# 1
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
First-time rack buyer / owner / installer. The rack arrived in a timely fashion, maybe a day or 2 ahead of schedule. It was well packaged. I’m LOVING this bike rack. It was easy to put together and to mount on my new Honda Passport. Thus far, no squeaks in my 2” receiver. Hardest part of initial set-up is figuring out the best way to position two bikes. Trial & error and some patience. The directions weren’t clear as to where the 2 left-over screws went. I found the answer in another review and have posted a pic in case others have the same problem (photo with pen pointing at screw). These screws go in the underneath side of both of the folding arms. They appear to keep the wheel wells from sliding off in case in you drive with an empty, un-folded rack, and forgot to tighten down the wheel wells. The folding arm push / pull pins can be difficult at times. I coated the tips with some lube. That and a little jiggling seems to solve that issue. I guess it’s better for the pins to be snug vs popping right out. I added a small Master lock to the hitch pin (in lieu of the provided cotter pin) as a theft deterrent. I read that a 3/16 shackle lock will fit into the bike clamp down arms to also act as a deterrent. I had an old 3/16 lock that did snugly fit and appeared to be locked. HOWEVER, I yanked on the lock and it came open as there isn’t quite enough clearance for the shackle to lock. I discovered that longer 3/16 shackle locks are hard to find. Have attached a photo of the lock that actually fits and works (Ace Hardware). One lock on the upper clamp down arm will secure both arms as the lower arm can’t be removed without removing the upper arm. The clamp down arms appear to be coated to prevent damage to your bike. I’ve tried a simple rag and ultimately settled on pool noodle pieces as a precautionary measure. I CAN NOT open my tailgate (regardless of whether or not the rack is fold up and in the bike carry position). If that’s a concern for you, then spring for the more costly titling version. My back-up camera still functions.
The Swagman XTC-2 platform bike carrier arrived very quickly from etrailer and in good shape, the actual carrier box is inside another shipper box, which I'm sure helped with its condition. Assembly was relatively quick and painless, even though the instructions could be a little more thorough. Installing the carrier on the back of our Jeep Patriot also was quick, it helps to have an extra ratchet & 3/4" socket laying around for just this purpose. Installing the bikes takes a little patience and trial and error the first time you try and put them on the carrier. It's easy enough to adjust the wheel holders to fit the wheelbase of your bikes, but for us at least, the challenge was trying to swing the vertical support bar up into position after putting on the first bike (closest to the Jeep). We couldn't angle the bike enough toward the Jeep to have the bar clear the bike. We learned that the easiest way to secure the first bike was to remove the ratcheting frame hooks altogether, put the bike in the carrier, swing up the vertical support bar, put in the pin, and then slide one of the frame hooks down on the bar. The outside bike is much easier because you can set the bike in the carrier at whatever angle you need, not being limited by the back of the vehicle. One thing we did to protect the bike frames was to use some foam pipe insulation as cushion between the frame hook and the frame (see pictures). Once you get a system for installing the bikes, it is very quick to load/unload them. The rack seems to be well made and doesn't wiggle excessively when traveling. All in all a good product for a good price, would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a platform bike carrier.
# 2
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
Ordered online, it shipped the same day. Received it 3 days later. There is a little assembly, but, pretty simple. It took me less than 15 minutes to install and no tools were needed. It is adjustable to be used on many different auto types, but, the instructions were very clear about how to adjust it to fit my 2011 Ford Edge. I have used it twice so far to transport my bike. There are a couple of items that are inherent in the design, not a flaw, but, you need to be aware of them. First, you can't use rear window wipers. Second, the back-up alarm goes nuts because it registers a bike less than 6 inches behind you (I tolerate it for the few seconds it takes to back out of my driveway or out of a parking lot). Third, there is a little flexibility, it is held on with straps and clamps, not bolts, so, it bounces a little when you go over bumps or make sharp turns, however, it holds the bike fast to the frame and stays on the car. I use mine to transport my bike on short trips around town to bike trails. On a long trip I would suggest checking that the straps remain tight from time to time during the drive.
Positive: The product is well thought out and works for a wide range of automotive vehicles. It comes with interesting dampers that i think work. Instructions seem to be translated from another language, but are quite good, accompanying pictures make installation straightforward. A test drive over speed bumps shows that the rack will support the bike for all travel needs. It can be disassembled , collapsed and stored in the trunk. Downside: The rack is made for the classic triangular shaped frame: horizontal cross bar, "male" bike. For bikes without the horizontal bar, mounting is a little less satisfactory. Such a bike can only be mounted on the outside mounts. Cannot use the damper on one side. Picture shows the mounting. as to a design solution, maybe brackets could be replaced with smaller profile, some adjustability? however, as it is, vibration control is good and adjustability with smaller profile would have vibration concerns.
