Solution For Carrying 5 Bikes On A 2017 Chevrolet Suburban

Updated 03/08/2021 | Published 03/03/2021

Products Featured in This Question

Curt Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting

(594)

$272.34

Malone Bike Adapter Bar for Women's, Children's, and Alternative Frame Bikes

(61)

$35.95

Custom RCP Fit Kit for 4 Rhino-Rack RC and RV Series Roof Rack Legs - Fixed Mounting Points

(302)

$139.99

Question:

Hello, Not sure if this is the right place to find the answer to my question. Ive been searching your site for a hitch bike rack for my family of 5. I was initially looking at 5 bike hitch racks but read so many mixed reviews I decided a hitch PLATFORM rack was the way to go. Its been near impossible to find a 5 bike hitch platform rack, Ive also looked for possibly a 3 bike platform hitch with a 2 bike add on kit. Do 5 bike platform hitch racks even exist? If not what is the best route to go? There is no getting around the fact that I will need to attach 5 bikes. I appreciate any help or guidance you may be able to give. Thank you,

asked by: Caila S

Expert Reply:

This is exactly the right place to ask a question like this. I have a possible solution for you to carry 5 bikes, however, there are not any platform racks for 5 bikes. The easiest and most affordable route is to use a hanging-style bike rack such as Curt Premium 5 Bike Rack for 2" Hitches - Tilting Item # C18065. This bike rack has a weight capacity of 45lbs per bike and secures the bikes by the frame. If you plan to haul women's, children's, or full-suspension bikes then you may end up needing Adapter Bar # MPG2165 which will allow any bike to be tightly secured to the Hollywood Racks bike rack no matter the frame design.

If you are set on getting a platform rack then you will have to get a 4-bike carrier and then install a roof -mounted bike rack for the 5th bike. For a 4-bike carrier I recommend Malone Runway HM4 for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount # MAL82VR. This uses padded hooks to ratchet down onto the bike frame. While this typically works with many different styles of bikes, you may need the Adapter Bar # MPG2165 for this as well. This bike rack has a weight capacity of 33lbs per bike and weighs 60lbs which is pretty light for this style rack.

To install a roof-mounted bike rack you will first need a crossbar setup if you don't have one. I recommend going with Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars - Aluminum - Silver - 59" Long # RRVA150S-2. You will also need Legs # RRRCH4 and Fit Kit # RRRCP43-BK to install the crossbars. This setup has a weight capacity of 220lbs which is the highest weight capacity available. The crossbars have a built-in top channel that allows many accessories to be easily mounted. For a roof-mounted bike rack you could look into the Rhino-Rack Hybrid Roof Bike Rack # RRRBC050. This will clamp onto the crossbars and allow a bike to be mounted by the wheel. This fits bikes with 20"-29" wheels and up to 2.7" wide tires. I have attached demonstration videos for the products listed.

expert reply by: Andrew N