Product Specs:
Hitch Bike Racks
Hanging Rack
Fold-Up Rack
Swing-Away Rack
Fits 2 Inch Hitch
Class 3
Frame Mount
Bike and Hitch Lock
4 Bikes
Thule
Unlike other hanging bike racks, this rack swings away from the rear of your vehicle. This gives you full access to your cargo area without having to remove your bikes. Anti-sway cradles fold up, so they don't interfere while loading your bikes.
Video of Thule Apex Swing XT Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Swing Away
Average Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (173 Customer Reviews)
Unlike other hanging bike racks, this rack swings away from the rear of your vehicle. This gives you full access to your cargo area without having to remove your bikes. Anti-sway cradles fold up, so they don't interfere while loading your bikes.
It’s nice and sturdy rack that is great for jeeps or trucks to be able to maintain full use of the tailgate. What I dislike is that it cannot possibly hold 4 bikes. My wife and I both have gravel bikes with drop down handlebars. And this rack can only accommodate those two bikes plus our 5 year olds small bike with 18” wheels. There’s no way we can even fit 3 adult sized bikes. So that’s very disappointing for the price. I don’t know why they couldn’t have made the horizontal bars that the bikes rest on longer so there would be enough room for 4 bikes.
Katrina B - 08/16/2022This by far the strongest bike rack I've ever used. Its heavy mind you and can be a little tough to attach and detach, but that being said is easy to lock into the hitch and tighten, reverse also an easy process. I love the ability to swing the arm and gain full access to the hatch on my Highlander and then simply swing it back in place, even with 4 bikes attached, this alone makes this rack well worth the money.
Jason - 07/12/2022It is heavy, but if you want all of the options that this provides (4 bikes, swing away rack) it's great.
Saumil - 02/27/2023The rack is pretty inconvenient when it comes to loading our families bikes. There’s lots of negotiating around how to put them on as we have adapters for kids bikes and it’s just an all around pain. Plus my husbands bike and mine don’t like being near either and it a real hassle getting them on! Also the screw to lock the rack in place has now been stripped so we can’t take the rack off till the end of bike season. It’s not the best product, but it at least gets us from home to the local trails.
Received the product in good condition and install was quite straightforward. The rack is solid and the fact that all critical points allow for adjustment and tightening via knob vs needing tools is indeed a plus. It fits snugly in my receiver and tightens down for zero movement on our Subaru Ascent. I’ve yet to load bikes but I can already tell its much better than our previous Saris rack.
There was only one install issue - make certain you place the right locking mechanism into the proper lock. I don’t know why but it uses two separate keys - and the single key lock is the one that goes into the hitch receiver knob - and the instructions were slightly ambiguous on cautioning for that.
Overall it’s heavy duty and should last year’s.
The hitch did not fit tight the way it should because the bolt holes did not match up. Clearly a defect. Was so heavy that it remains a piece of trash that is unusable in my basement.
Sierra K - 07/22/2022Happy to find it in stock. It took a couple of hours to assemble both the rack and the tram. Looking forward to many years of use!
Francis - 07/26/2021It came dirt/dusty all over the parts. When I pay for a new product, I kind of expect it to be clean. But no big deal. It works great and seems very sturdy. Most of all, I love the swing-away function.
Excellent swing rack! I can open both rear doors of my 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. I couldn’t be happier.
Great Product and great service!!
Very happy with this bike rack. We've put well over 1,000 miles on so far with three full sized bikes on the rack and no issues. Really appreciate that all the installation and adjustments are tool free, making this very user friendly to install and use. My only concern is around the long term durability of the straps to hold the bikes. They do not feel as robust as the rubber straps on my old Thule rack that has lasted me now over 15 years. Only time will tell long term if these straps will be as durable. Everything else seems quite solid and robust.
Purchased this so we could access rear of our minivan with bikes on the rack. The bar is very hard to swing open and get closed and turning the bolt to secure the swing arm is very difficult given the space between the bumper of the car and hitch. The plastic casing around the hitch broke on day one.
I just love my Thule Swing Apex rack. Was able to install it in 10 minutes. It fully swings out more than far enough to
accommodate my Ford F-150 tailgate which was my main reason for purchasing. Great product!
As for etrailer.com, they were simply wonderful to deal with. The first rack I ordered was not able to be delivered quick enough so they gave me a nicer rack for the same price. Then they shipped it out within a couple of days. Great service!
Excellent design and robust construction. Assembly took about 30 minutes, perfect fit on my Grand Cherokee. Put a bike on, actuated the swing and drove around a bit, no vibration, no interference with backup camera. First impressions very positive and I'm very pleased I chose this brand and model.
