# 1
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.
# 2
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
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.
I bought this bike rack back in April but wanted to make sure I used it to give the best review. First I want to say I did a lot of research on bike racks and found this one to be the best one to fit my needs. The best price I found was on etrailer.com, at the time it was When I called the customer service to place my order, I spoke to Dan. He was very pleasant on the phone and took the time and listened to what I needed and understood my concerns. I ordered the bike rack and also ordered the Thule Snug Tite Hitch Lock and Anti-Rattle Device and the Thule Cable Lock w/ One Key System Lock. Dan suggested I also get the Thule Bike Adapter Bar, which I never even thought of getting. Delivery was in about two business days, which was really fast and at the time of order they were running a special free delivery over $99. When I went to put it together I noticed I was missing the flat cap screw M6 x 16mm, part number #853-5787-02. I emailed Dan and within 24 hours received an email that the part was sent out and also in the email their was a link to track the order. After I received the part I did notice that the flat cap screw was actually in the 2 inch adaptor sleeve. The instructions were very easy to read, and it took me about 20 minutes to put together. I did have an issue when I positioned the stinger into the cradle, with the 8mm locking nut, it was not staying tight and when I took it off I noticed the threads inside were gone, so I ended up going out to Lowes and buying a new one and its holds perfectly fine. I also had a question about that part because it is not a locking part and was worried someone would try to steal the rack. I contacted etrailer.com to find if they make a locking device for this and they said no but I can contact Thule to double check, I'm still waiting for an answer back from Thule. The weather finally broke and we installed the rack onto my hitch, tightened it and it doesn't rattle. When I finally used the rack and put my bike on, it did sway a little but at 50 mph I was very happy with it. The trailer comes out just enough away from my car that I do not have to fold completely out and I can open my trunk with no issues. I am very happy with my purchase and had a great customer experience with Dan. Would highly recommend ordering from them to anyone.
# 3
Saris Freedom Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I had to put my electric bikes into this rack, backwards, to make them fit. Not ideal, but it works.The receiving 'trays' that are intended to provide support for holding the bikes, by being placed under the bike tires, are forced to be moved to a location that is not directly under the bottom of the bike tires. While it works in this manner, it is not ideal.For the support that attaches to the diagonal bike frame, we had to remove it from the vertical rail of the rack. We reinstalled it, upside down, because that's the only way we could make it fit, or 'grab', the bike frame. Again, we made it work, but it's not ideal. We chose to keep the rack because it was so much less expensive than the Thule rack we considered buying. The bike shop owner didn't agree with us. He observed that we are putting $3000 worth of bikes on the rack and risking that investment. So far, no problems, other than the ill-fitting installation.
With a few adjustments this rack has delivered. Needed to add additional strapping since the provide straps for securing the bikes to center bar were not long enough due to my ebike design (Velotric). My bikes are step through with a thick frame so provided straps won't fit. Simple adjustment with strapping resolved minor issue. Speed of 73 mph on the highway and some bumpy VT roads and this rack performed.
# 4
Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
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.
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.
# 5
Hollywood Racks TRS Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
This rack has been great on my 2016 Nissan Rogue SUV, very sturdy and holds bike(s) securely. I've used it with a fat bike, a regular mountain bike, and a road bike. Amazingly this rack gave me a couple inches MORE clearance in my small garage than my previous hanging-style rack. The aluminum trays themselves are still in great condition, though other parts are showing some rust after 1+ years (and since I use it in the winter as well I leave it on most of the time). The tilt-down feature is great, but pulling the pin and reaching the knob to do this is awkward with bikes in place. When removing the bike, it can be hard to squeeze the lever on the hook that holds the front tire. (Maybe because of pressure when the hook is against the tire?)
I've had this hitch for a day and used it just once on my Miata (class 2). Going on a trip tomorrow and will use it on a Nissan Frontier pickup (class 3). It seems like a quality hitch for a very good price. I feel like buying one of those other brands (named after cities) you are paying a premium for the brand name. Hollywood provides a great value without gouging my wallet. I like the aluminum rails and the entire system is easy to use. Just holding off one star since I've only had it for a day. As a bonus it arrived a day earlier than it was scheduled!
