Product Specs:
Hitch Bike Racks
Platform Rack
Tilt-Away Rack
Fold-Up Rack
Fits 1-1/4 Inch Hitch
Fits 2 Inch Hitch
Fits 1-1/4 and 2 Inch Hitch
Class 1 - 3 Compatible
Frame Mount
Bike and Hitch Lock
2 Bikes
Swagman
This durable, 2-bike rack is great for the serious cyclist as well as the occasional rider. You can tilt it down with your bikes loaded for trunk access, fold it up for storage, and secure your bikes and rack with keyed-alike locks.
Video of Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (393 Customer Reviews)
This durable, 2-bike rack is great for the serious cyclist as well as the occasional rider. You can tilt it down with your bikes loaded for trunk access, fold it up for storage, and secure your bikes and rack with keyed-alike locks.
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!
Susan - 06/12/2022Love 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.
Glenn - 04/14/2022We bought the Swagman Chinook Hitch Bike Rack a year ago for our 2017 Subaru Forester. We had to have a hitch installed and the rack attached. It was too heavy for us to do it ourselves. But we needed an easier option than lifting our bikes onto the hanging rack we had. We realized we weren't riding as much as we wanted because it was such a hassle to get the bikes up and on the rack. This platform solved that problem, and now we ride several times a week. It is so much easier to handle the bikes now. We live in a high traffic, hilly area so we aren't comfortable riding on city streets. But now we can easily load the bikes and get to greenways and trails where we can safely ride. Great solution! We have talked with other older couples who have racks similar to our old hanging rack. They express frustration. But they also say adding a hitch + this Chinook rack is "too expensive". Yes, it does cost. But hey, our health--we're in our mid-70's--is worth everything, and if this means we ride more, it's money well spent. It too awhile to learn the steps when loading and unloading but now it takes only minutes. Thanks, Swagman!
ML - 09/30/2022Good for transporting a range of bikes with different tire widths and wheel sizes (29er mountain bike, 27.5 mountain bike, fat bike, etc.). Have now had it for 2000+ miles. It does wobble and bounce a little, especially on bumpy roads, and the mechanism to unfold the rack tray is a little sticky at times. But otherwise a good value.
George - 08/01/2022I 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.
Capt J - 03/21/2018This bike rack is very sturdy, which adds to its hefty weight. Overall, it secures my bikes very well and the locking mechanism for both the hitch and bikes seems to be of good quality. The bikes would probably have to be damaged to be removed from the rack while it's locked, so that's about as much as you could ask for I guess. I bought this to enable transport of my triathlon bike with a disc wheel, which works perfect, even without the rear wheel strapped. The bike secures very snugly, so it doesn't shake around at all, although there is minimal play in the hitch...only very slight sway. For the price, quality, and utility, I'd definitely recommend this rack!
Joshua M - 01/15/2018Haven’t used the rack a great deal, but have had no problems with it. We did have to purchase a bar adapter for the girls bike, as it just wasn’t stable enough without it. We have fenders on our bikes and cannot use the clamp on the tires. It’s not lightweight. It takes some strength to install it. We use it on a Toyota Tundra and a Subaru Crosstrek.
This bike rack does everything I need you want a bike rack to do - and at a reasonable price. It holds the biked snuggly but has rubber coating to protect the bikes. It ha locks for the bikes and where it attaches to the hitch. It is light enough and easy enough to take off. It folds up when not in use and it tilts easily to allow access to the rear lift gate. We looked for a long time but we got the right rack!
Randy K - 10/02/2022Highly recommend the Swagman Chinook Bike Rack! I have been using mine regularly during the last year and have had no issues. It's easy to attach and remove from my Honda CR-V. It's very sturdy and doesn't shift or 'bounce' around when I'm driving.
This is a decent bike rack for the price. It is sturdy and works really well with my hatchback. It doesn't take very long to install. It took me and a friend less than two hours total. The only reason I took off a star is because getting the bike into position closest to the car can be tricky and awkward. Not sure how to make this better. It does get easier the more I use it, but I have managed to smack myself in the face with my bike a few times. I have recommend this bike rack to other friends.
Renee - 10/12/2022Overall value 5/5
Overall features 4.5/5
Overall quality 4/5
Assembly instructions that do not have a parts list???
