Non-hitch bike rack for two 35lb ebikes

[pitosalas]

We recently bought two Velotric ebikes, each weighing 35 lbs on paper. I don't want to get a hitch for either of our cars (A Bmw 3 series and a Subaru Forester). Many trunk bike racks that have the capacity for some reason still say "not for ebikes". Can someone shed light on this for me. Does anyone have a recommended bike rack that would meet my needs? Thanks!

 

[Saratoga Dave]

I can see not wanting to put a hitch on a 3 series, but a Forester? UHaul can install a hitch only without the electrical stuff for trailers and you’re good to go with a 1 Up USA or other quality rack. I’ve had four of them on various cars, I don’t think it ever ran even close to $200. Plus I know that Creo isn’t going to take a dive going over some weirdly resonating bridge like the one we have over the Mohawk river nearby.

The completely different shapes of the rears of these two cars would seem to really limit or kill the choices for one rack that would fit either, also. Those strap on racks often seem to cause some degree of damage someplace also… I would be super reluctant to hang that much weight off a couple of straps and a generic rack frame design.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I suspect you will not find a non-hitch rack for your vehicles that will be able to safely take the weight and I agree with Saratoga Dave, in that a hitch on a Forrester looks natural.
I've put a hitch on all of my vehicles over the years. Heck, I even put a hitch on my 2012 BMW convertible.

 

[mfgrep]

We recently bought two Velotric ebikes, each weighing 35 lbs on paper. I don't want to get a hitch for either of our cars (A Bmw 3 series and a Subaru Forester). Many trunk bike racks that have the capacity for some reason still say "not for ebikes". Can someone shed light on this for me. Does anyone have a recommended bike rack that would meet my needs? Thanks!

I'd recommend that you overcome your aversion to the installation of a hitch and put one on your Subaru. If you plan to really utilize a bike rack....having a hitch mount will pay dividends in ease of EVERYTHING. Then I would recommend a 'platform' style rack. Just today I posted a thread about my 1UP rack and the other racks that led me to it.

I drive an Acura SUV. I bought an OEM Acura hitch from a dealer via Ebay and installed it myself. If you are remotely handy....you can do the same. My car frame was pre-drilled and the OEM rack bolted on (more/less) with easy youtube instructions available. If you can get a hitch similarly installed.....it would be worth the expense. UHaul or similar are also options.....but options of last resort imo. OEM hitches typically are better for those that value aesthetics and function, however, a non OEM rack will likely provide a similar utility. For example...the non OEM hitch options required that I permanently remove my spare tire for use.....really?.....geez. The OEM hitch for my car rides 'up' in the rear cavity eliminating the 'bottoming out' problem at curbs and dips. Lastly...the OEM hitch came with a 'trim package' that provides a clean 'factory' look at my car's rear end.....unlike the non OEM installations that I see so frequently.

 

[m@Robertson]

'regular' bike racks say "not for ebikes" simply because of the weight of the things. The Velotric T1 models clock in at 36 lbs each and that still amounts to 72 lbs suspended on a rack. They just aren't made for that kind of weight. Especially considering you are bouncing around down the road on potentially bad pavement. 36 lbs is lightweight as ebikes go (the battery does not appear to be removable on the T1's so you can't save weight by removing it for the trip, unfortunately).

I have to agree fully with the others above. The old-style strap-on racks are just the wrong tool for the job. Especially if you have post supports - no matter how padded - up against glass. I can think of the racks I had and the rubberized metal claws that hooked under trunk lids... I would not want 80+ lbs of bikes and bike rack pulling on my bodywork while being subject to road imperfections at highway speeds. Not fond of the idea of a roof rack either.

 

[6zfshdb]

Another consideration is, trunk mount racks often have support members that rest on glass. This is a disaster waiting to happen while carrying a heavy load. Glass can shatter from a sudden shock, like hitting a pothole.

Ask me how I know.

 

[pitosalas]

Ok thanks, I am convinced. It will be the Forester. So I looked at various hitch products (starting with U-Haul) and they seem to sometimes/often disclaim, "not measured for this model" or words to that effect. Is there a recommendation of which hitch product I should get?

