How to Determine What Bike Rack My Vehicle Will Need with My Factory Installed Hitch

Question:

looking to buy a bike rack for my GMC envoy 2002. i see when picking a rack it is asking for a class compatibility ? what does this mean and how do I find out which my SUV is Thanks

asked by: Dawn Z

Expert Reply:

You came to the right place, I can help you figure out what bike rack will work for your Envoy.

Class compatibility really gets hairy when you have the smaller 1-1/4 inch hitches. If you have a Class I typically there are only certain bike racks that will fit and carry the weight you are looking for. I did some research and you most likely have a 2 inch hitch on your Envoy, but you will want to make sure, see linked article on determining hitch size.

Once we have determined hitch size then we will need to see what weight your hitch can carry. There should also be a label on your hitch that indicates the max tongue weight it can hold, but you may also be limited by your vehicles max tongue weight. This will be listed on a placard on the inside of the driver's door panel. You will want to abide by the lowest rated one for your bike rack.

For example let's say that you have a 2 inch hitch and a 600lbs max tongue weight and you wanted a 4-bike rack like the Thule Hitching Post Pro # TH934XTR.

This # TH934XTR bike rack is very versatile and allows it to be mounting in a Class I or II 1-1/4 inch and Class III or IV hitch 2 inch hitch. So this will work in the 2 inch receiver, now we check the weight. The weight capacity of the bike rack is 35lbs per bike and can carry 4 bike so 35X4=140 plus the weight of the rack is 41lbs to total tongue weight of this bike rack can reach 181lbs. Which is well within your 600lb max tongue weight we made up for this example.

The next thing you will want to consider is bumper clearance. This is the measurement from the hitch pin hole to the outer most edge of the bumper. Since your hitch is OEM, I don't have that measurement for you but for example purposes the # TH934XTR we were looking at has a distance from center of hitch pin hole to upright bar of the carrier of 13-1/2 inches. Which is very accommodating. Most hitches will not require more than 6 inches of clearance, we typically see spare tires on the backs of vehicles needing more distance than the traditional bumper. I have linked another help article that will help you determine the clearance you will need on your Envoy.

If you want to get back to me with your findings I would be more than happy to help you choose a bike rack for your specific needs.

I have linked all the hitch mounted bike racks to this page for your convenience as well as the help articles I mentioned above.