Can Rear Vehicle Hatch Be Opened With Trunk Mount Bike Rack Installed

Question:

2010 VW Tiguan: During stops on long road trips can I open my hatch with this bike rack attached and my bike mounted on it? Or Will I have to remove my bike or both my bike and the rack to access my hatch area?

asked by: Cheryl G

Expert Reply:

You should not open the rear hatch of a vehicle with a trunk mounted bike rack installed. The gas struts that assist opening the hatch and hold it open are only rated for a certain amount of weight, usually not much more than the weight of the hatch itself. The extra weight of the rack can cause the hatch to close unexpectedly. Secondly, the movement of the rack on the vehicle while the hatch is opened and closed can damage the vehicle. Finally, opening the rear hatch will affect the fit of the rack and it'd likely need to be readjusted to re-tighten the straps.

For cargo area access, you'd really want to use a hitch mounted bike rack. If you'd like to go that route, the good news is that the # C13133 Class III hitch I'd recommend is quite inexpensive and simple to install, as you can see in the linked video. For a bike rack, I'd recommend the Swagman Trailhead, part # S63360. The Trailhead is an inexpensive yet easy to use option. The rack will tilt away from the rear of the vehicle for cargo area access once the bikes are removed.

Having a hitch can also come in handy to serve as a mounting point for other hitch accessories such as a cargo carrier like # C18110.

I've linked to install and product demonstration videos for the products I recommended above.

expert reply by: Mike L