Instructions poorly (not horribly) written. Luckily it's easy to assemble. Like the overall rack. Fits modern 29" mountain bike without issue.
David I - 06/09/2021waited a few weeks to review in order to fully use the rack as intended. First off, assembly was a breeze. I mounted this on a 2019 Subaru Outback 3.6 with a 2" receiver hitch. With 2 mountain bikes mounted up the rack showed very little to no sway while driving. The rack is very solidly built. The included wheel trays will fit up to a 3" wide tire (tested with a Specialized Fuse Comp 27.5+). The tilting feature gives plenty of room for the rear hatch to open. Levers for the tilt function and the support bar are solid and lock into place very well.
The only real negative with this is that it does block the rear view camera and back up sensors but that is to be expected with something that is mounted right in front of the bumper.
Overall, well worth the wait for it to arrive back in stock and highly recommend the Swagman Chinook over the pricier Thule Doubletrack.
Things I wanted in a platform bike rack:
-Rack that could accommodate at least a 49" wheel base
-At least 35 lbs per bike capacity, but preferably 45 lbs
-A Rack that could fold up and out of the way without hitting the bumper or interfering with the rear hatch opening.
-A rack that would have enough clearance to still open the hatch with the bikes mounted and tilted away.
-My bike (that I was concerned about fitting): 2017 Trek Fuel EX 7 29er, size XXL.
This rack hit all of those requirements! I was a bit hesitant because there was no confirmed fitment for the 2014+ Forester (beyond some measurements), but I ordered it anyway.
I'm happy to report that the rack fits perfectly. I attached pictures that show that there is plenty of clearance when the bike is mounted, bike is mounted and tilted away (to open the hatch), and when the rack is folded up (to clear bumper and open the rear hatch).
Rack itself:
-Assembly and installation was fairly easy. The directions could be somewhat confusing, but read carefully and pay attention and it will be easy.
-The cam locks that are used to tilt/fold the rack and to release the vertical arm are much more convenient than having to remove and re-insert a pin.
--there is some up and down play from the tilt/fold cam lock, but it actually does not cause excess movement when the bikes are mounted and the car is moving, hitting bumps, turning, etc.
-Very minimal movement from the rack while in motion.
-The padding on the hooks is fairly hard, so I did buy some pipe insulation to protect the top tube on my bikes.
-The rack hooks lock and there is a lock for the hitch pin. No cables necessary!
-The wheel trays are very sturdy and easy to adjust.
-The price was very reasonable, especially considering that locks are included.
Regarding etrailer.com
-awesome database of information AND the best prices that I could find.
-the support team is also very responsive and helpful.
I'm very happy with my hitch rack so far, and I'm very happy to have ditched my roof bike carriers!
I have been using this with 1 bike (not 2 yet) for about a month now, and it has worked great for me so far. Yes it is pretty heavy and still has movement going over bumps, but it seems very strong. I just took the 2nd bike tire mounts off until I need them. Everything is metal on this except the bike frame ratchet track and button mostly. I use it on a 2014 sonic hatchback with the trailer hitch I bought from here as well. I recommend this for people not wanting to risk scratching the paint on their car. The pictures make it look like it sticks way past the sides of my car, but that's not correct.
This worked well on my 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. I bought this rack to haul my two bikes 2300 plus miles from Charleston, SC to Las Vegas, NV and I am extremely pleased with it. It comes with bike and hitch locks that give you just enough security for those quick bathroom stops where your bike might be out of your sight for a few minutes. I was travelling alone so this was perfect for my needs at quick stops. The one night I stayed in a hotel, I did bring the bikes in the room with me. The mounted rack with the bikes felt solid and sturdy but did have a little wobble which is normal with hitch type bike racks. I have a Class II Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver (Item # C12115) and Curt recommends the use of stabilzer straps to be used with all non trailer loads so I used the Curt Cam Buckle Stabilizing strap (Item # 18050) and let me tell you, it works and I recommend it. It drastically reduced the wobble and kept the bike rack steady during my trip. I encountered heavy rain, snow, high winds and wind gusts and the rack withstood speeds up to 80 mph with no problems whatsoever. I love this rack and I highly recommend it. Great bang for your buck in my opinion.