I ordered this carrier during the pandemic - so it was a hot item and it took a while to get it - but it was worth it. It connected easily and carried the 4 bikes (2 adult, 2 kids) really well. I haven't gone on any really long road trips with it yet - but from the performance thus far would recommend this product.
Regardless of received the wrong item at first time. I notified etrailer and they sent the free return label for returning the wrong item and they shipped the correct item the next day. For a quick response and for this reason I gave it a 4 1/2 stars for customer services. I would recommended etrailer and I would shop at etrailer again in the future.
Thank you for taking care of this matter so quickly.
Amazing service and guidance... this works amazing for a large SUV and a family of 4. The swing out function is genius because u can still open and close back of suv.
Great purchase
Assembled the rack today. I haven't used it for any trips yet. It is very difficult to get the two major pieces to align so the bolt can be installed. I was finally able to get it to work.
Fantastic product! Instruction manual could be more descriptive.
Easy, good pricing, had a professional install it.
Bike rake is easy to use and perfect for 4 bikes
Hard to manipulate with 4 bikes on,but otherwise worked well on 800 mile trip. Very sturdy.
Easy assembly. Solid product. You get what you pay for. Easy operation. Great seller, fast shipping.
great product
VS
Product Specs:
Hitch Bike Racks
Hanging Rack
Swing-Away Rack
Fold-Up Rack
Fits 2 Inch Hitch
Class 3
Frame Mount
Bike and Hitch Lock
4 Bikes
Yakima
This rack swings away from the rear of your vehicle with bikes loaded for full cargo area access. Adjustable cradles slide along the arms to best fit each bike. Removable ZipStrips let you load bikes without bulky straps interfering.
Video of Yakima FullSwing Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Swing Away
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (47 Customer Reviews)
This rack swings away from the rear of your vehicle with bikes loaded for full cargo area access. Adjustable cradles slide along the arms to best fit each bike. Removable ZipStrips let you load bikes without bulky straps interfering.Installation today was pretty straight forward. We had no problems. It may require two people to install the bike rack onto the hitch because it is pretty heavy. But, as a 41 yo woman I was able to attach the bike rack to the hitch by myself. We haven't used it yet to transport our bikes, but I imagine that will be seamless too.
This is an excellent rack. The hinge and locking mechanisms work very well under heavy loads, allowing the opening of the car's rear door without having to unload or even adjust the bikes on the rack.
This is a great bike rack. It’s amazing how much weight it can hold while swinging out of the way of the lift gate. Because of that, though, it has to be quite heavy, so keep in mind that it is a little bit of a beast to handle. It can be a little tricky to fit four bikes on it, and my small kids’ bikes required Tube Tops to fit, but this might be similar for most racks.
Product is great. Would not recommend using etrailer however. It took over 6 weeks to get my rack. I was not told when I purchased the rack that they did not have it in stock and it would take this long. After about 2 weeks, I called etrailer and they said it would be another week or so, which was clearly inaccurate.
Charles - 07/11/2021I bought this hitch carrier to bring 4 bikes on a 1200 mile round trip for a 2 week vacation. I used to spend more to rent bikes than the cost of the hitch. I purchased this during a Labor Day sale last year thinking if I used it once it would pay for itself. I spent the xtra $$ on the swing feature and am glad I did as it allowed me to load bikes whenever I needed and get to the rear of our SUV at any time. Works flawlessly! I have a THULE roof carrier (love it) but when I went to Dicks to check out the THULE ‘s securing rubber ties, I realized they were pretty hard to secure whereas the Yakima zip ties are easy. Hitch lock was easy and built in bike lock made made everything secure. Would buy again, recommend to anyone!
ENTMD - 08/31/2019I drive a 2009 Toyota Sienna. I did a lot of research online and even called around to U-Haul and a few of the car dealerships to price installation for a hitch receiver and wiring harness. If you are even semi-handy then do it yourself!! I had to clean out the holes on the frame for the bolts for a while but once they were clean the hitch went on without a "hitch" :) The wiring harness was super easy to install as well. Communication and shipping through etrailer was flawless.
We just came back from a road trip with the Yakima bike trailer. It worked awesome! I fit 4 bikes on with ease. The securing straps are heavy duty. I would also recommend this product. The price through etrailer was the same as anywhere else I could find it online.
JDA - 08/23/2016Don't Buy, purchase a tilt version.
Annoying and time consuming. You must unscrew the swing arm every time you enter your rear car door. Difficult to close the swing arm with bikes attached (2x adult and 2x kids), due to weight. Love the attachment clips, integrated wire bike lock and hitch lock. DO NOT USE ON TRAVEL TRAILER!!! I had to use on my fifth wheel traveling from Bad Lands to the Smokey Mtns due to a van issue and the receiver bent destroying the bike rack.
