Is There Spare Mounted Bike Rack for 2012 Toyota RAV4 that is Lighter Than Yakima

Updated 07/16/2025 | Published 07/12/2025

Question:

I have a 2012 RAV with a tire cover on the back door…I hate the Yakima rack we have which is heavy and a pain to attach to the jack and still blocks entry to the back which is inconvenient Do you have a solution that attaches to my spare area? I only need it for two bikes generally

asked by: Dan

Expert Reply:

Hey Dan, we have the Hollywood Racks spare mounted bike rack part # HRSR1 that is a fit for your 2012 Toyota RAV4 and only weighs 19 lbs. In general I don't love spare mounted bike racks for the reasons you mentioned...would you consider a hitch mounted option? It would require installing a hitch.

expert reply by: Jameson C

Dan

7/15/2025

Please share more about a hitch

Jameson C.

7/16/2025

@Dan For a hitch the etrailer part # e98864 would be a great option that would open you up to a lot of different bike rack options. It's also not super expensive as well. For a solid bike rack that is also great priced the Hollywood Racks Trail Rider # HR200Z is tough to beat. I know you had a Yakima rack before so for a similar platform rack we also have the Holdup part # Y02443 which only touches the bikes by the tires which allows it to protect the frame surface. If neither of those are super interesting let me know and I'll see if I can find something more in line with what you are looking for.