Chose this Swagman Chinook rack to haul our two new ebikes on our Honda Fit. The platform rack made loading the heaver bikes easier then a hanging rack that we had for the family van. Our ebikes did not have a top bar (step through) so the wheel straps and the top bar retaining arm holding the the down bar held each bike securely.
Joe O - 01/27/2022So, I remember wanting to write a review when I bought bike rack and receiver. The experience was awesome. I spoke to a real person. I gave her my VIN number and I sent her a pic of my bike. She told me exactly what I needed. She even gave me a direct dial so that I could contact her - that's right the same person that helped me with the order - if I had any problems. I was almost in tears as I am not sure I have ever dealt with an internet company that assigned 1 person to take care of me. It was awesome. The product worked as advertised, the experience was great and I would highly, highly, recommend etrailer.
I have a Specialized Turbo Como, which is an Electric assist bike, so a bit heavier and bulkier than a standard bike. I ordered the Swagman Chinook because I wanted support for the wheels as opposed to hanging by the frame.
It works perfectly.
I added a picture of the through bolt that is designed draw the 2" rack insert tight to the receiver to minimize sway, which it does. The problem is that the locking feature won't work because it extends too far and interferes with the tow package connections. If this bolt was 1 1/2" shorter it would work fine. I don't know why it is as long as it is for a 2" receiver, but it makes the lock unusable. My vehicle is a GMC Denali, but this would probably be true for all GMC and Chevy vehicles for the past ten years. That would be a great fix.
Works wonderfully on my Chevy Malibu. Only complaint is if you have shift/brake cables running across the top tube of your bike the clamping mechanic will cause those cables to scratch your bike bad. Just something to keep in mind as it’s more of I bought the wrong style bike rack rather then a issue with the bike rack.
Jakob - 02/15/2022Initially this rack was back ordered. But eTrailer kept me up to date and informed me when it shipped. Today I put the rack together~~instructions were easy to follow and all parts were delivered. I’m a 65+ year old female and I had no problems. Can’t wait to attach to my car and hit some trails.
Marilyn - 08/22/2022I'll be using this rack for a Trek Remedy 29er. Overall, the fit/finish of this rack is fine, and the added wheel protection on the ratcheting loops is a nice touch. The arm(s) that touch the bike frame could be softer, but I might just use a towel or something to cover the frame.
I am, however, less than impressed with the locking hitch pin. I've never seen one that needlessly long before. Would be extremely easy to snip off. I don't know if Swagman makes a shorter one, but it's certainly needed.
I give 4 stars for the rack build quality, and 1 star for the threaded locking hitch pin.
I purchased this rack for my 2014 Subaru Forester. I originally bought a used Thule rack that hung the bikes from the top tube (or the top tube adapter, in the case of my mountain bikes), but my bike hung too low. After much research into various racks, I selected this Swagman Chinook. The ratings were good, the price was right, and it had all the features of a much more expensive rack. The rack was very easy to put together upon arrival, and it took me just a few minutes to adjust it to my mountain bike's size. I really like the fact that the rack locks to the car and also locks the bikes down to the rack. The rack tilts in easily to the vehicle when not in use. It's easy to put the rack on and take off of my car as well. I found the easiest way to load my bike (Niner RIP 9) is to raise the top hook to the tallest height and then lower the top tube hook rack. After I put the bike wheels in the tray and ratchet them down with the padded straps, I swing the top tube rack up and lock it down. If I attempted to load the bike with the top tube rack up, I had to really maneuver the bike around it while trying to get the wheels seated, and worried I'd scratch my car. I took it on a trip up north on a very windy day, and there was no sway. So many great features at a price that can't be beat.
Theresa - 06/21/2019Used our Swagman Chinook 2 bike platform for the first time today. My wife and I really like it. Drove about 60 miles to a rail trail at a state park. Easy to load and unload, travels well on the highway and secondary roads. Love the ability to tilt the rack with the bikes on for easy access to the rear door of our Subaru Outback. It appears to be a very well made carrier. It does weigh almost 50 lbs, and that is our only complaint.
Howard - 07/05/2018This is a good durable bike rack and easy to use
Very easy to install by one person. Easy to put bikes on. My 38lb electric bike ride without much wiggle/wobble. I did put a piece of insulating tubing on my bikes cross bar to double protect the paint. Very happy with this bike rack. Have told my friends they should consider the Swagman Bike Rack for their lighter weight ebikes or non ebikes.