Mike L - 06/26/2019This bike rack works great. It is beefy, and takes some strength to install or remove, but is rock solid and holds my bikes firmly without damage. The feature I like most is the swing away arm that lets me lower the gate of my truck to access the bed. I have a tonneau cover that keeps the contents of the bed safe while I'm out riding.
Very versatile bike rack. I love the way it swings away from the hatch for easy accessibility into the back of the vehicle.
Would definitely buy more accessories from etrailer.
The product (FullSwing) is rock solid. My favorite feature beside the stability is the integrated lock. I'm not sure when I'll use the beer opener but that is cool also. I can't say enough about eTrailer. I considered a purchase through anazon of course, but the product was not in stock. Using eTrailer was a great decision. I received the product in two days with normal shipping, just in time for a trip the next day.
Matt E - 07/04/2016The Good: Solid and well-engineered, swing mechanism works as advertised, easy to strap on bikes, full 2" tongue insert, holds 4 bikes when needed.
The Bad: Too heavy/cumbersome to conveniently install, remove on a regular basis. Mast is 6-8" too tall so that it blocks your view out the back window. Bikes are not safe from theft when parked because entire mast is easily removable, bikes & all, by 2 average guys (I had a ring welded to the mast so I can cable the mast to my hitch -- Yakima should have done this).
Overall: etrailer was a good outfit to work with. However, while this rack is technically functional, it is a beast. I would not buy the swing mechanism again -- I have seen tilt-down and other styles that also allow rear SUV door access, but aren't nearly as bulky/heavy. I needed a 3 bike solution, but I also need something less clunky to deal with on a regular basis since I don't leave my rack on all the time. I regret buying this model.
Seems like a great product based on the specs and the positive reviews definitely swayed me. But, my experience was only 3 stars. Here's what I found. I have a 2" hitch provided and installed by U-Haul on our 2007 Odyssey, so no flimsy 1" adapter. This thing still moves around a great deal. No failures, but just be prepared when you first mount bikes, go over bumps, etc. LOTS of surface rust after just a year of use where the connecting rod fits into the hitch; took 30+ minutes to work it free last time I took it off the car. We tend to leave it on because we use it often and it is heavy and beastly to put on. Consider some sort of release agent before installation or removal. Operation was fairly straight forward once I got the hang of it. However, over time, certain functions started to fail or become difficult. The key lock is a bit tricky to engage even out of the box, but became very difficult to turn the longer it has been in use. After 10 years, OK. After 1 year, not so much. The locking pin on the arm also started to come out of alignment with the hole in the arm (not much, but enough, has me wondering about the years to come) and required quite a bit of additional manipulation to get it to engage. But, my largest criticism is bike management. We have two adult comfort / mtn bikes, one kid bike and a tag-along. We bought two of the cross bar attacher thingies. No dice. My own men's bike was easy to get on and always went on first per instructions. Next was my wife's, a Trek with a pretty standard triangular frame. TIGHT, TIGHT fit to get that thing on and not the ideal placement to make it work. Our oldest son's bike, another Trek, wouldn't go; could only get one arm through. The cross bar adapter was NO help. What a waste of money, those. Can't use them on anything. They are very limited in their range of use. To get it on, I had to have the bike cocked at about 60 degrees. The crazy fit of bikes #2 and #3 eliminated any chance of getting that tag-along on it even though it is much smaller than a bike. Into the trunk it went, defeating the whole point of a 4-bike carrier. The detachable tie-downs seem like a great idea, but they sure are easy to drop when wrestling a bike, or lose OR STEAL. Where are you going to put them, or the extras, when not in use? Something else to figure out and deal with. The sliding lock downs? Again, another seeming good idea, but after a year, they become very difficult to slide back and forth. I have really had to wrench on them in certain cases to get them to move at all. Can't be good long term and very aggravating since it is supposed to be a slick feature. Why not just leave them in place once you figure out the best spot? Well, there's the principle of it, but there is also this thing called my kids' friends! Yeah, play dates or whatever. Requires a total rework. Not fun. Two adult bikes was very workable even if you couldn't move lock downs...just used the next ones over. And the swing out feature was, in general, very useful. Maybe it's an impossible task, a great 4-bike rack, I dunno. Maybe it's me. But, maybe it's the rack. If you can, try YOUR bikes before buying. Maybe a friend has one already? Maybe it requires some kind of care and feeding not mentioned anywhere. I wouldn't say don't buy it, but just be aware of what you're getting into. Talk to owners of this and other types and brands to see what their use issues might be.