# 3
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I own a 2005 Jeep Wrangler X with 31x10.5x15 oversized tires and wheels. I installed B6196001 HighRock 4x4 Oversize Tire Carrier by Bestop to carry larger spare tire. I needed a bike carrier that would carry our two crusier bikes and clear my spare tire. After measuring, I ordered: -> S64650 - Swagman 2-bike carrier -> 80300 - 7" Hitch Adapter 2" to 1-1/4" Trailer Hitch Receiver -> RM-061 - Roadmaster Quiet Hitch for 2" Trailer Hitches Our order arrived very quickly, etrailer.com upgraded the shipping. All these products arrived well packaged and without damage. In 15 minutes I had every thing assembled, installed on my Jeep and bikes loaded. The bike carrier is very well constructed, finish is excellent and easy to adjust. When adjusting wheel loops and loading bikes, make sure you pay attention to bike pedal position. I chose this extension because I did not want to use the adapter that comes with the bike carrier, I wanted as few parts as possible to keep rattles to a minimum and gives me more options for towing. The anti-rattle bolt/pin firmly secures the bike carrier to the extension and the Roadmaster Quiet Hitch keeps the extension adapter from rattling in the receiver. Road tested approximately 25 miles over rough city roads ( including railroad tracks ), county roads and highway. Bikes traveled very well without any rattles. I can remove my complete setup quickly, fold and put in rear of Jeep if desired. I am very well pleased with my purchase. Note to etrailer: Please consider offering Roadmaster Quiet Hitch in black to match receiver and accessories. Paul In the Land of Oz . . . Just South of the Yellow Brick Road!
It works great! Easy, quick, you know. One needs to screw in the hitch bolt, for some reason, before latching it. Other than that, it makes going bike riding way easier.
# 4
Yakima HangOver Bike Rack for 6 Mountain Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
The Yakima Hangover 6 made it about 2 months before a rubber strap broke that holds the bike from flying off the rack. I discovered the tear after a 250 mile trip and was thankful I didn't lose a bike. I inspected the other 5 and contacted Yakima. The wait time for my warranty issue to be addressed was ridiculous. I ordered a new strap from etrailer as my hopes for Yakima to come through were not high. 6 months later, Yakima responded to my claim and did sent 6 complete strap assemblies. However, the assembly included bolts that were too small? So to utilize a new rubber strap, I have to disassemble both assemblies and reassemble. The rack does the job. I use a device to stop it from swaying on the hitch as much as it does. There are better designs out there and sort of wish I spent some more money for a better design.
I would strongly recommend NOT dealing with this company. My bike rack arrived very late and after delivery I realized it was not compatible with my bikes. I was looking for a six bike rack that could hold my family's bikes (2 adult + 4 small children's bikes) and this rack is very specific for ADULT MOUNTAIN BIKES ONLY. I did not realize this and called the customer service to initiate a return after having a hitch put onto my car. I was told I could not return. I was out over $1k and ended up giving this rack away on my local free cycle as it was NO value to me and took up space in my garage. I am not a bike expert just a mom with 4 small kiddos looking for ways to enable them to play outdoors, I would have appreciated a better product explanation up front so I understood this would not be a fit for my needs. I would have benefitted from better customer service. Suggest passing on this product/company.
# 5
Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gunmetal Gray
Excellent rack, a year later still in great condition. No movement at hitch when driving like other racks. Love the extra bar to work on bike in parking lot. Cracked a part on the rack when backing up accidentally hit it, I called the company and they immediately sent out new part no questions asked and rack is like new. Easy to access the drop and raise bar even with bikes on .A note that with larger mountain bikes only three really fit on the four rack without adjusting handle bars. Thanks to etrailer for stocking a great product and providing excellent post purchase service
My Kuat NV 2. Bike Rack is the best bike rack I have ever owned. It is excellent for electric bikes. Very easy to load bikes and holds bikes very securely.
# 6
Inno Tire Hold Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
We drove from South Louisiana to Lake Tahoe and back with 4 bikes on this rack with absolutely no issues. I have used this rack on both our VW Atlas and our Chevy Bolt EV and it works great with both of them. The rack is a little heavy, but that is to be expected with its size.
Here's what I love about it: It's super easy and secure to put the bikes on and off. Here's what I don't love: It's heavy and difficult to put on and off the car. It's large enough that when it's in the upright position, it blocks my tail lights, so I can't just leave it on the car always. Overall I do like the product, but I am willing to spend more to replace it with a different model which holds 2 bikes and expands to 4, so it will be easier/lighter to mount to the vehicle, and more reasonable to keep on all the time.
# 7
Yakima HangOver Bike Rack for 4 Mountain Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
The rack is almost great, but there are some silly issues that I didn't expect for the price point. The rubber straps that hold your fork securely to the mounts were complete trash. It was difficult to secure them and get them out of the way for loading, and after a single road trip two had split open. I ended up buying some cheap generic bike rack straps and those have worked fine, but I should not have had to. I highly recommend putting a tie-down strap (included by e-trailer) from the rack handle to your roof rack to take up any slack in the system. I would also recommend securing your front wheels with a bungie or similar for longer trips. The wheels spin in the wind and cause the bikes to want to shift, due to physics that I have no business explaining. Also, as mentioned by e-trailer, this is not a convenient system for short people, my wife at 5'4" is NOT a fan, so I'm usually on load/unload duty.
