Kuat Sherpa 2.0

 

Agree 100%.

 

Best? 1up equipd

 

Thule 9034XTB. At least for the older RAVs with the spare tire because it tilts down to allow some use of your rear cargo area, but it should be good for newer RAVs.

 

Can I only install the first rack?

Thule 9034XTB. At least for the older RAVs with the spare tire because it tilts down to allow some use of your rear cargo area, but it should be good for newer RAVs.

 

1up is very heavy duty, no plastic, and made in the USA. it’s probably the most expensive, but in my opinion, the best on the market in terms of quality. A three bike set up with accessories will cost you around a kilo buck, but it will probably be the last bike rack you have to buy.

 

I also second the 1up bike racks. If you are just using it for 1 bike, it folds up underneath the tailgate, so you can have access to the rear. I have 2 trays on mine, so I have to fold it down to access the rear, but taking off the 2nd tray takes less than 5 minutes.

My friend has a Kuat Sherpa on his Fit and its pretty solid too. A little cheaper as well. You really can't go wrong with either as long as it gets you and your bike to where you want more easily!

 

1UP bike rack. I leave it on my rav even in winter with all the salt the rack is still functioning and no rust.

 

Hi All,
Apologies in advance for posting a new thread that is likely already been talked about (couldn't find it). Can someone recommend me the best bike rack to buy for my 2021 XSE?

Thanks,
Diego

I’m retired, mountain bike ride 5 days a week.
HANDS DOWN. 1up. As others said, not cheapest but it’s the best. I run an MTB club in So Cal and if folks have the spare cash, they’ll buy this one every time. It’ll last forever. I have one for each of our RAV4’s.

 

Hi Mikey,
Another question, possibly a stupid one since the pictures seem to be pretty obvious (just want to confirm). If I go with the 1up single, do I still have full access to the truck without having to mess with anything... like same opening/closing as if the rack wasn't there?

Thanks,
Diego

 

I'm a 1UP homer too.
I love the single just like this guy^^
The Kuats are nice too. Follow your heart

 

Hi All,
Apologies in advance for posting a new thread that is likely already been talked about (couldn't find it). Can someone recommend me the best bike rack to buy for my 2021 XSE?

Thanks,
Diego

The Kuat and 1UP are good racks if you have money than sense. but take look at the Swagman racks, especially the G10. You will need a tilting rack due to the swing gate. I have had 3 Swagman racks and they are $200 less than the other high priced racks, very durable and I don't like my bike being held just by 1 or 2 wheels. Swagman has racks that hold you're bike by the frame and both wheels. I believe this to be a better design.

 

Don makes some great points!
Price is a consideration as well as some other factors.
My 1UP purchase was actually for a much lower to the ground vehicle. I actually preferred the Kuat from an aesthetic point of view.
I considered the swagman style from a cost point of view
and the winner was the 1UP for a ground clearance Point of view.
It get's up and off the ground immediately, where other racks extend the departure angle significantly.
That's not an issue for this vehicle. Or at least not as much of one...
Another consideration may be Carbon frames.
There is a common view point out there that contact from the rack to the frame may cause "rubbing" or transfer a "harmonic" potentially causing a weak/damage to the frame.
So choosing a rack for a family where a couple dirt jumpers or an aluminum hardtail,
vs I single rack with an add on for a full carbon bike may factor into the decision.

Edit*
One last feature that I think is a must.. a way to tighten the rack to the hitch. Eliminate that swaying sloppy fit.
Wheel and tire sizes vary now as well. One of the features of the 1UP that I appreciate is the ability to put a road bike or a fat bike in the tray and clamp it down.

All great points!

 

I have a 3-bike setup from 1Up attached via trailer hitch on my 2019 RAV4 , and as others have said, it’s terrific. I’m curious about the 1Up roof rack, as it would be nice to not always have a rack attached at the rear. We have a different brand of roof rack for our Subaru and it’s fairly convenient, but due to some plastic I’m unsure if it’s long-term durability. The 1Up roof rack is expensive and is made entirely of metal so it should be durable, but I don’t know if the design will actually be stable and easy to use on a roof.

 

I leave my 1up single on all the fime - my friend got rear ended stopped in a left turn the other day by a tesla, he had his rack on and it acted like a sturdy bumper. Tore the front end off the tesla, no harm to the bike rack even 👍. If he hadn’t had it on the rear bumper woulda crumpled. Something to think about.

 

Thanks so much everyone, really appreciate all the input. I'm getting my trailer hitch installed on 01/27 and figured I would pull the trigger on a bike rack today/tomorrow so it's ready to go this week. Very exciting stuff!!

