Recommended Bike Rack for Ford Fiesta and RV That Can Tilt Away with Bikes Still Loaded

Question

Question:

Hi. We are hoping that this hitch will work with our motor home and 2018 Ford Fiesta. On the back of the motorhome we have a compartment that we need to access while the bikes are on the rack. Would we be able to carefully tilt this forward with the bikes on the rack and access the compartment while parked. Also do you know if this will work with the Ford fiesta hitch receiver we are installing. We are not sure what class number it is. We did reach out to who is currently installing it but have not heard back yet. It is a hatchback so of course we would want to also tilted forward with the bikes on it in order to access the hatch. Could you also list all of the accessories we would need with it. We would want to lock it to the hitch and lock the bikes in and we do have one womens bike to put on. Thanks so much.

asked by: Meri

0

Expert Reply:

The Thule Hitching Post Pro # TH934XTR that you referenced is physically compatible with a trailer hitch on your 2018 Ford Fiesta and is rated for use behind an RV, however there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

The first is that while the rack can indeed tilt back and away from the vehicle, it's not designed to do this with the bikes still loaded. The hinge mechanism isn't quite strong enough for this application and the orientation that the load bars will be in when it's tilted back isn't sufficient to keep the bikes safely secured. This is still a great option for a bike rack that allows for rear cargo access but you will need to unload the bikes first.

We do not actually have a hanging-style rack available that's compatible with your Fiesta that can be tilted back with the bikes still loaded.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the trailer hitch that's going to be installed on your 2018 Ford Fiesta is Class I rated. This is the only type of hitch available for your vehicle. A Class I hitch can only safely handle 2 bikes when using a hitch-mounted rack. This is due to the added leverage that additional weight further away from the rear of the vehicle would put on the hitch that could cause damage, both to the hitch and to the vehicle.

With all of this in mind, another option to consider is a platform-style, 2-bike rack that is compatible with both the Fiesta and RV and also features a tilting mechanism that allows you to keep the bikes loaded. For this I highly recommend the Swagman Chinook # S64683. This is a really nice carrier that's similarly priced to the Thule rack you were looking at but with the desired tilting design AND an integrated hitch and bike lock so those don't need to be added separately.

I have attached a short video demonstration that you can check out as well.

If your women's bike features a pronounced step-through frame then you will likely just need to add an adapter bar like # UB01, which will provide a horizontal attachment point for the frame hooks on the carrier.