Saris MHS Platform Rack Base for 3 Bikes and Accessories - 2" Hitches - Tilting

Video Transcript for Saris MHS Platform Rack Base Review SAR48MR

Hey everyone, it's Evangeline, and today, we have the Saris MHS 3+1 base. So the MHS is going to be a modular hitch system that allows you to mix and match difference MHS accessories. This is going to be the largest base that the MHS comes in. So we're gonna talk about the different types of accessories you can use with this base and why you might wanna pick this or other bases in the system. There are three bases available. There's the 1+1, there's the 2+1, and then there's the 3+1.

So why do they have a +1 to the name Well, the main thing is that there are, for this specific base, three base spots. So each of your accessories is going to have a collar that wraps around those spots, but you can also attach an add-on accessory. So you're going to be deciding between your different base accessories and your different add-on accessories. No matter what accessory you do get, something that I've noticed with the different bases and the accessories is that they're really designed to be super sturdy and very heavy duty. There is a lot of steel as well as construction and design that goes into each component, which is awesome for sturdiness, but it can get pretty hefty.

The 3+1 is going to be the heftiest of all the bases. Just the 3+1 already weighs 42 pounds without any of the accessories. So I would recommend this for vehicles that have a higher ground clearance because when you tilt this base away, it does have further to go the before hitting the ground and then also having a really good weight capacity. When you do have this loaded up, having those different features like tilting it away and folding up can be more of a workout, but this is also going to be a workout on your car. If you have not as much tongue weight on your vehicle or on your hitch receiver or if your vehicle sits closer to the ground, you may experience a good amount of sag as well as pressure on that receiver hitch.

So before you get started, please double check your vehicle's hitch receiver tongue weight capacity. Once you start loading this up with cargo as well as bikes, then those numbers can add up. Now, this does have a maximum weight capacity of 230 pounds no matter what accessories you have. Now, when you do mix and match those different bike rack accessories or the cargo basket, that weight capacity does change a little bit in how it's distributed. For example, this cargo basket has a maximum capacity of 200 pounds, and you will usually see it attached to the first two slots of your MHS base.

That's because you want the heaviest cargo closest to your vehicle and then the lighter cargo further away, but what if you're not carrying around a basket and you're just carrying around bikes Now we have the bike rack trays set up, and the different weight capacities can get a little confusing, so here's what I think about. First slot has an 80-pound weight capacity, second slot, another 80 pounds, but then the third and the fourth spots, the fourth being the add-on, have a 35-pound weight capacity each. Now, this all combined means you don't carry more than 230 pounds worth of bikes, but then you also have to consider what type of bike rack tray do you have loaded up. If your first two are the duo trays, that's great because they have an 80-pound weight capacity, and then the uno tray has a 40-pound weight capacity. So if you don't have the add-on, you can use that 40-pound weight capacity, but when you have four bikes on there, then the 230-pound weight capacity takes precedence. With the 3+1, you are a lot more likely to want to take advantage of the modularity of the MHS. So if it does get a little confusing for which type of accessories you do want or you do need, while we do have full reviews of the individual components, we also have fully loaded kits. So if you want to start with a full duo set up with up to four bike capacity, well, check out that kit right here. Otherwise, mix and match to your heart's desire. The way the modularity works is we do have different slots on the base. Here's an example of an empty spot, and that metal has that open space for the collar to fit around, creating that very sturdy fit. So what you do is that you use the special security tool, which is really just a Allen wrench with a hole cut out of it, and this allows you to either tighten down or loosen those collars. So for example, here we have this loose. We're able to flip this lever out of the way, freeing our bike. This is also made of metal, creating that sturdier grip compared to other brands where they just utilize little levers and knobs. Once that's out, you can then grab the tray and either move it around along the base or uninstall it completely. This creates that modularity as well as that ability to create a system that fits you and your bikes best. In case you didn't know, the height of your hitch receiver will greatly affect your experience with this rack because of its size. So earlier, you saw that we we inchesre unable to fully tilt it away to the ground. We still had clearance, but that's not gonna be the same for all cars. So measuring for your hitch clearance, go ahead and add three inches. For example, my hitch sits at 9 1/4 inches off of the ground measured underneath the shank. Compare that to where the space is, which is 12 1/4 inches off of the ground. Now, you will have this handle here, and that will protect you a lot when you do have little clearance, but then you're also gonna be worried about steep inclines like driveways or hills to make sure you don't bottom out and hit the ground. This is going to add a lot to the back of your vehicle. So here's some measurements without the trays on so you can just really focus in on the base. Where I measure is the center of your hitch pin hole, because that way, you can figure out four spaces around your bumper, your spare tire, or depending on the location of your hitch, where actually this sits on your vehicle. This is gonna add 51 inches from that spot to the end of your bike rack, but you can also make this a lot more compact by folding it up. You have two options. There's the angled position, which is gonna be great for if you have, let's say, a spare tire, again, those larger bumpers, or if the trays just take up a little bit too much space. You can also fold this up completely, and now the measurement here is the center of the hitch pin hole to the closest point of the base, and that's gonna be 11 inches of distance. This fits into your two-inch hitch receiver, and it's secured by an anti-rattle bolt. That also comes with a lock that goes on the end. Along with that lock, you also are given four lock cores that are keyed alike, and the reason for that is for your different trays. When you get a new accessory, you just switch out the lock core, so that way, you don't have to carry around multiple keys. All you'll need are the two included with your kit. What I do recommend though that isn't included with your base is an extra 5/8 inch socket with a wrench. The reason I mention this is because you really wanna make sure that anti-rattle bolt is super secure. Having an extra one in your vehicle allows for you to make that check whenever you drive. If you do like the Saris Modular Hitch System but you're just trying to figure out which of the bases is gonna be the right fit for you, well, the 3+1 is going to be great for its sturdiness as well as its weight capacity and the ability to carry around up to four bikes, but I do recommend this for vehicles that have at least a 230-pound tongue weight capacity and have hitches that sit a little bit higher up off of the ground. That way, you can take full advantage of all of its features. If your hitch has maybe less weight capacity or sits closer to the ground, like this one does, then I do recommend taking a look at the 2+1 base instead. You get a lot of the features that this one has, just one less slot, but then you're able to carry around all those fun things without worrying about overweighing your vehicle. You can find all those things as well as all that information here on our website, but right here, this was a look at the Saris MHS 3+1 base for your MHS accessories here at etrailer.com. My name's Evangeline, and I hope you enjoy the journey.