Trailer Hitch Mount Bike Rack to Clear the Rear Bumper on a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Question:

I am thinking of installing a hitch for a bike rack on my 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse. I am looking at bike rack options and am wondering how much clearance I will have between the center of the pin hole on the hitch and the end bumper. Will I be able to buy a platform style hitch bike rack? Thank you.

asked by: Melissa

Expert Reply:

There is not a hitch available for your 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse. If you already have a hitch, there should be enough room to install a platform style bike rack.

There were only Class I trailer hitches available for your Eclipse, so you will need a bike rack that is compatible with a Class I hitch and you will be limited to carrying 2 bikes at most. The hitch that was available at one time, had a tongue weight capacity of 200 pounds. The combined weight of the bike rack and bikes cannot exceed this 200 pounds.

The Swagman XC, # S64650, is Class I compatible and it measures 10-1/2 inches from the center of the hitch pin hole to the nearest wheel loop. This will be plenty of clearance. I have included a link to the instructions for this rack and a link to a video review for you.

If you do not have a hitch, and your Eclipse is a coupe, you could use the trunk mounted bike rack, the Hollywood Racks Express 3 Bike Carrier - Fixed Arms - Trunk Mount # HRE3. However this rack will not work with spoilers. Check out the video that shows how this works.

expert reply by: Michael H