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Product Specs:
Hitch Bike Racks
Platform Rack
Fixed Rack
Fits 1-1/4 Inch Hitch
Fits 2 Inch Hitch
Fits 1-1/4 and 2 Inch Hitch
Class 2
Frame Mount
Locks Not Included
2 Bikes
Swagman
This lightweight 2-bike rack is perfect for the occasional rider with limited storage space in their garage. The wheel trays fold up, so it easily fits into a closet. It also accommodates bikes with a long wheelbases.
Video of Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (1180 Customer Reviews)
This lightweight 2-bike rack is perfect for the occasional rider with limited storage space in their garage. The wheel trays fold up, so it easily fits into a closet. It also accommodates bikes with a long wheelbases.Nice rack and easy to put together. Feels well built. A bit challenging for loading these kind of bikes on there but it worked. The kind of bikes I am using this rack for are not like the usual ones that are previously posted. I plan on using this for my stretch custom beach cruisers also. I will post more pictures once I load those up. I only had time to do my lowrider bikes today.
Joseph P - 11/12/2021First-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.
Kerry i - 08/16/2021This Swagman rack does the job it’s designed for well. It’s installed with a Curt hitch and they are solid together. I see many of these racks attached to fellow bike club members. This seems to be a popular choice. I can open my trunk with a bike loaded closest to the car on my 2012 Sonata. I considered the more expensive choices available, but couldn’t justify spending the extra money. I’m pleased. Thanks etrailer.
Robert - 05/23/2021The 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.
I own a 2009 VW GTI 4 door. The fact that I have a 4 door GTI may be significant to the 2 door GTI drivers out there because I tend to need to access my rear hatch less frequently since I just put things in the back seat.
I did not want the standard hanging bike rack because my bike got scratched up badly, my brake cables became loose, and my bike pump cage got broken when using a 4 bike hanging rack with my brother and his family. I also do not like the idea of the weight of my bike resting on top of my bike cables in the hanging bike rack cradles. However, if you are frequently putting different types of bikes on your rack like my brother does, a hanging rack may work better for you. The platform racks need to have the wheel holders adjusted for different bikes. Not hard, but it is a little more cumbersome.
I had been using Yakima roof mounted racks for 17 years on 5 different vehicles...until one of the roof clips popped loose on the interstate and my road bike did a wheelie and dented the roof of my GTI. Could not get my Yakima roof clip to lock in place again after that, so I moved to a hitch mount.
I bought the Curt Hitch #11074 and can be seen in the photos. Not really noticeable, but I think it looks better than the Draw-Tite and Hidden Hitch designs.
For platform racks, I looked at several designs with the following criteria in mind.
- Ease of use
- Ability to access the rear hatch
- Extension from bumper
I naturally started with Yakima, but found that their racks seemed overly cumbersome and extended far behind the car. The Thule racks seemed the same, and both brands were over $300. They did offer the ability to tilt the rack up when not in use, but this still blocks my access to the rear hatch.
The Swagman rack has a simple, minimalist design. First is that it is very narrow, only one row of support arms to carry two bikes. Thule and Yakima have two support arms, one for each bike, which causes the rack to extend farther behind the bumper. The Swagman seems plenty beefy to handle two bikes.
The support beams are easy to tilt up and down. Maybe not quite as easy to tilt up as Yakima and Thule, but still pretty easy. But until I watched the eTrailer video before buying this product (WATCH THE VIDEO!), I did not realize that the center upright also folds out of the way if you need access to the rear. This is what sold me. The ratcheting upright supports are easy to use and work as shown in the etrailer video. The rubber straps do their job just fine.
The other manufacturers seem to have an easier method to move the rack out of the way of the rear hatch, but as I mentioned, I have a 4 door GTI, so this was less of a concern for me.
The main selling points were: simple design, easy to use, fit a GTI, upright moves to access hatch, etrailer video, lots of good etrailer customer reviews with pictures, and of course...price.
Easy to assemble. This carrier will be used on a 2012 Nissan Sentra using the Draw Tite 24794 hitch. After the installation on that hitch, there is about 2 inches clearance between the rearmost projection of the rear bumper to the frontmost portion of the wheel carrier of the rack. It is easy to put the bikes into the rack. The trunk lid cannot be opened with the bikes mounted on the rack. The rack seems to be stable and doesn't wobble or bounce much.