Kuat Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
Hi everyone, it's Evangeline here at etrailer.com and today we are looking at our Kuat Transfer V2 1-Bike Rack here on our 2016 Chevrolet Impala. Now this is a great bike rack, if you are looking for something that is compact, as well as it can accommodate bikes of different shapes and sizes and it has all the nice premium features you'd want in a bike rack. So the first features that it can tilt away. To do so, hold onto your bike rack and step on that lever. It then tilts down nice and easy. Now you would use this on like your truck to access your, to open your tailgate.
Inno Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
Hi everyone, it's Evangeline here at etrailer.com. And today we are looking at our Inno Tire Hold 2 bike rack on our 2016 Chevrolet Impala. Now, this is a great bike rack if you are looking for something that is ridiculously easy to mount and dismount your bike with, as well as if you have heavy electric bikes this is a really good option for you. Now, one of its features is that it can tilt away. To do so, you need to pull on this lever right here and then it tilts down. Now usually use this if you want to lower your tailgate or open your hatch door.
Hollywood Racks Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
Hi everyone. It's Eve Angeline, here etrailer.com. And today we are looking at the Hollywood Racks Destination, 2 bike rack here, on our 2016 Chevrolet Impala. Now, this is a great bike rack if you are looking for something that is light weight and you don't want something that's too heavy or overburdening your car, as well as if you have bikes of different shapes and sizes this will work with that. First things first is that the way our bike is mounted to this bike rack is by these two wheels straps as well as this frame mount here in the middle. So our wheel straps, if you wanna take them off you just press that lever, pull up on that strap.
Hollywood Racks Traveler Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala, well be testing fitting the Hollywood Racks Traveler four bike carrier, part number hr8500. Now to begin our test fit well slide the shank of the carrier into the opening of the hitch, line up the pin holes, thread our anti-rattle bolt through the pin holes, and tighten it with a wrench. Now well go ahead and go over some clearance measurements to see how the bike carrier and this vehicle will fit together. There is about ten inches of ground clearance. The closet part of the vehicle to the closet part of the carrier is about two inches. With the cradle arms folded out weve added about 34 to the overall length of the vehicle.
Hollywood Racks Sport Rider Recumbent Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala, well be test fitting the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider 2-bike Carrier Platform Style for Recumbents part number HR1000r-1G. Now to begin our test fit, well slide the shank of the carrier into the opening of the hitch, align up our pinholes, thread our anti-rattle bolt through the pinholes and tighten with a wrench. Now well go ahead and go over a few clearance measurements to see how the bike carrier and this vehicle will fit together. Theres about 11 inches of ground clearance. From the closest part of the vehicle to the closest part of the carrier is about 1 inch. We have added about 26 inches to the overall length of the vehicle.With this bike carrier and this vehicle, you can access the trunk with the platform folded up or we can pull the three pins at the bottom of the platform to fold it, which will also allow you to have access to your trunk.Now to load the bike, well make sure that the mast is in its upright position. Well put the frame hooks to the top of the mast and well undo the cradle straps. For demonstration purpose, well not be using a recumbent but well be using a normal road bike.
SportRack Escape 3 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevy Impala, we'll be test fitting the SportRack Escape 3 Bike Carrier, part number A30403. Now to begin our test fit, we'll slide the shank of the carrier into the opening of the hitch. Align up our pin holes, thread our anti-rattle bolt through the pin holes and tighten with a wrench. Now, I'll go ahead and go over a few clearance measurements to see how the bike carrier and this vehicle will fit together. There is about 10-1/2 inches of ground clearance. The closest part of the vehicle to the closest part of the carrier is about 1-1/2 inches.
Hollywood Racks Road Runner Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala, we'll be test fitting the Hollywood Racks Road Runner 3 Bike Carrier, part number HR310. Now to begin our test fit, we'll slide the shank of the carrier into the opening of the hitch. Align up our pin holes, insert our pin through pin holes secured at the lock. We'll then turn the black handle located at the back of the base of the carrier to engage our anti-rattle device. Now, we'll go ahead and go over a few clearance measurements to see how the bike carrier and this vehicle fit together. There is about 10 inches of ground clearance.
