Hitch Mount Rack Recommendations

Hey all,

I’m in the market for a hitch mount bike rack. Any recommendations? Trailer hitch size is TBD because I’m in the market for that too once I pick up my new SUV.

I recommend AGAINST the Thule T2 Pro. I’m on my third warranty claim for it, and the shop from where I bought it indicated I’m not the only one having issues. I’m leaning toward a Kuat for a replacement.

1up USA! I’ve had their quick rack for the past 4 years and love it!

https://www.1up-usa.com/product-category/bike-racks/

Good deal on a nice, nearly brand new rack here; Kuat Transfer - 3 Bike Rack

From what I’ve seen of the Kuat 2 and 3 bike hitch racks, they’d be high up on my list if I was in the market for one.

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I’m using a Kuat 2. It’s a good rack though the finish isn’t great. If I place the bike on the rack farthest from the car I can open the hatch on my Subaru, there is nothing touching the frame of the bike. The hitch lock is great but I have to use a cable to lock bikes to it.
Overall it’s well worth checking out that Kuat 3, its a pretty reasonable price.

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What issues have you been having ? Mine has been good so far

I have this rack and am also curious.

I have a Yakima Hold-up that spends 8 months or more of the year on my truck and is easily 6 years old and has had zero issues. I backed into something with it and bent one of the trays slightly and it is showing it’s age but still works perfect and all of the locks and cables still work great. I also have the +2 bike for it that I rarely sue but is nice to have. I may eventually take the brand new trays off of the +2 and put them on my main rack as a little refresh. But I can’t say enough good about this rack. It goes on usually late March and comes off whenever the snow flies.

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in case you didnt see it there is a Kuat for sale on here Kuat Transfer - 3 Bike Rack

I’ve had a few different hitch racks. Currently using the Kuat Transfer 2 which is easily the best rack I’ve had. Got it on sale end of season last year and free shipping from Rack Attack.

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That’s a pretty good deal, but I feel like it would be a waste since I only need room for 2 bikes.

Sounds like you also need more bikes! :wink:

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The rack gets loose in the hitch and wiggles a lot. When I try to tighten the rack, the mechanism ends up clicking and spinning, suggesting the internals were worn / stripped. I’ve had that piece fixed, I’ve had the rack replaced, and the issue continues to persist. In addition, the wheel-arms have become very stiff. So it’s in for it’s third warranty claim in as many years, and because the dealer has had so many problems with that model with other customers, they’ve agreed to exchange the rack for something else. If you’re having no problems with it, great; but when I hear a dealer say “I sold 18 of these 2 years ago and had 6 warranty claims in on them by the following Spring,” I tend to shy away.

It’s surprising as Thule tend to be known for their quality, and I’ve never had an issue with any other Thule gear I’ve owned; just this one. (shrug) If I weren’t getting a new rack through the dealer, I’d be looking at the 3-bike Kuat rack that Jeff is selling.

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Interesting. I only got mine in March so time will tell I guess. I guess on the good side, Thule is good with warranty.

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And more friends.

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Ouch!

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Is that the T2 Pro XT you’re referring to? If so, good to know because that was one of the racks I was thinking about getting.

I don’t recall exactly, but that might be the one. I’ll see if I can find the exact model name on it somewhere.

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I took Derek’s recommendation and got the Kuat transfer two Rack and went to Action auto accessories for the hitch install. Very quick and I believe the cheapest for mounts.

I think the T2 Pro XT is the 2-bike extension / add-on for the T2 Pro. You can’t use it on its own.