Recommend me a Bike rack for my SUV

[Kivis]

Too much at stake not to get a rack designed for the weight.

Point well taken

 

[ruffruff]

Installing a hitch is pretty easy and straightforward. An SUV will have holes on the frame ready to accept a hitch.
The only tricky part is fishing the bolts through the frame and most hitch kits come with a wire designed to help with that.

After that it's literally tightening bolts.
You shouldn't have to do any wiring. Your rear lights will be visible through the bikes. Unless you put a cover on or something like that.

 

[ruffruff]

AND if your vehicle will accept it...go with the 2" hitch if you can.

 

[reidjazz]

In addition to the hook arms that go over the bike frame, what else are people using to help secure your bikes to the rack while traveling? Bungees (and if so, how you run them through the bike to the rack)?

 

[ruffruff]

My rack has a hook over the front wheel and a rim strap. That's all I every use.

 

[Marci jo]

In addition to the hook arms that go over the bike frame, what else are people using to help secure your bikes to the rack while traveling? Bungees (and if so, how you run them through the bike to the rack)?

3-5 bungees. A little overkill but I’m a bit paranoid.

 

[Taylor57]

AND if your vehicle will accept it...go with the 2" hitch if you can.

What if your existing hitch is 1.25? I tried the 2 inch extension and it was failure. Are there any good 1.25 inch bike racks that will support a 4 inch and 2 inch set of bikes?

 

[Dallant]

What if your existing hitch is 1.25? I tried the 2 inch extension and it was failure. Are there any good 1.25 inch bike racks that will support a 4 inch and 2 inch set of bikes?

If you’re hauling 2 >50lb. heavy ebikes, 2” is all I’d use. I tried to use my 1.25” and no way would I have trusted that hitch over any real distance at any real speed, bouncing along a highway. Especially with 2 >$3700 ebikes.

 

[Elkman]

The racks designed to carry two e-bikes will require a 2 inch hitch receiver. Many more options for racks if you have a 2-inch receiver and the cost difference is trivial so long as the receiver will fit on your car or truck. Our Prius is not built to take the weight of a receiver with two e-bikes but our SUV has a factory 2" receiver and our new 1up rack will be added next week.

Etrail.com is an excellent source of products and information. I have found their people to very eager to assist with my own inquiries.

 

[retiredNH]

The racks designed to carry two e-bikes will require a 2 inch hitch receiver. Many more options for racks if you have a 2-inch receiver and the cost difference is trivial so long as the receiver will fit on your car or truck. Our Prius is not built to take the weight of a receiver with two e-bikes but our SUV has a factory 2" receiver and our new 1up rack will be added next week.

Etrail.com is an excellent source of products and information. I have found their people to very eager to assist with my own inquiries.

This is not true. I drive a Subaru Forester. The only OEM hitch is 1-1/4, for weight limitation reasons. I use the OEM because it's the only one that maintains rearward crash safety. Kuat's NV 2.0 comes in 1-1/4, and is rated, even with this size hitch, for 2 60 pound bikes. True, the 2" size can take two more bikes, but I don't need that.

Yes, it would have been nice to have a 2" receiver on the car, but its weight limits, tongue and towing weights, makes a 2" a no go. The outback has a higher towing capacity, so it may well come with a 2" receiver. IDK.