 

[mfgrep]

Ok thanks, I am convinced. It will be the Forester. So I looked at various hitch products (starting with U-Haul) and they seem to sometimes/often disclaim, "not measured for this model" or words to that effect. Is there a recommendation of which hitch product I should get?

Start by seeing what the Subaru OEM hitch costs..... And see how difficult it would be for you to install it yourself. It might just be six or eight bolts and you're done

 

[Deacon Blues]

I bought my last three hitches from etrailer.com.
Installing hitches on SUVs is usually fairly easy. The last two I did, on my BMW X1 and my neighbour's newer Ravi 4, was a bolt-on job. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I have a hoist in my shop.

 

[m@Robertson]

U-Haul uses re-branded Curt hitches if I remember correctly. The experience I had with them was terrible. They pulled the back end of my SUV apart and were in the end unable to do the installation despite having the exact hitch model for my vehicle. They were able to put it back together properly without the hitch and I walked away, having wasted much of a Saturday. From there, I took the car to a local truck customization shop and they had done about a zillion of these for people with SUVs who just wanted to mount up a bike rack. They used the same Curt hitch kit, labeled Curt this time, and it worked fine.

I think the hitch cost me less than $200, and installation was less than that. Worth noting: I first went to my car's local dealer, who wanted over $1000 to install plus the higher cost for the factory hitch. It would have included wiring but I didn't care about that.

I would definitely get a 2" hitch. Don't be tempted to get a smaller one. You will find the really good racks will work best with a 2" hitch, or they will require them and you will then have to get an adapter. If you use an adapter, it will induce a wobble in the system which you can use a hitch tightener to mostly dial out... but you'll be better off with the 2" product to start with. 'tongue weight' is going to be something you have to be aware of as well and your life will be simpler if you are not living with the lesser tongue weights allowable with smaller hitches. I know all this because my next car after the one I put a hitch on... I was determined to buy one with a hitch from the factory. Only the factory does just a 1.5" hitch. I went thru the whole adapter/extender thing, which introduced the issue of tongue weight and so on and so on.

 

[mfgrep]

U-Haul uses re-branded Curt hitches if I remember correctly. The experience I had with them was terrible. They pulled the back end of my SUV apart and were in the end unable to do the installation despite having the exact hitch model for my vehicle. They were able to put it back together properly without the hitch and I walked away, having wasted much of a Saturday. From there, I took the car to a local truck customization shop and they had done about a zillion of these for people with SUVs who just wanted to mount up a bike rack. They used the same Curt hitch kit, labeled Curt this time, and it worked fine.

I think the hitch cost me less than $200, and installation was less than that. Worth noting: I first went to my car's local dealer, who wanted over $1000 to install plus the higher cost for the factory hitch. It would have included wiring but I didn't care about that.

I would definitely get a 2" hitch. Don't be tempted to get a smaller one. You will find the really good racks will work best with a 2" hitch, or they will require them and you will then have to get an adapter. If you use an adapter, it will induce a wobble in the system which you can use a hitch tightener to mostly dial out... but you'll be better off with the 2" product to start with. 'tongue weight' is going to be something you have to be aware of as well and your life will be simpler if you are not living with the lesser tongue weights allowable with smaller hitches. I know all this because my next car after the one I put a hitch on... I was determined to buy one with a hitch from the factory. Only the factory does just a 1.5" hitch. I went thru the whole adapter/extender thing, which introduced the issue of tongue weight and so on and so on.

Yes. This!! All of it!!!

 

[6zfshdb]

I bought my last three hitches from etrailer.com.
Installing hitches on SUVs is usually fairly easy. The last two I did, on my BMW X1 and my neighbour's newer Ravi 4, was a bolt-on job. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I have a hoist in my shop.

+1 on products from etrailer.com.

I installed hitches from them on a minivan, and two compact SUV's. All three were bolt on jobs and took less than an hour.

