Hitch Bike Rack that allows upper hatch access?

[agaisin]

I have an 05 LX with hitch receiver integrated into the bumper. Can anyone tell me if they have a hitch mount bike rack that allows them to open the rear upper hatch when folded (or not)? I did search and found a few close threads - even one with the same question but no answers. I know there are swing away racks and racks that you put the bike wheels on instead of hanging the bikes - obviously either of those options would work. I'm interested in the type of rack that the bikes hang from and if anyone has one that allows them to open the rear hatch (top only) with or without bikes on? I use my rear hatch all the time but these bike racks bolt onto the hitch so it's a pita to remove and put back on - i'd rather leave it on all the time but not have to tilt back the rack every time I want to get in and out plus I don't want the risk of bumping/scratching the rear hatch if I do open it without folding down the rack. You can call me lazy, I prefer to call it streamlined and efficient

Just picked up a Thule 934XTR - I picked the Thule based on the model I had seen in the store compared (Roadway) to the Yakima in the store (double down), the Thule was a few inches shorter than the yakima, and from measurements I see on yakima's site it's ~11 from hitch bolt to back of mast, and my thule looks like it is more than that by a couple inches.

So at least on paper I thought I had a chance with the Thule, but no dice at least with the 934XTR model (it was on sale from 180 to 144 at performance bike shop).

Would love to know if there's an option out there?

 

[OregonLC]

FWIW, I had a SwingDaddy for a while that I hated. a) it's a beast to put on and off. I don't use it enough to keep it on full time. b) I don't like my bikes hanging. there's no good, quick way to secure them without something rubbing.

If I were to get a rear rack, it would probably be a Kuat NV.. Don't know if the tilt forward thing would clear the upper hatch or not but I'd guess it would.

 

[Odin2112]

Just do what I did and go get a hitch extender. I bought a 12" extension at Harbor Freight for about $25.00. It works great. Don't know what brand bike rack I have, but without the extension there was no way to fully open the hatch. Now I have more than enough clearance.

 

[1loudLX]

My Thule T2 tilts down and allows me to open everything, including drawers, with the bikes on the back. Mounted on the Slee bumper, so about the same height as your integrated bumper hitch. I'm pretty sure there are Thule racks that also tilt, while hanging a bike instead of the tray.

 

[bkgee]

i'm using yakima swingdaddy, it does NOT allow rear hatch access unless you swing the arm out. so i only keep the rack on the truck when i am planning on riding again within the next x days. despite this drawback, it is an excellent product and i would definitely buy it again.

 

[mister bean]

My parents used to have something like the Thule 954. It swung down so the hatch and tailgate on our suburban could both be used. I see one on their site now - the 946 Revolver that looks like it would be easier to use.

Thule*-*964 Revolver

I've been thinking about a hitch rack. Mine came with a couple bike trays on the roof rack and I dread the day I have to lift my wife's cruiser up there. I don't even want to put my single speed up there and it weighs less than half as much.

 

[Wellcraft19]

I have an earlier version of the current Thule 912XT Roadway (mine is for two bikes, but the same base HW also handles 4 or 5, Thule - Hitch). No issues, both hatches can be opened up w/o tilting down the bike carrier - that is w/o bikes. With bikes the handle bar will block to top hatch, but it can be opened enough so you can fold down the lower hatch.

Thules are truly "rock solid" (I can say that with Viking blood in my veins).

 

[SmoothLC]

I've got a Yakima SwingDaddy as well.

Just swing it out and you can open the top, bottom or both hatches.

A hitch extender like Odin mentioned is great if you don't want to bother with any swinging or tilting regardless of the type of rack hitch mount.

If I get another rack, I'm leaning towards a tray in the back since my roadie has a compact frame (sloping top tube). Sort of like the Thule 916XTR T2.

2 cents...

 

[agaisin]

I have an earlier version of the current Thule 912XT Roadway (mine is for two bikes, but the same base HW also handles 4 or 5, Thule - Hitch). No issues, both hatches can be opened up w/o tilting down the bike carrier - that is w/o bikes. With bikes the handle bar will block to top hatch, but it can be opened enough so you can fold down the lower hatch.

Thules are truly "rock solid" (I can say that with Viking blood in my veins).

wellcraft do you have an integrated bumper hitch or a below the bumper hitch? if inyegrted then sweet! if below the bumper then your rack probably sits a couple inches lower than mine would

i'll give the roadway a shot though - hopefully it'll give m access wout even having to tilt it down ...

thing about extender is thrn i'll get a loose connection of thr mount to the receiver right? the bike racks actually bolt up against the receiver so theres no play. i assume an extender wont bolt up, rather jist a hitch pin (ie loose compared to the bolt ons)? or do the extenders bolt on too?

 

[agaisin]

and just in case anyone else is wondering - with the integrate hitch and the 934xtr tilted down my bottom hatch does not completely come down - close bit maybe a couple inches short or lik 20-30 degrees up. i use it for diaper changing platform more than anything else so not sure if its flat enough or my kid'l roll into the trunk (mess) lol.

i'll have to try another setup and maybe end up with swingaway type cons in mind are they're heavier and more expensive (more than 3x my current one), also looks like the part that stays in place has a piece that sticks up (both thule revolver and yak swingdaddy) and may still not allow the bottom hatch to come down all the way...