This bike rack is very sturdy and good looking. The swing arm works great. I love the hitch and bike lock that comes with the rack. for the high price of this rack, I expect it to be near perfect but it disappointed me on day one and I almost wanted to return it. I think the engineer tested the arms with standard adult bikes (triangle frame) only because I had a really tough time trying to install 2 kids bike and a non standard adult bike frame on the rack. The problem is that the arms are too thick which excludes many bikes, like mines from fitting. The ties are cool but once I remove the bikes, I don't know where I should put them. I actually like ties that are attached to the rack. Maybe it is just a personal preference. if these issues are corrected, it will make this rack even better.
A quality product with heavy construction. Locks to the tow hitch and also has a cable lock for the bikes. Heavy to install but does allow full access to side opening door on my Land Rover defender; should also work well on a Jeep Wrangler or similar. I also needed a 2 inch trailer hitch extender to provide another 9 inches of clearance from the back of the vehicle to clear the door-mounted spare wheel. Bikes without a crossbar need a Yakima Tube Top Adapter or similar to use the device. It obscures the rear license plate, so I also ended up ordering a Yakima License Plate Holder. Also straps to stop wheel spinning during travel are a good idea. So accessories are needed to use the rack but I'm impressed by the quality.
Heavy duty rack, fit very nicely on my Highlander
This is the best rack I’ve seen or used for being able to have full access to the trunk / back hatch of the vehicle. That said, it is very heavy and an awkward shape so storing it when not in use is no treat if you’re short on space. All in all, probably the best rack I’ve seen.
We love our new bike rack and are very happy with our choice. It's super easy to gets biked on and off, the bikes do not bounce or shake when on the rack, and the swing rack allows us to open the back with ease whether the bikes are already loaded up or not. Our only issue with our bike rack is that it's not very easy to remove and reinstall, and thus we leave it on all winter.
Bike rack is extremely sturdy. Comes assembled and took less than 5 minutes to install. Works and looks great on the pickup truck. Unit swings aside to allow bed to be fully accessed even with 4 bikes mounted. Lock into the trailer hitch prevents removal which was the main reason for purchase over competitive Thule unit which lacks such a locking mechanism. Very pleased with purchase.
etrailer was a breeze to do business with. Unit arrived within 2 days. I did place order over phone, rather than internet. Was told that this would expedite shipping.
The Yakima FullSwing arrived on time. Took a little while to assemble - cold weather does not help. That said, the rack fit perfectly in my Subaru 2020 Outback (factory installed) 2" hitch. Very little wobble and felt very, very solid with 2 bikes attached. Better (but also much heavier) than my old Thule. Service from etrailer was excellent!
A really nice looking bike rack. It is a bit of a beast in terms of size, but my wife was itching to use it and was able to get it on the truck no problem without me. Used it a couple times now and all features work nicely. It does appear that the rubber arms scuff pretty easily and have the potential to wear down eventually... something I will watch for. The locking cable is nice, but not that big a deterrent if someone really wants your bikes. I've had bikes stolen with larger cables that were cut. That said, probably less likely to happen during the day. Got a sweet deal from etrailer.
Sturdy bike rack, performed as advertised. It is heavy, but otherwise easy to install an operate. We use it for 3 kid's bikes, which are a challenge because of their size & configuration, but were able to make it work, even without adapter bars. It would be a challenge to mount 4 bikes.
I didn’t know anything about this company until a few days ago. I’d been waiting for the Yakima bike rack to come back in stock on the Yakima website for months now and it never did. I finally started searching for this specific rack on google shopping and found it at eTrailer. I was hesitant to purchase from an unknown third party distributor online but very glad I did. The price was fair, the acceptance of the order was quick, and the shipping and delivery of the item blew me away - crazy fast. I’ve had multiple emails come to me from them thanking me for my order and letting me know to notify them immediately if I had any issues. I still haven’t had a chance to open the box and review the product. But from all accounts thus far, this company is the real deal with superb customer service. Highly recommend.
Great Product. Fits all 4 bikes well and sits securely in hitch.
It is a little heavy so I'd be inclined to buy a single bike carrier for when my wife wants to mount it on the truck by herseld
It is a great bike rack.
It is very heavy so taking it off and putting it on is a bit difficult, but that is Ok, since it is such a well built, sturdy product.
It is also a bit of a challenge to actually get 4 bikes on as designed, but you can make it work with a bit of adjusting.
It fits my minivan well (after have an aftermarket hitch installed) and permits us to put all camping gear for our family of 4 and bikes (& 4 people) in one vehicle. That is awesome!
It does NOT permit easy access to the "trunk" which is the reason we paid more for this model. In retrospect, I would save money and get the model without rear access as we don't have it now.
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