How To Mount the Thule OutWay 3-Bike Rack To A 2006 Dodge Caravan

Question:

Mounting the thule OutWay 3 on a dodge caravan 2006 and a 2005 hyundai santa fe. I can not find a video for mount instruction I have seen some pictures of other vehicles were the rack rest on the bumper and the rear glass window. Is the rack suppose to rest on the rear glass window ? If so my concern is if i hit a big bump in the road will it shatter my rear window ? And also how hi of an angle should 3 bikes rest on it ? Ive been transporting our 3 bikes on my 1999 honda accord which it use to fit good until I started to see a gap between my trunk and bumper . What would cause that as well ? Thank you for your time and help, look forward to hear from you.

asked by: Anthony

Helpful Expert Reply:

We have not yet had a chance to mount the Thule OutWay 3-Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms part # TH56BV on a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe or a 2006 Dodge Caravan. However, to install the Thule OutWay 3 on a 2006 Dodge Caravan you would need to set the fit dial to 10 for the rack to fit properly. For the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe the bike rack would be set to 9 to fit properly. It is normal for the Thule OutWay to rest on the rear glass window of hatchback vehicles. There is padding on the the bike rack and as long as the bike rack is adjusted correctly it will not bounce when you hit a big bump enough to break the window.

As far as the 1999 Honda Accord is concerned it is possible that the weight on the trunk is too much for the vehicle and is causing the trunk to bend in or dent. Trunk bike racks are not meant to be left on the vehicle for long periods of time because of this. You may consider switching over to a hitch and hitch mounted bike rack option because they do not put weight on the vehicle's trunk or hatchback. Please let me know if you are interested in a hitch mount option and I can make some recommendations for you.

expert reply by: Heather A