To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
This 3-bike trunk rack has an arched dog leg that fits over the spoiler on most sedans, hatchbacks, and SUVs. You can fold the adjustable arms down for parking in tight spaces, and you can quickly remove the rack and store it in your trunk or garage.
Features:
Specs:
Note: This dual-arm rack reduces the need for a bike frame adapter bar (sold separately) to mount a children's, women's, or alternative frame bicycle. However, to mount certain bikes or to keep your bike level on the rack, a bike adapter bar may be required. Most step-through bikes, dual-suspension bikes, and small children's bikes will require a bike adapter bar.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi everyone it's Evangeline here at E Trailer. And today we'll be taking a look at our Saris Bones bike rack. This is a trunk mounted bike rack. So if you don't have a hitch, can't have a hitch but still wanna carry around bicycles this is gonna be one of your options. We can get this as a two or a three bike option. What I have here is the three bike right now.
So we'll talk about it with how it works right here on our 2017 Toyota RAV4. First thing we need to know is the weight capacity. So this has a 35 pound weight capacity per bike. And then also notice the way that it's set up on our vehicle. So I'll talk about where the straps go, where the foot pads go, does it work with a spoiler.
But let's talk about the way our bike is mounted here. We have three mounting points. So there is gonna be a one two on top, and then the third down here is our anti sway. And look how impressive that is, you barely get any sway here, although I do recommend using the strap included with this bike rack to secure your front wheels. So we're gonna start removing the bike, but first I wanna show you the difference this third strap does.
So we'll take this out by pressing the lever and it's taking that whole strap out and look at how much more sway we have. If this is on the back of your vehicle you wanna make sure you reduce the sway as much as possible. It is nice to see though no matter how much it does sway we're not making any contact with our RAV4. Then we're gonna remove the other straps. Again press those levers, lift up on the straps.
I do like how they automatically swing upwards, that way it's just easy to grab your bike, bring it through the arms, and then you're ready to go on a ride. With the bike outta the way we get to take a closer look at the cradles themselves. And I'm personally a big fan of this design. Look at the way it's shaped with the inside of the straps. They have those little grips there just to give yourself some extra traction and grip for the bike. And when they tighten down they have this really smooth curve design here. So everything works well but also looks pretty good. With this being the three bike version, and I do recommend if you are gonna get the Saris Bones EX definitely go ahead and get the three bike version. It's gonna add some length to the back of your vehicle, so let's take some measurements to see exactly how much. I am gonna measure from our bumper here to the end of the bike rack right over there. And that sits at about 29 inches of length. The two bike version will be a little bit shorter than that but still something to remember when you're backing into your garage or trying to park into a tight spot, especially in the city, please keep in mind that you now have bikes as well as a bike rack behind you. There are a lot of adjustment points for the arms here, and they're accessed by a nob on top. So for example let's say you don't or you're not planning on taking your bikes out just yet but you also don't wanna take your bike rack off. Although you really shouldn't keep this on for an extended period of time 'cause you can't open your hatch or use your windshield wipers. But if you want to you can move this into the compact position. So notice how this folds down. The way this adjusts too is that this allows you to carry uneven bike frames. So if you're carrying one women's bike with a strange frame you can adjust the arms to match their frame. But once you've made your adjustments on the arms over here in the center just bring them back out to the grooves and secure it with the nob on top. So now let's take some measurements to see how much space this takes up behind our vehicle. So from the bumper this time we're gonna measure to up to this point which is by that cradle, and it's 15 inches. This is also perfect time to take a look at where it's strapped down. So on the top we're using hatch huggers and that goes into our hatch. Make sure to have your strap go over the top of your Bones EX leg, that way you're not putting any stress on that spoiler on top. And let's take a look over here to the sides. So notice how we have our feet on our window, our side strap goes into our hatch. And