Best bike rack for hitch

Equipment
62

I had a Yakima fail on me and drop my bike while driving. They gave me absolutely no issues, they had me saw my rack in half, they sent me a higher up model of rack to replace mine, AND they had me take my bike to a bike shop, get a quote of everything that broke, and paid the bike shop to replace everything that broke.

I don’t think customer service can possibly get any better than that.

That being said, I still liked my kuat transfer rack better than both the Yakima racks I had. Just seems better built and sturdier. Never had to use their customer service though so I can’t comment on that.

2 Likes
64

Are you in the US? If so, U-Haul does them. Just make sure you install the correct size for the rack you purchase or you will have to use an adaptor.

3 Likes
67

Not that I know. I’d rather have that option with the ability to size down if needed vs stuck with limits in the smaller size.

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68

Definitely get a 2" receiver. I had a 2018 CRV for a bit. The install was pretty affordable and can be done cleanly. My local UHaul didnt have great reviews but there was a place that did truck accessories so they were able to do it easily enough.

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69

I’ve gotten a couple hitches from etrailer.com, and they have been good experiences with pretty easy installations.

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70

Yup, I have hung two of them on different vehicles. Decent work and plan on an afternoon or full day depending on the vehicle. Some are rather easy while others take a fair bit of messing about. It’s worth checking on existing users install stories to see if that DIY is worth your time.

For my 3rd hitch, I chose the Easy button and U-Haul worked well for my wife’s car. Worth the bit of extra $ for me with my schedule at that time.

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71

Some hitch installs require you to cut the bumper. Be sure you’re comfortable with that if you decide to DIY.

Also, the only reason I see not to go 2” is if you already have accessories that mount to a 1 1/4”

72

Valid point. Personally, I’d still buy a 2" receiver and adapters for my current stuff, so I keep the flexibility for later in case I need it.

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73

I’d always go 2" - just make sure you don’t be stupid with it and try and tow something above your vehicle’s rating. And if you are hauling a trailer, make sure there’s more weight on the tongue of the trailer, you do NOT want it rear heavy.

When you don’t have a bike rack on the car, being able to use one of the nicer hitch carriers (pakmule) as well as more variety in what you can hitch up / tow makes it worth it. (Bed Extenders that fit in the 2" hitch are nice if you want to stick a kayak or long boards out the back too)

If I had a car where they made one and I wanted to preserve the aesthetics, I’d be looking at a Stealth Hitch (Pretty slick and they make them for Luxury Cars/SUV’s, Teslas, etc.). But, I’ve always driven more rugged SUVs and trucks anyways, and my new truck has a 6.5’ bed, a cap, has a diesel, and can tow almost 10K pounds so I’m not sure there’s much “stealth” about that.