It was a toss up between this and the cheaper XT. I got this one cuz they said the wheel brackets are better and it was only a little more. I'm glad I got the XTC. Can't compare to the XT since I never saw one. But I like the XTC a lot. Easy to put it together and it fits the 1.25" hitch tight and nothing moves when you drive. I had no idea Sunday when I was driving around with my mountain bike that it was even there. Quality is good. Just HEFT the thing in your hands...it is pretty heavy duty. I appreciate the attention to detail on this. Holds the bike TIGHT. I would drive across the country with this with two bikes no qualms whatsoever.
Faty J - 05/16/2014I love this rack! Very sturdy and you can have it a single bike rack if so desired, which I do usually only haul one bike. I was worried the gap between the vehicle and bike would be too close but that worry was short lived. I love the ratcheting top clamp, firmly holds down the bike. Adjustability of the wheel chocks is super, I worried about my 29 inch wheels fitting but again, no worries, fit's perfectly with the adjustable sliding chocks. Simply the best rack I've owned.
Scott W - 06/07/2018I looked at a lot of different hitch racks, priced from $100 up to over $500 and for the price the Swagman XTC-2 hit the mark. I've been using it now for a couple of months with absolutely no problems. First trip was 1600 mile round trip from TX to KS and it performed perfectly. Bike is easy off/easy on. Rack is a bit heavy but balanced enough to make it no problem with taking off and on. Etrailer.com was great to work with and rack arrived exactly as stated.
Brett T - 07/29/2015I have a 2015 GTI and have been challenged to haul my 29er and additionally a kids 24" bike. I was looking for a rack that was form fitting not extend too far beyond the car to keep the weight closer to the car to assist the Class 1 trailer hitch i mounted.
I ended up going with the Curt C1142 Class 1 trailer hitch for the GTI and the Swagman XTC-2 bike rack. I think it was good solution for price, quality and fit for my requirements. The Rack is not heavy at all. It's very quick to put on and i leave my 29er closer to the car with the outer rails fixed for it. The other rails i put the smaller bikes further on the rack since they would be lighter. There is little movement when driving. On longer distances or with two bikes use the Curt trailer Strap and that helps in movement.
The clearance is what i was really worried about. I needed a rack that would promptly start rising upon exiting the hitch pin. The Swagman rack does just that. It immediately ramps upward to 3" at its peak giving me more clearance to avoid the virgina roadkill. I do wish that etrailer would give the profiles of the bike racks as that would been way easier than countless hours spent on the internet looking at other's pictures for a best fit for my car.
My other choice was the Kuat Transfer 2. it also has a rapid rise giving 6" maximum. However, it also extends about 12" in the back of the car which i was worried the longer run of the rack was going to have clearance issues on some driveways. In the end, the Swagman was $100 less than the Kuat transfer and i think for my purpose it's a better fit for this little car.
This I was not as happy with. Service was great. Delivery was great but the product QC was off and there is a design flaw in the product (that is most likely fixed by me spending more money, so thats on me.)
Assembly was easy to follow however there was one big problem. The bar coming from the hitch to the rack. The metal mechanisim inside the square tube is cocked (image included) and thus lines up the threads for mounting at an angle and is a perfect setup for cross threading during installation. I managed with some work to get the pieces together (provided hex wrench + vice grips + torque bar). That said I can most likely never disassemble the product again for those threads are going to be toast and unsuable again.
Mounting the rack to hitch was easy.
Adjusting the setup for bike was easy.
Design flaw and place I should spend more money is that once the bike is on the car I can no longer open the hatch to my car. Even if I pull the clamp bar off the rack closests to the hatch. Considering the cost of the rack I can live with this. It just means I cannot drive around with the rack always on the car and I will be pulling it off and only using it when I ride. Never time however I will be spending more to get a rack that either swings away from a hatch or has some sort of a pivot release to gain access into the car.
For the money I spent this is going to work, considering the cost of some of the big name platform racks this is literally a small fraction of their price. So I cannot complain too much but that cross thread issue is not a good one.
