Bike Rack Recommendations for a 2005 Honda Pilot Without a Trailer Hitch  

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Expert Reply:

There are three different ways to carry bikes on a vehicle and those are with a trailer hitch mounted bike rack, a rooftop mounted bike rack or a trunk mounted bike rack. Only hitch mounted and rooftop mounted bike racks are recommended for your 2005 Honda Pilot since bike rack manufacturers have determined it is not safe to attach a trunk mounted bike rack on your rear hatch.

If you have a roof rack on your vehicle, then you could look into rooftop mounted bike racks like the Swagman Roof Bike Carrier, # S64720, which is one of our most popular rooftop bike racks. This rack is designed to fit on most factory crossbars, but you will want to measure to make sure your crossbars are no wider than 3-1/8 inches. I have attached a video review of this bike rack for you to check out as well as a link to all of our roof mounted bike racks.

If your crossbars are wider than 3-1/8 inches or you do not have a roof rack, then you would need to add a roof rack like the Yakima JetStream Crossbars # Y00426, BaseLine Towers # Y28TR, and BaseClip Fit Kit # Y06154. Be sure you check the weight capacity of your roof before mounting any cargo on your roof. I have also attached an installation video of this roof rack for you to check out.

I would recommend adding a trailer hitch to your vehicle and use a hitch mounted bike rack. It is much easier to load bikes on a hitch mounted bike rack than on a roof rack and the hitch mounted bike rack will not have any contact with your vehicle essentially eliminating the potential for damage from a bike rack or when loading bikes.

The trailer hitch that I would recommend for your vehicle is the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch, # 75599. This is our most cost effective class III hitch that will allow you to carry a wide variety of hitch mounted accessories and even tow a trailer if the situation arose. We have had a chance to install this bike rack on a vehicle similar to yours so I attached the installation video and instructions for you to check out.

We have a many bike racks for you to choose from that will work with this hitch. I have attached a link to all of the bike racks that will work for you. A hitch mounted bike rack that I would recommend is the Swagman XTC-2 Bike Rack, # S64670. This is one of our most popular bike racks and has a platform design that makes it easy to load and unload your bikes.

I have also listed a few additional items below that would complete the towing set up for your vehicle if you ever wanted to tow a trailer.

T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness, # 118336 (Installation instructions and video attached)
Ball Mount Kit, # 989900

expert reply by: John H

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