Kuat Bike Rack for 2004 Toyota RAV4 That Can Clear Rear Spare

Updated 01/14/2025 | Published 01/06/2025

Products Featured in This Question

Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

(137)

$216.93

Kuat NV 2.0 Base Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Matte Black

(399)

$898.00

Kuat Transfer V2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount

(322)

$549.00

Kuat Pivot 2 Swing Away Hitch Extender for Bike Racks - 2" Hitches - Passenger's Side

(239)

$498.00

Question:

Hi. I have a 2004 Toyota RAV4, which has a rear mounted spare tire and a rear door that swings out instead of a hatch that swings up. For 20 years I have used the Thule or Yakima spare tire hanging racks. I have a new full suspension MTB and dont want to hang a $7000 bike from a $40 top tube adapter. I want a platform/tray style hitch rack. Im interested in either the Kuat Transfer V2 or the Kuat NV Base. Maybe a Yakima like the Holdup or a Thule like the T2 XTR. BuT I overwhelmingly prefer the two Kuat options. Though Im not thrilled how low the rear tire of a long wheelbase bike fits on the Transfer. My questions. Do you know if either of these two racks have the measurements that will allow it to fit on my vehicle without hitting the rear mounted spare? Will I be able to open my rear door without it hitting the rack. folded down, with no bikes aboard, or would i need a Kuat Hi-Lo Extension? Would the Kuat extension in the Lo position allow my door to swing open. Thank you Greg

asked by: Gregory D

Expert Reply:

Hey Greg, so the hitches that we offer for your 2004 Toyota RAV4 like the Curt # C13524 have a distance of 10 inches from their hitch pin hole out to the furthest point out on the rear spare. So you need a hitch bike rack that has at least 10 inches from it's hitch pin hole to the nearest bike tray.

The Kuat NV Base part # BA22B would work for this as it has this distance at 11-3/4 inches. The Kuat Transfer V2 part # KU84FR does not have quite the clearance needed as-is but I wouldn't count it out yet.

Since you want ability to access the rear cargo area with the bikes loaded you'd also want to use the Kuat Pivot 2 Swing Away adapter part # PVP20B which adds additional length to the bike rack for more spare clearance but also allows the rack to completely get out of the way so you can get into the rear hatch.

expert reply by: Jameson C

Gregory D.

1/7/2025

Thank you for your reply, Jameson. Actually what i said was "Will I be able to open my rear door without it hitting the rack, folded down, with NO BIKES ABOARD". I'm not concerned about opening it with bikes loaded so I don't need a Pivot. I asked if the Kuat Hi-Lo Extension would do that. I only want access to my rear door with the rack folded or tilted down, no bikes on-board. Will the Kuat Hi-Lo Extension in the Lo position do that? Thank you Greg

Jameson C.

1/7/2025

@GregoryD Since the rear door is basically the entire rear section of the vehicle I don't see how it would allow for the door to open with either rack using the adapter.

Gregory D.

1/14/2025

@JamesonC Thanks! I wouldn't even be thinking of another rack if it weren't for the new full suspension mountain bike. All of my other bikes work great with the Yakima SpareRide I've been using. Especially one of the bikes that is fendered, which doesn't play well with those arms on tray racks that clamp down on the front wheel. I'd considered a roof top rack like the Yakima High Road, but then I'd only be using that for the full sus, nothing else. I'm wondering about getting something simple and light like the Kuat Transfer V2 1 bike rack (28 lbs) that i can easily install and remove weekly for the three days I'm off work and riding, saving chores that need access to the rear door for the other four days when I'd remove it. There doesn't seem to be a solution short of something like the Kuat NV Base and Pivot if i want to check all the boxes. However the idea of spending that much money plus a hitch for a vehicle with 260,000+ miles on it for the sake of transporting one bike seems excessive. My next vehicle may have a rear hatch with no spare tire and present none of the issues the 2004 RAV4 has. Thanks for the observation that the rear door on the 2004 RAV is essentially the entire back of the vehicle. I'd read a customer comment on the Kuat Hi-Lo Extension that said they used the Transfer V2 and Hi-Lo Extension on a 2007 RAV4 that both cleared the spare tire AND allowed them to open the rear door with the rack folded down. So I looked up images of a 2007 RAV4 and noticed it actually has a rear bumper with a door that's above that. Big difference. I'm undecided about the best action to take on this. Since I run my RAV with both rear seats removed, I can always just carry the full sus inside it. But it won't fit with the front wheel on. So that means removing and installing a thru axle front wheel multiple times for one bike ride. I'm trying to make transport logistics as simple as possible. If i were 35 years old instead of turning 70 at the end of the month, I wouldn't think twice about the roof rack option. But although I can still manage it now...years down the road, hefting a full sus MTB on the roof of an SUV could present a challenge. And a different vehicle could eliminate the need for a roof rack entirely. It's a dilemma I'm still working out. Thank you so much for your assistance.

Jameson C.

1/14/2025

@GregoryD Glad to help! I kind of like the Transfer bike rack idea # KU84FR as it's pretty simple and I think makes your life as easy as it can be given the circumstances. I would agree that lifting a fully suspended bike onto the roof of the vehicle would be a pain. Especially if you happen to get pretty tired at the end of your ride. Having the bike in the rear cargo area is a solution too but then you're probably cleaning up the vehicle interior more often. More modern vehicles don't seem to have the rear spare as often as they did a few years back so I would assume your next vehicle wouldn't have same issue.