The Swagman XTC 2 bike platform carrier was mounted on a 2010 Subaru Outback equipped with a 2" receiver. I will also use the bike carrier on a 2008 Saturn Vue. Ordering from etrailer was straight forward, shipping was fast with continuous texts from etrailer as to shipping status. Impressive. The bike rack works perfect for my wife's extended wheel base-pedal forward Townie bike and my Giant Sequoia trail bike. Bike positioning is important, but not difficult. Retaining hooks ratchet into place easily, and rubber straps secure the wheels. The anti-rattle receiver mount with threaded locking hitch pin works well. No slop there. The only concern we have is the flexing of the receiver bar. With no bikes on board and the carrier arms in the vertical positing, you can watch the minor 'dancing' of the vertical members. Put 2 bikes on the carrier and you can see a little more wobble of the bikes. I suspect the receiver arm of the carrier needs to be sturdier to eliminate this movement. When you read the warranty, you will notice Swagman will void the warranty if the bikes are carried on a 5th wheel trailer or on a vehicle that is taken off road. That tells me they know the receiver arm needs beefing up. Oh well, it works for my interstate transport. I would recommend this carrier for normal day to day transport of 2 bikes.
I ended up getting a different rack (1up heavy duty). After I installed the Swagman, I was disappointed with how flimsy it was. I called etrailer to discuss because I noticed the Swagman site at the time did not say it was RV approved but etrailers website said it was. The etrailer representative checked with Swagman and they confirmed it was RV approved BUT there was no way I was using it. The quality is not close to the 1up. I never returned the Swagman, it was more trouble than it was worth especially since I had to pay to ship back."
Jenny N - 12/13/2021I bought this bike rack to transport our two bikes. We have Trek Pure's. Once male, one female. The rack went together nicely. It fit very snug in the 2" receiver hitch and tightened down very well with the included hardware. Once assembled, I did have to add and remove the bikes several times to get them the way I wanted them so both frame locks would lock properly. My OCD probably kicked in a little demanding perfection. With everything locked in place, the bikes are very solidly in place within the rack. They don't move whatsoever. After loading the bikes, we took the car around the block. There was some bounce, but that's to be expected. All hardware remained tight after our test ride. I'm confident this bike rack is solid. We will definitely get our monies worth from this purchase.
Just got the platform rack yesterday. After fast shipping at no charge. I put it on today. I must recommend putting it on your vehicle before you set out to ride. It takes a little time to make adjustments or at least in my case it did. Have to maneuver different things try putting bikes on in various positions so that brackets will fit snugly. It took me about two hours to be satisfied. My wife's is a ladies style, and it was presenting a problem with bracket due to the chain guard getting in the way. Then I switched them around and then the bracket would not go down on mine.
Perhaps you wont, have these issues. Depending on the style and make of your bikes.
I will be going out tomorrow and i may leave a follow up comment after driving to location.
I did buy a little lock for the hitch bolt. And I am going to buy locks for the brackets at the discount store. The suite case type locks work well.
Ordered the Swagman XTC2 and a receiver hitch from etrailer earlier this week. Paid for 2 day shipping, and received it THE DAY AFTER I ORDERED IT! Can't ask for any more than that. Completed hitch installation today, and then assembled and mounted the XTC2. It slid right into my 1.25 hitch, and the included rattle-proof hitch pin cinched things down very nicely!
The wheel rack trays are fairly easy to adjust: I just parked my bike behind it, eyeballed about where the trays needed to be to fit the tires, slid them into place, then plopped the bike in. A couple minor adjustments to the racks, and they were ready to cinch down. My wife's bike went on the outside slot. With the dropping frame tube, I had to shift the trays for her bike to the left a bit so the frame clamp hit at the seat riser. Again this was an easy eyeball placement and adjustment, but proper placement results in the bike being shifted to the left a bit. The front tire protrudes about 4" beyond the side of the car, and I'll probably buy one of those bar extensions to remedy this.
Took the bikes out this afternoon, and drove about 4 miles to a nearby park trail. The rack didn't sway much at all through turns, and shaking was pretty minimum going over bumps. I've only used it once so far, but I already love the ease of use! I I have a 2017 Kia Soul, and the vertical rear hatch made a hitch mounted rack the obvious choice. I loved how etrailer's info and user reviews made part/model selection a no-brainer. Why would anybody shop elsewhere? Thanks etrailer!
