Hitch and 4 Bike Rack Recommendations for 2020 Chevy Equinox  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Trunk mount bike racks have their place, but they have several disadvantages.

1) The rear hatch cannot be opened with the rack in place. The struts that hold up the rear hatch are typically rated for the weight of the door, and not much else. Plus, opening and closing the rear hatch will make the rack shift a bit which can scratch the finish of your new vehicle. If the hatch is closed in a less-than-gentle fashion, the rack can dent your hatch.

2) You'll be limited to carrying three bikes, not the four you're wanting to carry.

3) Not all the bike rack manufacturers agree that it's a good idea to use a trunk mount rack on your vehicle. When Thule, one of the biggest hitters in the business does't offer a fit for the 2020 Equinox (or the '19, or the '18), it tells me that it's probably not a good idea to use a trunk rack on this generation Equinox.

So, a hitch mounted rack sounds like your best bet. Besides bike racks, there are other hitch mounted accessories that could also come in very handy, like a cargo carrier for items you can't or don't want to carry in the vehicle. Most affordable bike racks that are easy to handle are hanging style racks, many of which can tilt rearward allowing access to the vehicle's cargo area once the bikes are removed from the rack.

A Class III hitch with the 2 inch receiver opening will have a much more diverse selection of hitch mounted accessories than the less common 1-1/4 inch Class II. In most cases, the Class III isn't much more or any more expensive than the Class II, so there's really no good reason not to go with the Class III.

Now for recommendations. I prefer the Curt hitch, as I feel they do a slightly better job on their powder coat finish. Their hitches themselves are built in the US, which is important. I'd recommend the # C77FR which will work great unless your Equinox has the Diesel engine in which case you'd want to go with the Draw-Tite # 76217.

For a good, solid bike rack that can carry 4 bikes either around the block or across the country, you can't go wrong with the Thule Apex, part # TH9025XT.

I've linked to our selection of 4 bike racks. On the side of the page, there's a series of filters you can use to add features like 'Tilt Away Rack' to narrow down the field. If you have further questions, let me know, I'd be happy to help. I've also linked to install videos for the hitch and demo videos for the bike racks I mentioned.

expert reply by: Mike L

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