Recommended Lightweight Bike Racks for a 2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser  

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Expert Reply:

I have a few recommendations for you and your 2013 FJ Cruiser.

The first is going with the full on hitch mounted rack. This is less than economical, but adds a valuable element of flexibility and additional features to your vehicle that you may find useful later on for other applications, such as cargo carriers or light trailer hauling.

For the FJ Cruiser, I recommend adding the Draw-Tite Class III, part # 75461. This gives you a wide range of bike racks for the future if you need them, as well as giving a lot of options for other uses. The hitch installs without any cutting, drilling or modifying of the vehicle. However, this hitch will not fit an FJ Cruiser with an auxiliary tank. I've included a video of the hitch being installed on a 2013 FJ Cruiser so you can see what the process looks like.

Before purchasing a rack, you'll need to make sure that your racks can fit with the spare tire. Thankfully, the FJ Cruiser is equipped with a standard tire across all models thanks to the hard plastic cover. The distance you need from the hitch pin hole to the nearest part of the carrier is 8-3/4 inches to clear the spare tire.

In this case, I recommend the Saris Freedom 2, part # SA4412B. This is a light, efficient rack that at 22.5 pounds, is extremely easy to install and move. It can carry two bikes by their frames at up to 60 pounds a piece. It rides at 12 inches behind the vehicle, easily clearing the spare tire. This rack does not fold up or tilt away, but the center mast does fold down, making it possible that you could use the rear hatch when the rack is unloaded.

The other downside to this rack (apart from its fixed nature) is that it doesn't include locks, and requires part # SA984 to add a hitch and cable lock to the bike rack.

If you don't have a backup camera installed on the vehicle and are okay with removing the spare tire cover, the most cost-effective method, as it avoids the need to install a hitch or roof rack, is the Thule SpareMe, part # TH963PRO. This is a hanging rack, letting you suspend a wide range of bikes from the dual arms. With a simple installation process and weighing only 19 pounds, this is an easy way to add a rack to your vehicle that folds down when not in use. With its integrated rack and bike locks, its got a definite security advantage over the Saris Freedom Spare.

The biggest downside to this rack is the frame hanging feature. You'll need a bike adapter bar, like part # 64005 to carry women's, children's or aggressive bikes behind the rack, especially if you have a left or right centered bike rack.

I don't recommend using any roof solutions, as you're concerned about weight. This would involve lifting the bikes up onto the roof, and that wouldn't work great for your situation.

expert reply by: Jacob W

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