Best Bike Rack and Trailer Hitch for Carrying 3 Bikes on a 2018 Subaru Forester

Published 11/09/2017

Products Featured in This Question

Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

(798)

$170.60

RockyMounts MonoRail Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount

(344)

$799.98

Question:

About to buy a 2018 Forester. Will have a hitch mount installed at dealership. What class and type should I ask for? Most of the time will be using 1 or 2 bikes, but would max out at 3 Womens bike and 2 kid bikes or in future, possibly 2 womens and 1 mans. What is best rack that wont interfere too much with rear visibility esp. when no bikes are on the car and rack is folded down? And how easy or hard is it to take the rack off completely so we can maximize parking ease when not going biking for awhile?

asked by: Holly S

Expert Reply:

To get the most out of your trailer hitch you will want a Class III hitch with a 2 inch hitch receiver like the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver # 75876 which is confirmed to fit your 2018 Subaru Forester.

This specific trailer hitch does not have a 2 bike restriction like a Class I trailer hitch would have and the 2 inch receiver will allow you to carry a wider variety of accessories than a 1-1/4 inch receiver would.

A great option for you is the RockyMounts MonoRail 3 Bike Platform Rack # RKY10004-10005. This bike rack weighs in at 63 lbs so it is definitely a bit heavier, but it uses a platform wheel mount system. This means it secures your bikes by the wheels and will not require the use of an adapter bar as it can accommodate any bikes frame type that does not have a fender. It also has bike and rack locks plus it can be folded up. The tilting feature is a little different in that you can actually leave your bikes on the bike rack when utilizing this feature.

If you have this bike rack configured for 3 bikes then it can carry 3 that weigh up to 45 lbs, but if you take the 1 bike extension off that weight limit is increased to 60 lbs per bike.

When talking about the clearance when looking behind your vehicle the Helium would most likely be the better choice. Although the MonoRail will not be visible in the carrying position, the 3rd bike carrier would probably be completely visible when you have it in the "folded" position.

I have attached some review videos on these bike racks that you can check out.