 

Years ago I bought a soft ride bike rack. I liked it because the parallel design gives a mechanical lever advantage when lowering and lifting the rack. This makes it easy to open the rear hatch when you need access. I think they have a patent on this design because the more popular bike rack companies haven't copied it.

 

I like this one:

Equip-D Single – 1UP USA | OFFICIAL SITE (1up-usa.com)

 

If you have an OEM hitch on your 2019+ RAV4 you no longer have the crash absorbing aluminum bumper, the solid chunk of steel that is hitch replaces it and connects to the same frame members as the old bumper (just in a different spot). Non OEM hitches may be different.

 

Dumb question. Are there any good bike rack options that don't require the trailer hitch? Don't have one on my XLE.

 

not really... I actually installed a hitch just to install my bike rack. I didn't even bother to run wiring for a trailer.
I opted to go "curt" vs the factory as well. Just to get it slightly lower. It allow for my single to fold up nicely and still allow the rear door to open. I almost never take it off. I posted a pic on the first page of this thread.

 

When I bought the Rava couple years ago I also bought the $100 Allen rack (search "Allen Bike Rack" on Amazon) where the bikes hang from the top tube, and have had good luck with it. To be fair, I did modify it and my hitch (with a cutoff wheel and welder...) to hold the bikes about a foot higher than stock, to avoid catching the tires on rough trails, and such that it now can also swing down without the bikes touching the ground.

Just another option...

 

I have a Yakima Hangover 4 and an Allen Premier AR200 2-bike tray rack. I picked up the Allen rack from Walmart for about $200 and it has worked wonderfully on my old Acura TL.

Since I'm transporting more friends around in the Rav, I've only picked up the Hangover 4. It'll be put to test for a trip from Salt Lake to Las Vegas next month. I will say that the Hangover 4 doesn't include a cable lock, so you'll need to buy one in order to secure your bikes.

 

Thank you guys for this post. I was looking for a bike rack for my 2021 XSE Hybrid and the 1up looks like the way to go. I found a video on youtube and I think I'm going to order the super duty. I was worried about locking my bike but exploring 1up's website I found you can buy a lock for it.

 

If you have a black 1Up on a Curt, and no lift, I recommend smudging a glob of JB Weld on the 1Up to reinforce the lowest point of contact if a tail strike were to occur. Otherwise, don’t pay the premium for the black.

 

I like my Rocky Mounts rack. 1up is great as well.

 

also looking for bike racks. is it better to put the bikes on the hitch? or roof? or is it just personal preference?

 

I switched to a hitch rack after driving my car into a car wash with my carbon frame bike still attached to my roof-mounted rack. It was not pretty. I was tired after a long hot day of riding and my brain was not working at 100%. Besides that, I think the hitch rack is just easier to use. No removing wheels, etc.

 

I have a 2018 RAV4 Hybrid Limited, and I see that lots of forum members have RAV4 Hybrids with bike hitch installed. My dealer quoted from the owners manual, which says that towing with the Limited model isn't recommended. Toyota Canada explained that the Limited has a tailgate 'kick' sensor, which would interact with a hitch and rack. That seems a very lame, lawyer-driven excuse, and at odds with the outdoor-adventure aspirations of the RAV4.
So, a question for those owners with RAV4 Limited models and hitches - how, if at all, did you overcome the sensor issue?
Thanks to all - Spring has sprung here in north-central Alberta, and we want to get out and about!

 

Check out this thread.

Bike Hitch for 2020 RAV4 Hybrid Limited with Advanced...

I bought a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid Limited with the advanced technology package last fall and now I need a hitch for a bike rack (and don't plan to tow anything). When I bought it, the dealer told me they didn't install hitches on the hybrid at the dealership. Are there any issues I need to know about...

www.rav4world.com

 

What would be a super easy hitch to install for someone like me not very handy? The OEM ones it seems like you have to cut the rear bumper for them to fit? That seems dumb, I'd rather avoid that. I don't need to hook up any electronics or anything, I'll never tow anything big. But would like a hitch just for a bike rack. Please share your links! Thank you!

 

The EcoHitch was very easy to install. I did it by myself. Nothing to cut or modify. I used a car jack to lift it into place. I believe other third party hitches are the same. Some of the other third parties are cheaper. Check out the sticky threads at the top of this "Exterior" forum.

 

I have a Rav 2011 and contacted Thule to request assistance in identifying a bike rack that will work.
The Thule Rep said they could not recommend one.
The closest was the T2 Pro XTR or the T2 Pro X which require 1.125" minimum hitch pin hole depth.
I have 1.0625.
Also concerned about the bumper clearance.
Has anyone been able to install a Thule with a Rav 2011?