Can Thule OutWay 3-Bike Rack # TH56BV Be Used on 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT

Question:

I have a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT, and have a Thule Raceway Pro 3 trunk mount bike rack for it. Can I use this product with it? There is no hitch on the car, and Im not sure there even is a receiver hitch made for this car.

asked by: Cliff M

Expert Reply:

Your Thule Raceway PRO 3-Bike trunk-mount rack # TH56BV will fit just fine on your 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT. But please note that Thule does not recommend any of their 3-bike racks for your car due to the potentially high total weight load that would be placed on the trunk lid and hinge.

This is because the OutWay 3 has very sturdy construction that results in a 18.2-lb weight for the carrier. Once you add the weight of three average bikes - about 100-lbs total in most instances of adult bikes - you're talking about a substantial load on that trunk. Since the trunk and its hinge were not designed for handling that kind of weight, Thule likes to be cautious (a good thing) and limits their carrier recommendations to their 2-bike models like the OutWay 2 # TH45JV. Again, the rack will install just fine on your car but you'll want to be mindful of the total load on it. If one of more of your bikes is a child's bike for example, then you may be fine with that total trunk load.

Other rack manufacturers, whose products weigh a bit less, do approve 3-bike rack fits on your Grand Am. Hollywood Racks, Yakima and Swagman all offer 3-bike trunk-mount carriers that you can see by clicking on the included link.

We do offer 1-1/4-inch Class II hitches for your car and these have the capacity for up to 350-lbs of tongue weight (downward force), such as Curt # C12040. In this hitch you could use a Class II hitch bike rack to carry up to 5 bikes as long as you use the stabilizing strap # 18050 that Curt requires in order to maintain your hitch warranty.