Yakima StickUp 2 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today, on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala, we'll be test-fitting the Yakima Stick Up 2-bike carrier, part number Y02420. Now, to begin our test-fit, we'll slide the shank of the carrier into the opening of the hitch, align up our pinholes, thread our anti-rattle bolt to the pinholes and tighten with a wrench. Now, we'll go ahead and go over few clearance measurements to see how the bike carrier and this vehicle will fit together. There's about 11 inches of ground clearance. Closest part of the vehicle to the closest part of the carrier is about 1/4 inch. With the platform folded up, we've added about 11 inches to the overall length of the vehicle.
Yakima DoubleDown Ace Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala we'll be test-fitting the Yakima Doubledown Ace Four bike carrier, part number Y02451. To begin our test-fit we'll slide the shank of the carrier into the opening of the hitch. We'll line up our pinholes, enter the pin into the pinholes, and then we'll turn the black knob located at the back of the base of the carrier to engage our anti-rattle device. Now we'll go ahead and go over a few clearance measurements to see how the bike carrier and this vehicle will fit together. There's about 9 inches of ground clearance. The closest part of the vehicle to the closest part of the carrier is about 2 inches. With the cradle arms folded down we've added about 10 inches to the overall length of the vehicle. With the cradle arms folded out we've added about 34 inches to the overall length of the vehicle. With this bike carrier and this vehicle you can access the trunk with the mast of the carrier folded up or you can pull the red knob located at the base of the carrier to fold the mast down.
Thule Vertex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala, we'll be test fitting the Thule Vertex 4-Bike Carrier, part number TH9029. To begin our test fit, slide the shank of the carrier into the opening of the hitch, line up our pin holes, thread our anti-rattle bolts through the pin holes and tighten with a wrench. We'll go ahead and go over a few clearance measurements to see the bike carrier and this vehicle will fit together. There is about 11 inches of ground clearance. The closest part of the vehicle to the closest part of the carrier is about 1/2 inch. With the cradle arms folded down, we've added about 9 inches to the overall length to the vehicle. With the cradle arms folded out, we've added about 36 inches to the overall length to the vehicle. With this bike carrier and this vehicle, you can access the trunk with the mast of the carrier in its upright position or we could lift the grey handle located at the base of the carrier and tilt the mast down, which will also allow you to have access to your trunk. To load the bike, we'll first make sure that the mast is in its upright position. We'll pull the grey handle located at the top of the mast to swing the cradle arms out.
Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala well be test fitting part number TH934XTR. This is the Thule Hitching Post Folding Tilting 4 Bike Rack with Anti-Sway Cradles for both 1-1/4 and 2-inch hitches. Now to begin our test fit weve already removed the adaptor for the 2-inch hitch, so were ready to fit it to the vehicle. Well slide our bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and install and tighten down our anti-rattle bolt. Now that our bolt is tight, our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. Now well go ahead and give you a few measurements.
Swagman Titan Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala, we'll be test fitting the Swagman Titan 4 Bike Carrier for both 1-1/4-inch and 2-inch hitches, part number S63410. Now to begin our installation, we've already gone ahead and removed the 2-inch adapter included with the bike rack so we're ready to fit it to our 1-1/4-inch hitch. We'll slide the bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole, and install and tighten down our anti-rattle bolt. With our bolt tight, our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. Now, we'll go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the bike rack is 15-1/4 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is 4-1/4 inches.
SportRack EZ Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Impala, we'll be test fitting part number A30901. This is the SportRack 2 Bike Hitch Mounted Bike Rack with wheel mount cradles for both 1-1/4-inch and 2-inch hitches. Now, we've already gone ahead and remove the adapter for the 2-inch hitch so we're ready to fit it to our 1-1/4-inch hitch. We'll slide the shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole, and install and tighten down our anti-rattle bolt. Now that our bolt is tight, our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. We'll now go ahead and give you a few measurements.
Yakima StickUp 2 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
Today on this 2010 Chevrolet Impala were going to be test fitting the Yakima Stickup 2 hitch mounted bike rack, part number Y02420. This bike rack will fit Class III and higher two inch hitches as well as Class II 1 inch hitches. We already have our adapter off. In order for us to fit it into our 1 inch hitch on our Impala. First well fit the shank of the bike rack in the receiver tube. Well line up the hitch pin hole on the bike rack with the hole on a receiver and then well thread in our anti-rattle bolt and tighten it down.
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"