Bike Rack Options??

[Chris2183]

Too late now but you could have just picked up the ISI rack (see post 179 & 198 of this thread) for way less than the cost of using two racks. The ISI rack was just slightly more (wanna say ~$100) than the 1Up as I was looking at both when researching racks.

I’ve had my Backstage on my JK for well over a year. It went back on my JK when I ordered the One Up. I’ve have kept racks on two vehicles for quite awhile now and sold a Rocky Mounts Monorail that came off a car I sold prior to getting my JL to put towards the One Up.


I saw the ISI rack but I prefer racks that secure the bike at the wheels vs the frame (purely personal preference) and had seen the exact same One Up setup in a Facebook group.

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[mclaugh]

I’ve had my Backstage on my JK for well over a year. It went back on my JK when I ordered the One Up. I’ve have kept racks on two vehicles for quite awhile now and sold a Rocky Mounts Monorail that came off a car I sold prior to getting my JL to put towards the One Up.


I saw the ISI rack but I prefer racks that secure the bike at the wheels vs the frame (purely personal preference) and had seen the exact same One Up setup in a Facebook group.

Do you mind sharing a picture (and a link, if you could) to the drop hitch you used? I bought a Uhaul hitch extender for my 1UP, curious to see how the drop hitch looks & performs. Thanks.

 

[Tbmags]

Just saw this video on YouTube posted by RackOutfitters.com about the RockyMounts 10002 - BackStage 2 Bike Platform Swing Rack.
Seems like a great option for getting "swingout" capability and full access to the tailgate at a more reasonable price. Has anyone else used this set up?

 

[PGFDE121]

Just saw this video on YouTube posted by RackOutfitters.com about the RockyMounts 10002 - BackStage 2 Bike Platform Swing Rack.
Seems like a great option for getting "swingout" capability and full access to the tailgate at a more reasonable price. Has anyone else used this set up?

Looks like a decent option, what wheelbase does the rack accept? I have a Kuat sherpa but just bought a full suspension mountain bike and that won't fit the current rack. I'm leaning towards the Thule T2 pro since its an easy flip down to access the tailgate. When I have the bikes on the back I typically don't need to access the rear hatch so that's one reason I don't necessarily need the swing away.

 

[Chris2183]

Do you mind sharing a picture (and a link, if you could) to the drop hitch you used? I bought a Uhaul hitch extender for my 1UP, curious to see how the drop hitch looks & performs. Thanks.

Sure

https://www.amazon.com/Meyer-FHK45054-Receiver-Hitch-Extension/dp/B007448NC2

 

[TheBrandon]

This hitch extension clears the rear tire when opening the back by about 1/4 of an inch with the Thule T2 Pro XT making this setup perfect for my needs, perfect for the Jeep, and extremely easy. I did not add a swing hitch since I can grab my pack with the bikes on by opening the back a bit with the bikes on, door clears entirely when the rack is angled at its furthest position. A few things on the hitch extension, it doesn’t stick out past the rear tire. It doesn’t hang what feels like extremely low which is a problem I had with some of the other drop extensions and the aesthetics. "The Kuat Hi-Lo hitch extension adds 7 or 10 in. of length and 2.125 in. of drop.” I have mine set at the 7 inch position.

Regarding the rack, its amazing. The video posted earlier does a good job breaking down this rack but I want to add a few things. The bikes are firmly held in place. Gotta stress this hard. I have had a ton of racks over the years and when you’re hauling tens of thousands of dollars its hard to not to imagine your $10,000 bike and a disaster. This rack is extremely stable. The way the locking mechanism work are awesome on the rack and for the bikes. How easy it is to raise and lower or angle is fantastic for rear access.

 

[miklm]

Here's my old rack on my new JLUR with a Harbor Freight Dual Hitch Extender. I did drill new holes in it to bring it about 6" further in. I also added Curt anti-rattle pin.

Rack: Swagman Semi 2.0

It is now low enough to allow the rear gate to fully open with no bikes, and when the bike rack is in the lowest position it allows the gate to fully open with a single bike on the rear position.

For a <$40 mod to my existing rack, it works for me for now.