then our lower strap goes down but is not hooked into the door. Instead you can either replace it with another set of hatch huggers, or if you only have one pair you leave the hook inside the door and find another spot for it. So it's not hooked in here but rather in the side of your trunk. The bottom feet go beside our license plate and then they're in our license plate well. So these do have articulated rubber feet, but please make sure just to wipe down all the surfaces before you put on the bike rack, that way you don't have extra dirt or sand in between creating scratches. And then you also have a nice snug fit. Now for the excess straps. Sometimes as you do tighten it down you may have some excess strap. If you get the new Saris Bones they're gonna include this end cap where you can store your excess strap. Some of the other Bones EX bike racks though they do not have the end cap and that's okay because they also have this hook and loop strip. So that way you just need to roll this up and then secure it with a hook and loop strip so then they're to flying around as you drive around. So when you get your bike rack that's pretty much all you need to carry your bikes. But I personally recommend some extras too so that it works well with your RAV4. So one is gonna be you definitely need at least one set of hatch huggers. And if you can get two sets so four total please do so for your top hooks and your lower hooks. Another thing I recommend adding on is that this does not have any integrated locks. You may need to use the Saris cable lock and strap. You can find that in related parts right here at E Trailer dot com. Here at E Trailer we have hitch options for your RAV4, in fact we have one installed right now. But if for some reason you are unable to find or get or install a hitch onto your RAV4 but you still wanna carry around bicycles this may be one of your better options other than getting a roof mounted bicycle. This way you can carry one, two, three bikes at the end of your vehicle. Just keep in mind that weight capacity, if you have heavy bikes probably not gonna be the best fit. If you have different size frames you are gonna need the frame adapter bar, and you're also gonna have to think about your locking options. So hopefully this video helped you out with figuring out how do I install the Saris Bones onto my Toyota RAV4 How many bikes can I carry with this And the what kind of weight capacity does this have Will this work for my bicycles So hopefully you're able to see this and figure out if this was the right fit for you. Although I highly recommend taking a look at our hitch mounted options as well for a little bit more stability. And that was a look at our Saris Bones EX trunk mounted bike rack here on our 2017 Toyota RAV4. My name is Evie Angeline and I hope this helped you out..
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (72 Customer Reviews)
This 3-bike trunk rack has an arched dog leg that fits over the spoiler on most sedans, hatchbacks, and SUVs. You can fold the adjustable arms down for parking in tight spaces, and you can quickly remove the rack and store it in your trunk or garage.Best bike rack for my Mitsubishi Outlander. Bikes are secure and it’s easy to use.
This bike rack is perfect for our Kia carnival minivan. Very sturdy and does not put pressure on the back of the van.
Great product so far! Easy to install and adjust. A little tricky to load 2 large handlebar mountain bikes and a third smaller bike, but we just turned them sideways with the front wheels taken off. We had racks on bikes which were probably the impediment. We got them on though! Love how it folds up easy for quick storage. Works great on 2014 Subaru Outback.
Fits great on my Lexus NX but I’m worried about the bottom legs. Instructions doesn’t say if the bottom feet should be on the rear bumper or trunklid. I placed it on the top rear bumper but because of the limited space, the feet is not fully set in. I didn’t place it on the trunklid because I didn’t feel like the trunklid was strong enough to withhold the rack and bikes without possibly making a dent.
Also, I searched everywhere but my saris came missing one of the bottom hooks. Had to use side hooks instead because I had to get the huggers for the top and side straps.
So far, so good. The confirmed fitting for my car was excellent as described by etrailer. The test will be an upcoming 3 hour road trip.
Very efficient delivery and great customer service!
It works! Very versatile rack that works on a lot of different vehicles so it took a little fiddling to get right, but it work great on my 2021 Civic Sport Hatch. A little “plasticy” for my tastes but fit and finish appear to be satisfactory. etrailer as usual was spot on with shipping and customer service.
Good bike rack. Instructions weren't the best but you get used to doing it your own way. Hope it doesn't scratch the car too bad.