The Swagman XTC-2 2 bike rack has worked out GREAT on our 2009 Smart ForTwo! Of all the bike racks we have purchased in the past, this one is the best. It can accomodate any type of bike from a standard diamond frame to a recumbent. It is easy to place a women's bike on there too with the sliding stabilizer hooks that hold the bikes down. The straps on the tire mounts along with the fasteners keep the bikes from any movement. Thumbs up!! BTW, the hitch also came from etrailer.com!
Phillip B - 05/05/2019Nice, quality bike rack. Bolts tend to loosen, so keep an eye on them. Rack wobbles a bit, so wish I had bought the 2 inch receiver model instead.
Steven S - 05/16/2022The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because I am a petite senior female and have difficulty lifting my bicycle up to the platform. I tried the technique suggested by customer help, but didn’t improve much.
It is a very good quality bike rack otherwise! I would recommend for most people!
This bike rack worked perfectly! Very easy installation and set-up. We have a CRV and were taking the front tires off of each mine and my husband's mountain bikes in order to transport them in the vehicle. Now we don't need to remove any tires and the bikes are sturdy and secure on this rack. We have the 29.5 plus sized tires and they fit just fine. Took it on a 3.5 hour trip on interstates and highways and experienced no issues. Great product, highly recommended.
Burgess - 06/19/2018The Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack performed well with my first use of it. Easy to assemble and well-built. Loading my bike onto the rack was easy and quick. The load of the bike rests on the tire cradles (a feature I specifically wanted in a bike rack) and the rubber securing straps for the bike tires are hefty. The top-slide securing-hook (which descends onto the bike frame) is constructed very well and does the job. With the bike loaded and secured, I drove on surface streets and an area freeway in an urban environment. Everything worked as advertised, and I'm thus far pleased with my purchase of the Swagman XTC2.
Shipping from etrailer was fast....as usual.
Assembly and installation took less than 30 minutes including detwrini g best way to mount bikes.
The rack itself appears well constructed and holds the bikes securely.
I did add a piece of "noodle foam" as additional protection for the paint based on concerns expressed in other reviews.
I'll be ordering additional wheel straps shortly since my 2 year old Lab just ate one off the rack while writing this review......terrible 2s' I guess
Victoria B - 09/27/2019This bike rack is fantastic. Easy to install and quick on on and off with bikes. The only thing is you can’t put a locking pin thru bar. But I tighten the mounting bolt real tight. You need a socket wrench to get it off.
Andrew - 07/30/2021I purchased the Swagman two-bike carrier, the long version, for carrying my recumbent bicycle. In the majority, the carrier works well, but I have an issue that makes the carrier almost unusable and a pain in the neck.
I do like that my Tour Easy long wheelbase recumbent bike fits, although I have to use a small wheel to keep it from sticking out too far on the sides. I used a shim at the hitch attachment to try to help with movement. I also purchased straps to attach to the car to help prevent sway. I do feel that my bike is safe when mounted on the rack. The bike will not fit inside my current vehicle and the rack is the only way I can carry it. This rack is good value for the money. It was easy to set the rack up to fit the bike and I feel confident that the bike is safe.
I did put some reflective tape on the rack as people who walked close to my car barked their shins on it and I heard a man comment that the thing should be folded up, which is not possible. I believe the tape helped and I haven't hit my shins.
The issue I have that is quite problematic is that the pins that have to be removed and replaced in order to stand the center support upright and lay it back down are not durable or are even defective. Before I could use the rack, I had to get one replaced. etrailer was not able to provide the replacement part, but did help me contact the manufacturer.
The second time I used the rack I almost could not remove one of the pins. The button was stuck and I could not sink it back in to remove it. Finally, after about 45 minutes, I was able to remove it. It is tethered to the rack and I left it hanging. Fortunately, I had another pin that fit and was able to use the rack.
I have no idea why these pins are an issue. I have never had a problem with them on other devices, even the ones that the buttons can be a little hard to push in. I hope that a pin failure doesn't happen at a critical time. I have tried to think of an alternative to the pins but have not come up with anything yet that I would feel safe entrusting my bike to. I am going to look into pins that do not have a button to see if that would be easier to use. In the photo, you can see the three pins. They have all given me fits, but it is the center one that is critical to use of the rack.
Excellent product! No need for an additional piece to accommodate my ladies bike. I can easily open my hatchback without removing the rack.
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