Using a Trailer Hitch Mounted Bike Rack on a 2016 Honda Odyssey

Question:

I will be traveling with both dogs in crates in rear of vehicle and bikes. Will any/all hitch mounted platform racks allow access to mini van when loaded and tilted? Can the rear of a Honda Odyssey be accessed when the Kuat NV 2.0 is loaded with 2 bikes and tilted? The other rack I’m considering is the RockyMounts BackStage. Can the passenger sliding door be opened with the rack swung to the side? Is there any other racks - platform or other that you would recommend? Thank you.

asked by: Susan D

Helpful Expert Reply:

For your 2016 Honda Odyssey, there's a few things that are true across all platform hitch racks.

With few exceptions, the tilt-away feature on all racks are designed to allow access to the rear hatch of the vehicle. The Kuat NV 2.0, part # NV22G does allow for access to the rear of your Honda Odyssey when it's' tilted away from the vehicle.

The side door may or may not be accessible with the RockyMounts Backstage, part # RKY10002. This will depend on your vehicle itself. I don't recommend doing this, as the handlebars of your bikes may be the actual limiting factor. You can measure the distance from your hitch pin hole to the side of your open door to see if you have access to this function while the rack is swung out. When swung out, the Backstage's closest point of its rack sits approximately 48 inches away from the centerline of the vehicle. Based on a little research, it looks like the rack itself should sit 8 inches away from the side of the vehicle when opened up.

Between these two, I think you'll be happier overall with the Backstage, as this will swing out of the way of your vehicle and allow your dogs to easily get into and out of the vehicle. Its integrated locks are a great addition to the rack as well.

I've included demonstration videos of both racks on similar vehicles so you can get an idea of their performance.

expert reply by: Jacob W