Bike Rack with Built in Rise For 2017 Toyota Camry

Question:

My current bike rack scrapes the ground on my 2017 Toyota Camry when we have a lot of weight in the trunk. I need a bike rack that begins to rise within 4 inches from the end of the hitch. Or I need some form of 1 1/4 inch riser to raise the bike rack. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.

asked by: Bob B

Expert Reply:

Your 2017 Toyota Camry does sit pretty close to the ground, so with everything weighed down in the back I can imagine how often the bike rack is bottoming out. The good news is we have a wide variety of bike racks with raised shanks that will work with the class II hitch on your Camry. It depends on how many bikes you want to take with you and the features you want in the rack.

Using an adapter to raise your bike rack is an option, but I don't think it's the best. Anytime you use an adapter in the hitch you lower the weight capacity since it is putting more leverage farther out from the hitch. So getting a bike rack with a higher raised shank will be the best bet.

I recommend Curt 2 Bike Platform Rack # C18085. It can carry up to 2 bikes that weigh 45 lbs each, has a tall raised shank that will help out a lot with bottoming out, and is a great economy bike rack.

There are more premium bike racks with more features, and can carry more bikes, you can check out all the class II compatible bike racks with the link I attached, and the video of the Curt bike rack.

expert reply by: Robert C