I can also show clearances with a 29er MTB if anyone needs that info.

 

[frankmorris]

Seems to have been about a year or so since most of this conversation happened, particularly about the Kuat & 1upUSA options. Does anyone have any updating they'd like to share? Just got a new Wrangler and am shocked at the seemingly terrible options for a simple task like mounting a bike then opening the back. I'm someone that would love to throw on a bike rack and take a weekend ride, but wouldn't want to just mount once and leave for the season. So very unlikely to actually want to assemble multiple hitch extensions/adapters then worry about stabilization, safety/security, weight, etc.

Really hoping someone can chime in that some company has managed to just sell a product that works out of the box. Especially if we'd consider dropping $600+ on a rack, pretty bummed that you'd have to modify it right out of the gate.

Also, relatedly, trying to keep all of these adapters & extensions straight (pun intended): With the 1UpUSA 2-bike mount, do we just need the 7 or 8" extension they sell for everything to work (as in the back door can fully open with the bikes off the rack)?

 

[Ape]

@frankmorris The elephant in the room with the Jeep Wrangler is the spare. Yes, you can use most of the racks out of the box, securely, but it will interfere with the spare at some point. In all my years of owning wranglers (and being an avid cyclist) there is not a rack made that works well without some sort of extension.

I use an 8" extension with an anti-wobble bolt. It is a very solid, and feels as if it's not an extension at all (like it's welded to the receiver). It works remarkably well.

Don't overthink it. Get a solid extension with anti-wobble bolt (not a pin... if you use a pin, it will wobble). You can get 1up's, or the 100's of others out there. (IIRC, my extension was purchased on Amazon.). Then buy the rack you like, set, go... ride. Cheers!

 

[frankmorris]

Thanks @Ape - I’m definitely over-thinking it! At the very least I need something that will allow me to open the rear without taking the rack itself off. And I think I’d limit myself to no more than one extension or adapter, then.

 

[panda234]

Thanks @Ape - I’m definitely over-thinking it! At the very least I need something that will allow me to open the rear without taking the rack itself off. And I think I’d limit myself to no more than one extension or adapter, then.

With the 1Up rack, it can be folded down and the rear door can be opened, but the bikes have to be off first. To open the rear door with bikes on requires one of the various "Swing Away" type adapters that can be used with almost any of the hitch mounted options.

 

[frankmorris]

REI is having a sale soon and looks like I can pick up the Kuat for a lot cheaper than the 1UpUSA. I've read through this thread 4 times and am on hour 5 of researching this - can anyone answer these:

1) With the hi/lo extender from Kuat, can the rear door open fully with the bikes off the rack? In other words, is just this one adapter sufficient to allow the NV or Sherpa (Kuat) to both clear the spare and allow the back to open fully?

2) Does the Kuat itself clear the spare without an adapter, even though the back door wouldn't open? In other words, if I were just going for a quick ride around town and didn't need access to the back, could I just throw on the Kuat Sherpa or NV and have it functional?

 

[InvertedLogic]

After a ton of research, I finally figured out what pieces I wanted/would work best for me. I ended up pairing a Kuat Pivot with a Rockymounts Monorail. Rockymounts has a rack with the built in pivot joint, but you cannot expand it beyond 2 bikes, and you need a hitch extension for it to fold up.

Here's how it all looks on my Jeep. I plan of keeping the Pivot on during the warmer months and removing the monorail as necessary. The only complaint I have is that with the rack in the folded position, the spare tire still hits the rack when opened (see pic). The tailgate just barely can't make it to the detent. It's still 95% of the way open though and the glass opens without issue. I could solve this by moving the Monorail out to the next hole, but I would rather it be closer to the Jeep.

 

[frankmorris]

Are you happy with the Kuat Pivot? Any rattling or movement?

 

[lsquared]

Sure

https://www.amazon.com/Meyer-FHK45054-Receiver-Hitch-Extension/dp/B007448NC2

Hi Chris,

I'm brand new to this forum so I hope I'm using it correctly I just purchased a 2019 w/rear camera so my beautiful brand new Yakima spare tire rake will not work. Can you tell me the name of the model you have pictured here? Thank you.

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