Hitch and 4-Bike Rack Recommendation for 2006 Chrysler Town and Country with Stow-n-Go Seats

Question:

Please advise as to which hitch we should buy for our 2006 Chrysler Town and Country. We only are installing it so we can add a bike rack that can carry four bikes. Needs to be Simple and Easy to install and please let me know of any additional items needed? Our van has the seats that fold into the floor of the van. Thank you!

asked by: Katherine S

Expert Reply:

Your 2006 Chrysler Town and Country with Stow-N-Go seats can be fitted with either of two classes of trailer hitch: a 1-1/4-inch Class II or a higher-capacity 2-inch Class III type. I suggest a 2-inch Class III hitch since you will using a 4-bike capacity rack which can have substantial weight when loaded.

The most popular hitch for your vehicle is the Draw-Tite # 75305 which has a 2-inch receiver opening. I have included an installation video as well as two helpful articles with hitch installation tips.

With this hitch in place you can use one of the compatible 2-inch Class III bikes shown on the link provided. The two linked articles on bikes racks may be helpful as you consider the best options for your particular bikes. The link will show you all 4-bike class III racks, both the hanging and platform styles, as well as a variety of types such as folding, tilting and swing-away racks. Some include locks while others can be fitted with add-on accessory locks.

A great rack from Yakima that includes locks for both the bike and the rack itself is the FullSwing 4 Bike Rack # Y02465. This carrier provides easy access to the rear of your vehicle since it swings out of the way - even when fully loaded with bikes. Please take a look at the linked video.

One accessory you might need with this rack is an adapter bar like # TH982XT from Thule. If you will transport kids or women's step-through-frame bikes (or any without a horizontal top frame tube as found on a typical man's bike) an adapter bar will keep such bikes level for better ground clearance. The linked video illustrates.