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Hitch mounted and swing away bike carrier to clear door

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ravtrekker

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Yes, I know there are lots of posts here on this topic, but none seem to address this specific combo.

I have:
• 2007 RAV4 AWD Sport
• 2" Trailer hitch


I want a bike carrier that is hitch mounted, can hold 4-5 bikes, BUT clear the door so I can still open it. I have seen the hitch-mounted, swing-away bike carriers that work great with a hatchback, but I've never seen one with a hinged door like mine. Is this possible?

I found...
...a cheap one on Amazon that appears to do these things, but Amazon tells me it does not fit my vehicle:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ASSOHYO/

...a pricier one on Yakima that sways, but it appears to do so only for hatches, not hinged doors.
https://www.yakima.com/ridgeback-4

...a Thule that's crazy expensive with poor reviews here:
https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/bike-rack/hitch-bike-racks/thule-apex-swing-9027-_-1260560


If in trying to meet the door opening requirement and there is a major difference between 4 bikes and 2, I might compromise.
 
#4 ·
This is probably the most relavent video which shows a swing out + the door open w/ a spare tire.
https://images.etrailer.com/static/...r.com/static/images/video/install-thule-apex-swing-2012-toyota-rav4-th9027.webm

I live in the land of bike racks. We have a Yakima Spare time rack. Which we love. Compared to all the other bike racks that my friends have it is the most convenient as you don't have to fiddle with swinging or dropping the rack every time you open the door. It is not ethical (mountain town ethics) to leave your rack down or out, when it is empty. You might not think this is an issue at first, but if you essentail open the rear hatch every other time you use the car(dog, groceries, etc...), it does become a hassle. So much so that my friends often remove their rack when not needed.
Image

(not my car)
Of course there are some compromises. One is that you need to remove the hard spare tire cover or cut a hole in it. I opted to remove the cover and buy a fabric cover that I cut a hole in. I have been removing the rack seasonally, and put the hard cover back on for winter.

Another thing to consider is how many bikes. This rack only holds 2 bikes. And that is the MAX weight you want to hang on your back door. If you want to roll with 4 full size bikes you need a swing out.
 
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#7 ·
ravtrekker said:
MrPulldown, that Thule swing away rack is perfect! Thanks!

I decided against the spare wheel mount because of the weight on the hinged door. I do want to carry up to 4 or 5 bikes.
Click to expand...
Most of the swing outs have more of less the same dimensions and clearance when swung out. I would not limit yourself to the Thule.

Roof top mounts use to be the norm, have you considered those. Difficultly to load/unload, air resistance, and low clearance has had them fall out of fashion. However it really is the best way to carry alot of bikes. That is still what profession support vehicles use. If you have a 4 bike rack off a hitch it becomes difficult to park, and can scrape along the bottom in steep driveways.

Most swing out carriers will be of the "hanging type" This is not the Pro way of carrying bikes. It becomes quite a cluster. The bikes are stacked on top of each other and get scraped. Also if you have a funny bike geometry (full suspension MTB) you might have difficultly hanging them without an adapter.
Image

Image


An upright tray type of rack are much easier on the bike. Though I am not sure I have seen a swing out version just a drop down version. By the time you go 4 bikes it really hangs out there. I guess you should call these flip up not swing down. With the bikes on there, the rack can not be moved out of the way to open the hatch.
Image

Image


Finally the northshore style racks are becoming the in vogue rack around here. Easy and simple. High and out of the way. Does not extend too far back. Expensive. And only a drop down version.
Image

North Shore Racks
 
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MrPulldown
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