Yaris hatch bike rack

[7:34pm]

Yea I know there's a few threads already.

I was dead set on getting a trailer hitch mounted for a bike rack as I'm a fan of things being mounted fairly solid; I once saw a bike rack fall off on the highway!

Now I'm thinking a trailer hitch might be an inconvenience if I have to remove it for every autocross etc, plus it's a little more costly as there's more to buy.

Has anyone had success with a hatch mount bike rack? They seem flimsy. Looking to carry up to three bikes.

[WeeYari]

I use a hitch mount on my Yaris, but had, in the '80s, used a hatch/trunk mount with no issues other than eventually marking the paint.

While the one I had was a cheap thing purchased from Canadian Tire, if I was to do it again, I'd probably look at Saris racks.

[canadian deacon]

I have this one: http://www.swagman.net/product/original3-ball-mount/

It's a good heavy construction. I also have a lock for the receiver (pin lock). The rack doesn't fold down. I was worried that the folding ones were too flimsy. The rack fits in the trunk of my Yaris when not in use.

[CrankyOldMan]

I've got a Thule hatch-mounted one like this (http://www.thule.com/en-us/us/products/carriers-and-racks/bike-carriers/rear-door-mounted-bike-carriers/thule-gateway-9006xt-2-bike-_-1679939). It's not very convenient if you need to get into the hatch with bikes mounted, but that would be the same for a hitch mount.

I've successfully done 2 bikes, but I can't recall at the moment if it holds 3. Looks like there are hatch-mount options that hold 3.

[CoryM]

Has anyone had success with a hatch mount bike rack? They seem flimsy. Looking to carry up to three bikes.

Hatch mounted tend to cause scratches, and it can be hard to keep the front tire/handlebar off the back of the car. Depending on the weight (and cost!) of the bikes, I would be more comfortable with a hitch mount. I'm pretty happy with my setup. Except for the fact that I am broken and can't ride for a long time :(

Modern hitch racks come out pretty quick, and you have more options with a hitch.

Cheers.

[aspro]

Roof mount. Nice and solid, looks awesome and still allows access to the hatch. I'm running Thule aero bars and two Yakima upright bike carriers. And the cross bars go on and off in minutes.

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag374/metrixlp/user34202_pic5683_1346963911_zpsvg3iudsd.jpg

[nookandcrannycar]

I saw a Subaru today.....same new one CTScott has.....and it had two bike racks. one off the back that was carrying two mountain bikes, and another one on the roof that was carrying one mountain bike. Sort of a 'lima bean green' color (the Subie, not the mountain bikes :biggrin:). I later saw another example of the same model...sort of an off white color (looked great :thumbsup:).

[paulge3]

Like this one-- yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29807

[dasnake]

I have a 2008 yaris 2door hatchback. I installed 2 thule sidearm bike carriers using the square bars and a thule short roof adapter. I've had two downhill bikes (40lbs each) up there for 3 seasons. Not a single issue. Regular bikes don't weight 40lbs so you make be able to mount 3 bikes if you reverse the head a tail of each bike. i think my roof is rated for 110lbs or so.

I was considering a hitchmount, but they are clumsy, make your car longer and pull down the suspension. The weight of the hitch and the racks and the bikes on leverage will weigh your car down.

roof rack is the way to go.

[dasnake]

read all my posts about roof vs hitch from 2012

[xtremesniper]

Roof mount. Nice and solid, looks awesome and still allows access to the hatch. I'm running Thule aero bars and two Yakima upright bike carriers. And the cross bars go on and off in minutes.

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag374/metrixlp/user34202_pic5683_1346963911_zpsvg3iudsd.jpg

Out of curiosity, did you skip on the hitch because the RS trim gets in the way? I've been reading into hitches but I've read a number of them do not work with RS/S trims thanks to the extra space the add-ons take.

Also, do you have any closer pictures of the roof rack and any with bikes mounted on them? I'm suddenly curious about roof racks as an alternative if it's clean, easy and sturdy enough.

[xtremesniper]

Looks nice! I think for me if I didn't have the RS kit then the hitch mount would be a no-brainer. I haven't found a hitch that fits around the RS kit yet.