The Saros Bones EX 2 bike rack has been a good fit for a hatchback, allowing me to securely carry one e-bike or two non-e-bikes from my home to the cycling paved path (about 5 miles away in city traffic). I recommend this rack if you need to attach to a hatchback car and have a good distance to bring the bike. Mike in Providence, RI
I’m not happy with this purchase. I have 3 bikes and one of them is heavy. That’s the one I put on first and then the other two. Unfortunately one day I was driving with the bikes to the park which is a five minute drive the arms on the rack started to slip. I don’t use it to drive long distance afraid that it may fall off and cause an accident.
Great bike rack! I've had it for a year and it is still working well (for the most part). Easy to mount on the trunk of my Honda. The only issue (not etrailer.com's fault) is that one of the mounts broke on the first use. For warranty repair, I contacted the Saris company directly. Turns out one of my bikes was just less than a pound above the maximum weight rating (because I added a bike rack) and they refused to honor the warranty. Seems like there would be a margin of error in a rating like that (and bit of flexibility and understanding - the part broke because the mount was flawed). Superglue fixed the problem, but I was disappointed with Saris.
Fits perfect on 2020 Chevy Equinox. Super easy install.
Great customer service. I first tried sourcing this purchase from [online]. They cancelled my order indicating they can't acquire the item from the manufacturer. eTrailer managed instead to fulfill my request. Very grateful for your effort. Thank you.
I received my Saris Bones EX 2 trunk mounted bike rack. I was surprised that it came with no instruction manual. Through trial and error, I was able to figure out how to install. Product description said it was guaranteed to fit my model of automobile and it does. Online [online] says extra strap length can be hidden in the main tube and covered with the end caps. I think I did it right. (Instructions would have been nice.)
Having just received, I have not yet traveled with a bike on the rack. The 6-point tie down offers a snug fit. My wife and I use and travel with a tandem bicycle. Even though it is longer than the normal bicycle, I am not expecting any issues. If I do, I’ll submit another review.
The Saris Bones EX3 Bike Rack has worked very well for me, proving to be stable and secure in carrying two or three cycles. It's a bit challenging to install on my Subaru Forester due to the vehicles special need to capture the side retainers inside the vehicle, but once installed it may provide some security from theft.
Easy to adjust and install. Stays put and the bikes are secure. Doesn't really fit my VW Alltrak that well. The metal hooks for the side straps do not fit unless they are used on the rear window so I have to use the bottom straps on the sides and the sides on the bottom. Also not the best fit for mtn. bikes that don't have big open frames. Road bikes would be fine.
It works great when I carry 2 bikes on the outside 2 racks. When I used the rack closest to the car to carry 3 bikes there were minor scratches.
Works perfectly with a 2018 Toyota High lander
Great bike rack!
I am very pleased with the Saris Bones EX 3 Bike Rack. This bike rack is well designed and built to a high quality level. I am also very pleased with etrailer.com. Their website is easy to navigate, there is plenty of information about the products and the bike rack was delivered ahead of schedule. I highly recommend etrailer.com
This is a well built, sturdy and durable bike rack that is easy to use and folds up nicely for storage.
The web page was very helpful in selecting the right bike rack. Very informative on installation.
Great follow up on order and delivery.
Plus the Saris Bones is made in the USA and shipped from a USA supplier.
I ordered the rack on the website after doing research and deciding that this model was the best for my HRV. It was delivered on time just as projected. I took it out of the box and it was ready to go. I mounted it on my car per the direction which was very easy and you can see it’s a very sturdy unit. I haven’t tried it with my bike yet but I have no doubt based on how it fits the car that it will work well.
At first I was skeptical about using this bike rack but it held true and beat my expectations. I’d definitely buy this again and highly recommend it!
Easy to install and adjust to different frame types. One of the few racks available for the Toyota Highlander so highly recommended.
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