 

[Drbike]

Start by seeing what the Subaru OEM hitch costs..... And see how difficult it would be for you to install it yourself. It might just be six or eight bolts and you're done

If the Forester is anything like the Outback an OEM hitch is expensive and the labor for the install is very expensive; the rear bumper must be removed to install an OEM hitch.

 

[mfgrep]

If the Forester is anything like the Outback an OEM hitch is expensive and the labor for the install is very expensive; the rear bumper must be removed to install an OEM hitch.

If I knew what year his Forester is I could check more details.
My Acura OEM hitch did require that I remove a portion of the bumper....and replace it with included 'trim kit' which is essentially the same bumper trim with a cut out for the hitch.
It sounds intense....but it was quite simple....even on my 7 year old car. The most difficult part was my bolt holes had 7 years of crud built up inside.....but a few applications of PB Blaster and a brass brush did the trick.

Before the OP jumps to any conclusions....check the price and difficulty of the OEM hitch. If that is prohibitive....go the Curt or UHaul route.

 

[Deacon Blues]

1+ on getting a 2 inch receiver.

 

[pitosalas]

If I knew what year his Forester is I could check more details.
My Acura OEM hitch did require that I remove a portion of the bumper....and replace it with included 'trim kit' which is essentially the same bumper trim with a cut out for the hitch.
It sounds intense....but it was quite simple....even on my 7 year old car. The most difficult part was my bolt holes had 7 years of crud built up inside.....but a few applications of PB Blaster and a brass brush did the trick.

Before the OP jumps to any conclusions....check the price and difficulty of the OEM hitch. If that is prohibitive....go the Curt or UHaul route.

It's a 2019 Forester. The Foreseter dealer quoted my $800 installed. I think I can do better, right? I looked up the Curt model for my forester: https://www.curtmfg.com/part/12198. Around $300 for the part. It seems so heavy duty though, for a mere say 80 lbs bike + rack.

 

[mfgrep]

It's a 2019 Forester. The Foreseter dealer quoted my $800 installed. I think I can do better, right? I looked up the Curt model for my forester: https://www.curtmfg.com/part/12198. Around $300 for the part. It seems so heavy duty though, for a mere say 80 lbs bike + rack.

I'm not terribly surprised by the dealer quote. If you have a local mechanic he would install the part for you. Much more economically..... You just bring him the part.

Remember when asking for a quote: you don't need the electric dongle installation or part. When choosing between light or heavy duty hitches, assuming that you are only using this for a bike rack, you can choose the lighter version.

As has already been stated here and I completely agree..... Get the 2-in hitch receptacle and not the one and a quarter inch

 

[Saratoga Dave]

My own UHaul experiences have been positive, but I do note not everyone has the same story. Just as a counterpoint to your quote above though, I quick checked their site for your year car and they show $189 for a two inch hitch installed. I am sure some of the other well known vendors would be in that same range as well. $800 for a freaking hitch is absurd.

 

[mfgrep]

My own UHaul experiences have been positive, but I do note not everyone has the same story. Just as a counterpoint to your quote above though, I quick checked their site for your year car and they show $189 for a two inch hitch installed. I am sure some of the other well known vendors would be in that same range as well. $800 for a freaking hitch is absurd.

I agree...absurd. To make matters worse I just found the part number for 2019 Forester. L101SSJ001.
The part is $475 uninstalled.

I think that you will need to find an aftermarket hitch for this vehicle. Subaru is mighty proud of the hitch it seems.

My Acura hitch including all bits AND the trim kit and receptacle cover was $299 (no wiring harness included....needed....or installed)

EDIT: Here ya go https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/...57709e90ff260a37f2257cfafc5457a5&action=click

....and for what it's worth....seems likely to be an easy do-it-yourself install job if you are so inclined: https://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2019_Subaru_Forester.htm

 

[Taylor57]

I got a 1.25 Kurt hitch installed at Uhaul on my 2022 Hyundai Kona EV. Perfect fit. Under $300 US for parts and labor. Great for my 1UP rack carrying one 60 lb ebike. If I needed to carry 2 bikes, I would get a 2 inch receiver and a bigger SUV or truck. I was advised not to put a 2 inch receiver on my Kona...