 

[Wellcraft19]

wellcraft do you have an integrated bumper hitch or a below the bumper hitch? if inyegrted then sweet! if below the bumper then your rack probably sits a couple inches lower than mine would

i'll give the roadway a shot though - hopefully it'll give m access wout even having to tilt it down ...

thing about extender is thrn i'll get a loose connection of thr mount to the receiver right? the bike racks actually bolt up against the receiver so theres no play. i assume an extender wont bolt up, rather jist a hitch pin (ie loose compared to the bolt ons)? or do the extenders bolt on too?

My mistake. Yes, my hitch receiver is below the bumper (a stock Toyota one). Missed that point, you have a newer truck.

Agree with you on the extender. I am somewhat "allergic" to anything that mounts there and cannot be properly tightened (like cheap cargo carriers, etc) but that is properly a whole other debate.

The Thule bike rack tightens up very nicely and form an "entity" with the LC. No rattling at all, even after several hundred miles. I also use a lot of small foam pads and pack straps, tightening my bikes to the vertical post on the bike carrier.

And, if you want to measure, the distance from the hole (for the hitch pin) to the vertical post on the Thule carrier is a tad over 14". You should be able to measure to see if you have enough clearance.

 

[bkgee]

cons in mind are they're heavier and more expensive (more than 3x my current one), also looks like the part that stays in place has a piece that sticks up (both thule revolver and yak swingdaddy) and may still not allow the bottom hatch to come down all the way...

swingdaddy is heavy and expensive. on my OE hitch, i can open the tailgate fully after i swing out the arm.

re heavy, that only comes into play when i am mounting/dismounting the rack. i think the 'heavy' is an overall benefit, as in "heavy duty". the lock pin for the receiver bolts in very tight and there is no play whatsoever. the bikes mount solid too, they do not seem to move at all (not yet tested off road).

re expensive, for me, this is the price to be paid for (almost) all of the features i wanted: 4+bikes, tight and HD, locks keyed to all my other yak gear, allows complete access to tailgate (i change a lot of diapers there too).

the only feature that i did not get was immediate hatch access (without swinging the arm away). based on these responses, i think you would be good with one of the other products here unless you have a mess of yakima gear and want it all keyed the same.

 

[TeCKis300]

I love my Yakima Highlite3. 20lbs. Effortless to install and remove.

The top hatch will just clip the rack when in the upright position, but the swing down feature is very very easy to access and makes it a non-issue. Since it relies on an expanding wedge setup internally in the hitch to install/stabalize (as opposed to a hitch pin), you could install it farther out such that it will completely clear the upper hatch.

 

[FJCowboy]

I currently have a Thule, can't remember the make and model off hand. It is one of the hang versions for two bikes and I have used they tray version as well (Yakima). Both of them tilt back and I can open the upper hatch no problem. I believe I can open the bottom hatch as well. I will say, that I prefer the Tray version over the Hang Version. Your tires are not secured and can swing around unless you tie them down with some sort of strap. Also the hang version, puts pressure on your cables if they are mounted on the underside of your top tube (as mine are). Just my .02.

 

[Jacket]

I picked up a Softride Dura Assist recently and it's a pretty slick design.

Softride, Inc. || Hitch mounted bike rack || Dura Assist 4 Bike Rack

I mounted it on a hitch extension so that it will clear the spare tire on my 80. On my wife's car, it works great with her 2" receiver and clears her full hatch when lowered. With the hydraulic assist it is relatively easy to lower the bikes to open the hatch. My wife was able to do it (lower and raise the loaded rack) numerous times on a 1500 mile road trip this summer and 3 bikes on the back. She said it was no trouble at all.

 

[agaisin]

Followup in case anyone else is ever interested in the Thule racks... I compared the Thule 914XT Roadway and Thule 934XT (think it's just sold at Performance Bike Shop but not listed on the Thule site as part of their current lineup) for interference with the top and bottom hatches.

The design and geometry on them is slightly different and end result is that when used with the OEM Integrated Bumper Hitch, they both interfere but the 934XT interferes less. The 934 allows me to open the top hatch a little bit more than the 914 did, and the bottom hatch goes down closer to flat with the 934XT than it did with the 914XT. So for the moment at $144 I kept the 934XT and returned the 914XT ($249).

934XT looks like an older style that uses the pins to latch (for tilt back and fold down features) whereas the 914 has the newer style that allows you to release with the pull of a lever and relatch automatically by putting it back it into place - i.e. pins mean 2 hands required whereas the new style allows one handed folding unfolding.

 

[agaisin]

With kids getting into bike riding now, started to realize I wasn't using the bike rack as much for longer trips due to inability to open hatch with bikes loaded. So - started considering the swing out or platform styles that allow you to swing out/lower while loaded. Really liked the look of the Platform style ones like this Hollywood hr1400 model however was really after something that would give me access without the fiddling to lower or swing out first (especially for wife). Ended up with a hitch extender solution. 8" was enough to easily clear the hatch. Fwiw, the Curt hitch extender doesn't fit my OEM integrated receiver (corners of curt were too square). Reese 8" extender was annoying b/c there's too much excess tubing that contacts the tire and requires pushing tire out of way and forcing in the extender every time I want to put on/remove, just a hassle. Ended up with the Heininger 11" extender It's a little longer than necessary but fits without a fuss. Even though the Heininger comes with an anti-wobble insert, the nut is so large I can't fit anything in there to properly tighten it, so I ended up using the curt anti rattle kit 22321 to keep the extender from wobbling in the integrated hitch. So far so good - feels a little ghetto but it makes access quick/easy. I feel like the OEM integrated hitch always ends up being annoying due to it's non standard fit and limited space after the hole until you hit the tire, and the fact that the bolt has very limited space to fit in a wrench or socket.