman Titan Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
One of the few racks that will clear my Jeep's large rear mounted spare tire without using an extender. The other is the Allen which doesn't have the nice features the Swagman Titan has. Tips enough to allow partial opening of Jeep rear door, but enough to open the soft top rear window. The vertical portion of rack tips slightly toward vehicle (at least it does on mine). Would be better if the horizontal "S" shaped piece could be turned around to dip down, moving it further from the spare tire, but there are only holes drilled to mount it as shown. Can't attest to the durability yet, but it doesn't wobble even a tiny bit. Have to compliment everyone I spoke with at etrailer. very nice and extremely helpful.
My bike rack arrived right on time Wednesday afternoon, I put it on the car Thursday morning, loaded both our bikes and headed down to Rehoboth DE for a wedding, then took the ferry from Lewes DE to Cape May NJ, and stayed 3 more days in Avalon NJ and back home to Pennsylvania. Felt safe and secure the whole trip. Easy to put bikes on and off, love the security lock.
# 20
Curt 2 Bike Platform Rack - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount - Tilting
I installed this rack onto a Curt trailer hitch which is mounted onto a 2017 Honda Fit. I have been using it intermittently for several months, probably about 5 times with one bike and twice with two bikes. I give some pros and cons below and then elaborate. Pros: easy to assemble, easy to mount and dismount bikes, easy to lock and unlock, how to put the rack into different positions is intuitive Cons: inconvenient to put the rack into different positions, inconvenient to mount the rack onto the hitch, rack protrudes about 15 inches from bumper when in flipped up position (seems very vulnerable to someone backing into it in a parking lot, very inelegant looking I say the repositioning is intuitive because there is really only one way you could possibly place the pins for each position. But removing and replacing two pins is much less convenient than turning a knob or a lever, like some racks do. Also many racks fold and flip in such a way as to look very unobtrusive when in non-use mode. This one looks like kind of a monstrosity. That does not really bother me but it might bother some owners. The part that does bother me is how far it protrudes from the car. I back into parking spaces whenever possible to avoid someone bumping into the rack and damaging it (which happened to a friend). My number one suggestion for Curt is related to mounting the rack onto the hitch. Make it easier to tell when the holes are lined up so that the bolt/pin will fit and thread. As it is now, if you insert the rack as far as it can go it is way too far in. Ideally, it would be exactly lined up. Failing that, maybe some kind of click or other feedback to know at least that you are in the neighborhood. It would also be great to have an attaching device that is easier to fasten and unfasten than is the bolt/pin. Tip for mounting the rack onto the hitch: I assumed that it would be awkward to hold, what is it 46 pounds?, while trying to line up the rack probe with the receiver. If you have a garage with exposed collar ties, my solution could work well for you. I looped a cargo strap over a collar tie. Then I hooked both hooks of a bungie onto that loop. The idea is that you hook one of the bike frame holders of the rack onto the bungie, suspending the rack a few inches off the garage floor. This takes most of the weight of the rack so that you can just pull up or down and forward until you line up with the receiver. Tip for mounting bikes. Don't put the little screw into the post that prevents you from completely removing the bike frame holders. Remove both holders. Position the first bike, slide the holder into place, position the second bike, slide the holder into place. I found this makes it much easier, because you avoid parts of the bike hitting the holder as you are trying to get the wheels into place. The trick is that if you are mounting only one bike, don't forget to put the second holder back on - or maybe just stick it inside the car right away.
The rack worked well on a recent 300 mile round trip. It is not a 700 dollar rack, so you'll have to deal with the various clips and pins to make the adjustments and tilt it down for access to your hatch. I used it with the recommended strap and that really seemed to help stabilize it. I mounted this on a Golf GTI; there were plenty of photos of GTIs here on etrailer with hitches and bike racks, so I knew this would work. What I didn't expect is that when I put the car in reverse, the parking assist thinks you are about to back over something. On my model (2018 GTI Autobahn), you can't just ignore the warning beep -- it will lock down the brakes! I spent some time messing the settings for lane assist before realizing it was actually the parking assist feature, not lane assist. For me, as soon as I put the car in reverse and hear the alarm, I have to press the button to turn off parking assist. That's the only way to get it to work.
What our customers are saying:
"Sent out an e-mail to you earlier this week asking which hitch woudld be the best choice for installing on a 2000 Venture van for hauling a bike rack with two bikes. You suggested the one that would be easiest to install..received in a matter of days..installation went great ..very well thought out instructions. Everything went smooothly and the hitch is up nice and snug..doesn't stick out..looks great."