Bike Rack and Roof Rack Bike Carrier To Carry 6 Bikes On Long Family Roadtrip

Question:

I am planning on taking my family from Arkansas to Crested Butte, CO this summer. There are six of us. We drive a 2011 Yukon Denali. Just wanted to get your thoughts on the six bike hangover rack versus other options that you would recommend for making a 15 hour to 17 Hour road trip.

asked by: Yakima 6

Expert Reply:

The quality of Yakima HangOver 6 Bike Rack for Mountain Bikes part # Y02485 is solid, so I do not foresee any issues with taking the Yakima on a 15 to 17 hour road trip. The rack holds the bikes steady and high enough off the ground you won't need to worry about ground clearance with the Yukon. However if you have kids bikes, I do not recommend the HangOver for a family trip, it doesn't do well holding kids and adult bikes at the same time. According to Yakima all of the bikes need to be pretty similar in size which doesn't seem possible for a family of 6. This is the only 6-bike rack option available.

I recommend a 5 bike rack, like the Swagman XP # S64970. It features rotating cradles that allow you to hold each bike level, without needing to purchase adapter bars separately for each kid's or women's bikes which typically don't have a straight top tube to hang from.

The total weight capacity is 100 lbs for all bikes with the maximum capacity for a single bike at 35 lbs. The rack tilts forward to allow easy access to your cargo area and includes an anti rattle hitch bolt to reduce noise and vibration. For added security, you may consider adding lock # S64027 to lock the rack to the hitch. I have attached a really helpful video for your reference.

If you do not have a roof rack on the Denali, I recommend to use the Malone AirFlow2 Roof Rack part # MPG217 which easily clamps and tightens down to the factory raised rails of the Denali so it can also be easily removed when not in use. Then you can use the Thule ProRide XT Roof Bike Rack part # TH598004 to carry the 6th bike which does not require you to remove the front wheel like most roof rack bike carriers.