Will the Thule EasyFold XT Work with a Front-Mounted Hitch on My 2014 Toyota Tundra?

Question:

Hi, I read that this particular rack would work well for a front hitch mount. I watched video and it said there are 8 inches from front of hitch out to the rack, so I will need to measure, but I have a 2014 Toyota Tundra Limited - in general, does this rack offer enough distance to clear the front bumper of the truck and go upright? Next, we have efat bikes - Haibike fullfat six 10.0 - tires are about 4inch - the width of that ramp looks quite skinny - is there a ramp for fattie bikes we can swap in?? I saw there is a special tire strap for fatties, but what about the ramp? Let me know if you have any other thoughts on using this on my front mount hitch for 2 ebikes that I referenced above both same exact bike model - they are epic!!!. I travel with a truck camper so options to use rear hitch mount are pretty limited since i need my rear gate down for camper. Looking at any and all creative solutions...

asked by: Michelle

Expert Reply:

You are correct in saying that the Thule EasyFold XT # TH903202 will work on a front hitch as long as you have enough bumper clearance. As far as the front bumper clearance when using your particular receiver, we unfortunately do not have an installation video with any of our hitches to provide a ballpark measurement on a 2014 Toyota Tundra. The distance of the center of the hitch's pinhole to the outside face of the bumper can vary widely between years/makes/models of vehicles. With that being said, I recommend measuring that distance on your vehicle to make sure it does not exceed the 8 inches required to fit the Thule EasyFold XT. We do not carry other ramped solutions that have a longer shank on the rack.

With your 4-inch fat bikes, you will be fine with attaching your bikes with 2 sets of the Fat Bike Straps for Thule EasyFold XT Bike Rack # TH985101 and using the included ramp. Even though the ramp measures 2-3/4 inches wide, you will be able to use the surface of the ramp to fit the front-arch surface area of your fat bikes' tires. We have had neighbors that have used this ramp with the maximum tire width (with the fat tire straps) of 4-11/16 inches. I went ahead and attached photos of some fat-tire bikes on the rack to give you perspective.

expert reply by: Bob C