Can 2012 Toyota RAV4 Use Fully Loaded Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE Bike Rack

Question:

I have a 2012 Toyota Rav 4 with a 2 inch hitch installed. I did not know about tongue weight limits until I read one of your experts answers to another customer. Will this rack + 4 standard adult bikes work with my vehicle? My back door swings to the side, not up, so I bought this rack from you because it can be tilted down to allow rear access. I understood the delivered package says 96#, and your answer to another customer says its 91# in the 4-bike configuration. At any of these weights, Ill have to get help to install it, which isnt a problem. I just need to know if its safe to use on my car with the combined weight.

asked by: Veronica P

Helpful Expert Reply:

When the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE Bike Rack for 4 Bikes # HR1400Z is shipped out everything weighs in at 96 lbs but when you take away the packaging used for shipping is when that lower 91.5 lb weight comes into play. This means if you were to max out the rack at the 50 lb per bike limit you need to have a tongue weight rating of at least 291.5 lbs to safely carry your bikes.

All of the trailer hitches I see listed as a fit for your 2012 Toyota RAV4 have a 525 lb tongue weight rating, like what we find with the etrailer # e98864. The hitches should be able to handle the weight of the bikes and rack just find but you'll want to double check that a tongue weight of your vehicle is rated high enough. What I'm seeing is the max a RAV4 can tow is 2,000 lbs and since manufacturers go by 10% for the tongue weight we are looking at a max of 200 lbs for your application.

I recommend checking this weight rating against what you find in your manual and also checking to see how much your bikes weigh to see if you can safely do this.

expert reply by: Jon G