Recommended Trailer Hitch and 4-Bike Rack for 2017 Suabru Outback Wagon

Question:

We have recently purchased a 2017 Subaru Outback wagon....formerly we had a Yakima 4 bike hitch mount rack draw tite hitch on a Honda Odyssey. We were never able to get all 4 bikes on the rack and had to stow the smallest bike in the cargo area of the van. Obviously we cant do that with the Outback! My dilemma is this: do we get a Thule 4 bike hitch mount......or do we get a 2 bike platform hitch mount and as backup get a roof mount for the other 2 bikes when needed? Im short 5 foot 4 inch and will have to have Hubs get the roof bikes up and down this would be for occasions of whole family bike rides....But more frequently I might just toss my bike on the back and ride alone. As an aside all of our bikes are now adult size Treks and Cannondales Thoughts?

asked by: Nicole S

Expert Reply:

With 4 adult sized bikes that are Treks and Cannondales I would recommend a platform style rack over a hanging rack, because many of them have carbon frames. The platform rack will also give you a greater ability to keep the 4 bikes staggered which will help prevent them from coming into contact which is maybe why that 4th bike never fit with the wider handlebars.

A great 2 inch hitch to transport the platform bike rack is the # 75673. This hitch will have a center of hitch pin hole to bumper clearance of 5 inches which will be important when selecting a bike rack compatible with your vehicle.

We offer some great 2-bike platform racks that can be adapted to a 4-bike with not much effort. This way you can get the best of both worlds when riding with the family or alone.

The Kuat # NV22G is a light weight 2-bike rack that can be upgraded with the 2-bike add on # NA22G. We do sell it as a kit already as part # NV22G-NA22G. This rack would be my pick because it will have a 7 inch bumper clearance which will allow you to fold this carrier up against your vehicle when not in use. It also is the most light weight of them all so you will have no problem inserting and removing the 2-bike rack when you decide to ride alone. This rack will also have 11 inches of space from center to center of bike cradles. The bike rack also features a handy Trail Doc, which is a built-in bike repair and maintenance stand that attaches to the front of the rack.

The T2 Pro XTR # T69TX will hold 2 or 4 bikes. This will come with a bike lock and a hitch lock. This rack will also be too close to the vehicle to fold up in the storage position.

I have linked all the above mentioned products as well as some demonstration videos to this page for your convenience.