Our first time using it was on a 1500 mile trip. Had to stop 7 times in the first hour because one of the bikes kept falling off the bracket. Followed instructions to the T. Total nightmare until we improvised the placement on the bracket and strapped it to the bracket, itself. After that, no issues.
# 8
Hollywood Racks Destination Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I’ve ordered multiple products from etrailer and the service is always attentive and delivery is fast. This bike rack installed easily and holds our four bikes securely (we have two adult and two kids bikes).
I have used this rack a lot in the past year and am happy with it. I have had zero issues. The price can not be beat. It holds 4 bikes easily for me but it helps to have a mix of sizes to offset the handlebars a little (I carry small and medium size bikes). I also found orienting the pedals up and down work better than front to back. Loading and unloading is quick once you get the hang of how to align the pedals. Where it differs from a rack 4X the price, this does strap around the frame so I have taped my bike frames to prevent paint damage. It bolts into the receiver, so it does take a wrench to install (it's not hard but an extra step). For the price this is a very solid rack and gets the job done.
# 9
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Super sturdy and easy to use/install. Love the bolt hitch attachment, keeps the rack from swaying/wobbling. Attachment points are very solid and the anti swing clips keep your bikes from smashing into each other and the rack during fast starts and stops. I use for all types of bikes, road, mountain, cruiser, children's, etc.
The good: I like the way the bikes are held in and the ability to add the upright adapters to the bike frame holders. The straps are quality too. For a jeep with a spare tire, this is the perfect length to clear it. This rack is 5 stars from the bike holders to the base of it. The bad: the 2"receiver adapter and bolt are insufficient. I wish they made this in a solid 2" hitch. The entire setup is held into the receiver by a very short bolt. It only goes about half way into the receiver tube. So your hitch is only "secured" on one side. A hitch pin or bolt should go through the receiver tube completely imo so it can be secured on the other end with a retaining clip or nut. Because this only goes in the one side, the entire weight of the rack plus bikes are held tight to one side of the receiver by the undersized bolt and washer. A few bumps down the road and that bolt loosens. Now instead of distibuting the weight of the rack and bikes on the receiver and post, it's completely up to the bolt to keep you from losing the rack. The bolt threads get damaged too. I took this down a dirt road and nearly lost everything. I had to buy my own bolt with hd fender washers and lock washers to correct this. Thule should've provided this from the start. The current short bolt design where only one side of the receiver secures the rack is unacceptable. This rack is 1 star at best for the connection to the receiver.
Yakima Holdup Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor
Today were going to show our test fit of the Yakima Holdup 2 bike rack on our 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor. What we are going to do first is to install the bike rack into the hitch. We will line up the pin hole and install the anti-rattle pin. With our anti-rattle pin secured, we will install the safety pin. Now that this bike rack is fully secured, what we are going to do is show you some clearances from the hitch to the ground and then we will fold the bike rack down and give you the clearances between the rack and our ground. We will also give you the clearance between the nearest point of the bike rack to the bumper.
Yakima FrontLoader Roof Bike Rack Review - 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor
Today on this 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor we are going to do a test fit of part number Y02103 from Yakima. This is a FrontLoader wheel mount bike carrier. Now our vehicle has already been outfitted with our Yakima roof rack system and were going to install our bicycle carrier already assembled according to instructions. So it is just a matter of installing it on our roof rack. We will go ahead and open up the clamp. For the first crossbar, go through the front. We will put that in place and then slide our second clamp into place for the cross bar in the back. Once we have had it located on the bars, we will make sure that they are secure on the vehicle roof rack. We can then go ahead and tighten them down.
Thule Vertex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor
Alright today on this 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor we are going to test fit of the Thule bicycle rack part number TH9029 from Thule, the Vertex 4. A couple of quick notes about this bicycle rack is that will work with a 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch on class one and class two. However the class one receiver hitch, you are limited to two bicycles. Now our application here has a 2 inch receiver on it so we will use a 2 inch spacer that is included with the bike rack. OK, we will go ahead and start by installing the bike rack into the hitch and then we will tighten down the anti-rattle bolt. Now the bike rack does come with a tool to tighten down the bolt, however a 3/4 inch ratchet wrench works good too.
Rhode Gear Highway Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor
Today in our 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor, we're going to do a test fit of the Rhode Gear Highway 2 Bike Carrier, product number RG8015220. Well, a quick note about this bicycle rack, they work with class 1 and class 2 receiver hitches and also work with 2 by 2 receiver hitches with the include spacer. We'll start our test fit by installing the bicycle rack into the hitch. We'll add the hitch pin holes and then install the anti-rattle bolt. Alright, next, we'll go ahead and give you some measurements that will give you idea of the clearance between the bicycle rack and the SUV, and the ground. From the bike rack to the closest point of the bumper is looking about 5-1/2 inches.
What our customers are saying:
"I ordered a trailer hitch and a bike rack carrier the order was shipped with in three days. To put the hitch on only took about 30 mins. only had to drill two 1/2 holes. fit like a glove."