Can a Hitch Bike Rack Mount to Curt Trailer Hitch 11656 on a 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon

Question:

How can you attach a 2 inch tube bike rack like Swagman XTC-2 to this hitch? Is there a special adapter for it?

asked by: Jonathan

Expert Reply:

Curt trailer hitch # 11656 is a special hitch that has a fixed ball mount on it instead of a receiver. There isn't a way to attach a bike rack to this type of trailer hitch. But not to worry because there is another way you can carry bikes on your 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon.

You can use a rear mounted rack such as the Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier # TH911XT. This is a trunk mount rack that is a platform style so it is compatible with many bike styles. I have linked a video review of this rack for you.

Going with a trunk mount means that you would have to buy both a hitch and a bike rack and trunk mount racks can be used on many other vehicles. And in this case the platform style rack means you won't have to use any adapter bars like you would to mount some bikes on a hanging style rack (which most other trunk mounts are).

I have also included a link to all of the trunk mount options for your Vanagon.

expert reply by: Michael H