Recommended Bike Rack for Shallow Hitch Receiver on 2017 BMW X5

Question:

I have a Yakima Bighorn 4 bike carrier, with a 2 inch receiver tongue that Ive been using for many years, Ive changed my car to a BMW X5 2017 and installed the BMW trailer hitch but the depth of the hitch receiver is about 1/2 too short and the bolt holes on the receiver and receiver tongue do not align Can you recommend an adapter that will allow me to use the Bighorn with my X5?

asked by: Nick D

Expert Reply:

I do have an option for you, however there isn't an adapter available that will allow you to securely insert the shank of your Yakima 4 Bike Bighorn Rack into the shallow hitch receiver on your 2017 BMW X5. Using a hitch extender like # e88YR is sometimes an option, but Yakima does not recommend using any kind of adapter with their bike racks, and doing so will void the rack's warranty.

With this in mind, your best option might be to simply replace your bike rack with one that will work with the shallow hitch on your vehicle. For this, I recommend taking a look at the Yakima RidgeBack 4 Bike Rack # Y02458. This hanging-style rack only requires at least 1-1/2 inches from the center of the hitch pin hole to the backstop on the inside of the receiver for it to install properly. This is a really nice carrier that can support 4 bikes with a combined weight of 150 pounds. A hitch lock is included to secure the rack to your vehicle and a Cable Lock # Y02466 can be added to secure the bikes to the carrier.

I have attached the written manual for this bike rack that you can also look through.

expert reply by: Chris R