How to Carry Three Bikes in Class I Hitch on 2014 VW Jetta SportWagen  

Question:

Expert Reply:

The # C11474 Curt Hitch on your SportWagen is a Class I hitch. The bike rack and hitch manufacturers all agree that no more than two bikes should ever be carried on a Class I hitch. Adding a third bike would move the weight too far away from the hitch, which would apply leverage to the hitch that is wasn't designed to withstand. This leverage can bend the hitch or cause its attachment points to the vehicle to fail. Which would be bad.

This leaves you with a few different alternatives. Your least expensive alternative would be to use a trunk/hatch mounted bike rack like the Thule Gateway, part # TH78VR. The rack can carry three bikes, and features anti-sway cradles that would prevent the bikes from swaying back and forth and striking each other or the rear of the vehicle.

Your other alternative would be to carry two of the bikes on a hitch mounted rack like the Swagman Trailhead, part # S63360 and carry the child's bike in the cargo area. Another alternative would have you carry two of the bikes on a hitch mounted rack like the Trailhead mentioned above, and carry the remaining bike on the roof using a roof mounted bike rack.

If your SportWagen doesn't have crossbars, you can install them using parts # RRVA118B-2 and # RRSX100. Once the crossbars are in place, you can install a roof mounted bike rack like the Swagman Upright part # S64720.

If you'll be transporting women's bikes or bikes with sharply-angled top tubes, you might also consider a frame adapter bar like part # 64005. The bar spans the distance between the handlebar gooseneck and the seat post, which provides a secondary attachment point for the bike rack. This allows the bike to be carried level, which maximizes ground clearance. I'll link you to a video showing how the adapter bar works.

expert reply by: Mike L

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