Bike rack suggestions requested..

willald wrote:

super_camper wrote:
I have tried just about every combination of bike racks over the years and have settled on a Yakima 4 bike rack that fits a 1 1/4" receiver and has an adapter for a 2" receiver. I can put the rack on my MH, toad, or use a dual receiver.

I've had the Yakima rack for about 5 years and it still looks like new. I had a Ford Edge with the 1/4" receiver for the first 3 years and replaced that car with a Flex with the 2" receiver.

There are many comments in this thread regarding the 4 bike racks and a 1 1/4" receiver. I actually took my bikes and rack to a local guy that weighed it and confirmed no problem with weights. I had a class II hitch that was rated for 3500 lbs trailer weight and 300lbs tongue weight.

My advice would be to make sure the hitch you install is a class II and not a class I. Also the 4 bikes PLUS rack will weigh more than the 150 lbs you mentioned. The thule bike rack you referenced above isn't as nice as the yakima in my opinion. I like the Yakima tie downs much better.

Yes, it is a Class II hitch I had installed, rated at 3500 lbs towing, 350 lbs tongue weight. That was/is the only thing available for the Fusion. Would not have done this if it was not.

I admit, I was estimating that 150 lbs. No doubt it may be more than that, but it will not come anywhere even remotely close to the 350 lb limit of the hitch receiver. Also, as noted above, I use a stabilizer strap that goes from the trunk to the top of the bike rack. That takes some of the stress off of the hitch receiver.

The Thule I have has the adapter to let it fit in either a 2" receiver or 1.25". And, like I alluded to above, I have used it in both - 2" receiver on MH and DW's minivan, and 1.25" on the Fusion. Works great in either case, realy like the versatility that gives you.

I looked at several Yakima racks as well, super_camper. They look very nice also, may well be nicer than the Thule I have. However, at nearly TWICE the price, I just was not convinced the Yakima was THAT much better (not to mention, the Thule was a bit more readily available here). :)

Will

I've never seen the strap you're describing, it may not have been available when I bought my rack. Where does it attach? I agree on the weight, more than 150 but definitely less than 350 even if the bikes are heavy. At the time I bought my rack Yakima actually had a 5 bike rack with an 1 1/4" receiver.

I've bought all of my racks off eBay, I actually had 5 king cobras and cross bars and locks on my popup and loved that setup, I think the retail cost was well of $1500 but of course actually affordable if you're selective on eBay - the trick is to find something without shipping, especially with heavy items like bike racks.