Carrying Two Bikes and Towing a Trailer with a 2009 Subaru Outback Wagon with Factory Hitch  

Question:

Helpful Expert Reply:

I have a solution for you, but unfortunately there are problems with this setup. First, we don't carry any multipurpose adapters that fit a 1-1/4 inch hitch receiver. Second, the factory hitch of a 2009 Subaru Wagon, according to the owner's manual is a Class I hitch rated for 200 pounds of tongue weight. I recommend verifying the specifics of your vehicle with your owners manual, though I did not see any variation in this weight in the manuals Subaru provided online. There is no real functional option for a split hitch setup on this hitch, and with the added oddities of the Subaru factory hitch being shallow, I'd recommend a much different solution.

Instead, I'd recommend making use of your roof if you don't already plan on carrying anything there. The primary advantage to this is opening up access to your rear cargo area and leaving more of the hitch capacity open for the trailer itself.

If you have bicycles with a quick release front wheel and don't have the factory roof rack, the most direct solution for the vehicle is a SeaSucker MiniBomber, part # 298-BM2006. This unique rack uses vacuum cups to mount the bike rack to the roof of your vehicle, skipping the need to install a roof rack just for the bikes. These racks do fall into the "See to believe" category, so I've included a video of a pair of the 1 bike Talon variation of the rack, part # 298-BT1004 being used as a pair to lift a VW Bus, as well as a video review of the MiniBomber.

The SeaSucker racks don't include any integrated security features, so I recommend a 10 foot cable lock like part # e98891 to add security to the bikes and the rack. This can mount to the side rails of your 2009 Subaru Outback Wagon if its equipped with them.

If you don't have quick release front wheels, or would rather have a more traditional rack, you can use almost any roof mounted bike rack if you have a factory or aftermarket roof rack. I recommend wheel mounts primarily because they are easier to mount the bikes to. A favorite of mine is the Yakima FrontLoader bike rack, part # Y02103. One of the primary reasons for this is that the bike rack has an incredibly easy to use mounting system and holds a wide variety of wheel sizes. Its additionally fairly economical price wise and can add a same-key locking system that lets you use the same key. Since you'd likely want two bike racks, you'll want part # Y07204 to add these locks to your racks.

If you don't have a rack, you'll need to add one.

If you do have roof rails, I recommend the Malone AirFlow bars, part # MPG215. This is an all-in-one kit that will clamp to the roof rails and let you mount the FrontLoader racks onto the vehicle.

If you don't have roof rails, you'll need to install a clamp style rack. I recommend Rhino Rack's Vortex kit, consisting of:

Vortex Aero Crossbars, 46 inches, Silver, part # RRVA118S-2 or Black, part # RRVA118B-2
2500 Vortex Legs for Crossbars, part # RRRLKVA
DK Fit Kit for Vortex legs, part # DK292.

This will add an aero kit to your vehicle, letting you use the FrontLoader racks or any other roof bike rack that you'd like on the vehicle.

I've included video of all of these parts so you can compare their features and performance and make the best decision for your adventure.

expert reply by: Jacob W

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