With roof mounts I get worried about the clamps wearing down the body paint, or even causing damage to the waterproofing liner around the doors. I've heard that some of them cause the doors to get pushed down a little bit when they close. That doesn't sound good to me.

[WeeYari]

I think for me if I didn't have the RS kit then the hitch mount would be a no-brainer. I haven't found a hitch that fits around the RS kit yet.

I have a 2010 RS rear bumper on my 2006. When I put the bumper on I discovered that my hitch receiver would compress the bottom edge of the RS trim about 1/8". Once on you can't tell that the bottom of the trim has been pushed up a bit.

[xtremesniper]

I have a 2010 RS rear bumper on my 2006. When I put the bumper on I discovered that my hitch receiver would compress the bottom edge of the RS trim about 1/8". Once on you can't tell that the bottom of the trim has been pushed up a bit.

It's only 1/8"? All the hitches that I've been looking up explicitly say "not for RS" or "not for S" depending on the market... I don't know if it will be worth the chance.

Thanks for the info though!

EDIT: Since you're also from Ontario, did you find a local place that sold Yaris compatible hitches? Or ordered from the States?

[WeeYari]

It's only 1/8"? All the hitches that I've been looking up explicitly say "not for RS" or "not for S" depending on the market... I don't know if it will be worth the chance.

Thanks for the info though!

EDIT: Since you're also from Ontario, did you find a local place that sold Yaris compatible hitches? Or ordered from the States?

They say not for "RS" or "S" because it does not freely clear the bumper skirt.

I ordered a Curt hitch from etrailer.com, but it actually shipped out of Canada (no border shit to deal with). A few years later when I ordered a hitch for another vehicle directly from Curt, I learned that Curt has a shipping warehouse in Mississauga and I was able to pick it up there. I suspect etrailer shipped from that location as well.

Here is the best pic I currently have of how the hitch and the RS bumper co-exist.

[xtremesniper]

Thank you, that's really helpful info. And thanks for the picture too.

Have you ever worried about the pressure being applied to the skirt because of the tight fit causing damage when you go over bumps, etc?

[WeeYari]

Have you ever worried about the pressure being applied to the skirt because of the tight fit causing damage when you go over bumps, etc?

No. Been there with the RS bumper for slightly over 4 years now. If your hitch bolts are secure, which they bloody well better be, there is no movement. That hitch has seen frequent use with a bike rack (3 bikes), as well as a well loaded cargo basket. I do have a small piece of duct tape placed between the receiver and the skirt so I don't have direct metal on plastic contact.

[xtremesniper]

No. Been there with the RS bumper for slightly over 4 years now. If your hitch bolts are secure, which they bloody well better be, there is no movement. That hitch has seen frequent use with a bike rack (3 bikes), as well as a well loaded cargo basket. I do have a small piece of duct tape placed between the receiver and the skirt so I don't have direct metal on plastic contact.

Oh, nice! I didn't even know class 1 hitches could carry 3 bikes. And good idea on using duct tape to prevent direct contact.

I'm going to dig around and total up some costs for a good hitch and rack. So far I found these:

Hitch --

CURT - http://www.curtmfg.com/part/110503#tab=all
I found this one at Parts Engine for $166.18 CAD

UHAUL - Found one for $129.95 CAD + ball mount and ball is extra (not even sure if it's needed)

Bike rack --

Thule Doubletrack - http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Bike-Racks/Thule/TH990XT.html (still looking for a canadian retailer as the only one I found so far was $100 more than etrailer --> http://www.hitchcity.com/ecommerce/bike-racks-cargo-boxes/thule/bike-carriers/hitch-mount/thule-990xt-doubletrack.html)

I was thinking about a Vertex 2 but it doesn't have a locking mechanism included.

[WeeYari]

If you go with any other hitch other than Curt I will not stand behind my statements pertaining to fitment. Then again, who knows, maybe another manufacturer makes one that sits a hair lower.

Remember what I said about etrailer. They ship out of Ontario.


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[bgkz25]

I have a saris porter 3 that I have been using for the past few years.
I just use one of the straps tp tie the front wheel up to keep it from flapping back and forth. The steel hooks are plastic coated for paint protection.

55672556735567455675

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