Can 1-1/4" - 2" Receiver Adapter be Used for Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Rack

Question:

I want to get the NV but I have 2 cars 1-Honda Civic 2-Yukon. The Yukon already has a 2 inch hitch receiver. I need to get a hitch on my Civic and the 1-1/4 inch is way more affordable than the 2. Will a 2 inch hitch to 1-1/4 inch receiver adapter work for the NV 2 inch if I want to use the NV in 2 bike mode on my Civic? I also want to be able to use the NV as a 4 bike carrier thats why I need the 2 inch NV.

asked by: Max

Expert Reply:

Thank you for all of the details.

I spoke with my contact at Kuat about using an adapter like the Brophy # HTAD with the 2-Bike version of the Kuat NV 2.0 Platform Rack # NV22G-NA22G and she said that using an expanding adapter like that would void the warranty of the bike rack due to the extra play.

If you are willing to accept the voided warranty then you could use the 2 bike version with your 2006 Honda Civic with the Curt Trailer Hitch # C11391 and the 4 bike version with your Yukon. Please note that per the Curt warranty you would also need to use the Support Strap # 18050 for non-trailer applications like a bike rack.

Personally I recommend going the safe route and using the EcoHitch # 306-X7233 that has the 2" receiver. It is the more expensive route but you get a better looking hitch (as the crosstube is hidden) as well as the peace of mind that you are doing everything correctly. This way if something were to happen to the high-end Kuat NV 2.0 it would also be covered under the limited lifetime warranty.

Kuat does have exceptional customer service as well so voiding the warranty would really hurt should something happen to the rack. Ultimately though the decision is up to you on how you would like to approach this.

Attached are some videos for you to reference as well.