introbiker

I'm looking for a bike rack to fit my Rav4 (which I don't think has a hitch).

Any suggestions?

Elvo

1upusa

Altair 4

I was just in this situation with a new-to-me Nissan Rogue. After looking at the alternatives, I bought and installed a hitch receiver and a platform bike rack from etrailer.com. The receiver install was not that difficult if you are a do-it-yourselfer and have the tools. Otherwise, consider U-Haul as a vendor. I'd go for a 2" version that gives you higher capacity and more options for racks.

I went with the Kuat Transfer 2 rack. Works well for us at a reasonable price. The payoff is in loading and unloading. Set the bike on the rack, pull one strap through the rear wheel, swing the arm over the front tire, and you're on your way.

If you are looking for a hatch-mounted carrier, maybe someone else can chime in. I've used a Thule on my VW wagon, and it worked okay.

cyclist2000

It depends does your Rav4 have crossbars? are you ok with lifting your bike to the top of the car? If yes then I recommend a Yakima highroad.

CeeDotA

What year RAV4? I have a 2019 and I have a Yakima High Road that's rack mounted to the roof, and a Two-Timer that's hitch-mounted.

Fendertele

Another vote for the Kuat.

Cyclist0108

I have a Rav4. I installed my own 2" hitch, ordered from here: https://www.etrailer.com/p-C13149.html It isn't too bad.

I bought a Kuat Sherpa 2.0. It is a decent rack, but the Rav4 tends to bottom out the rack frequently on dips and speed bumps. Also, mine is kind of beat up now. My wife backed it into something, and also someone low-speed rear-ended it (fortunately in the absence of bikes). The good news is you can really beat the crap out of the thing and it still works.

I think there is a bit on the One-Up rack that hangs even lower, so make certain that isn't a problem. In retrospect, I think the One-up would have been better, iff it isn't even more likely to bottom out.

I also put Whisperbars (I think now bought out by Yakima) on the roof, and mounted two rockeymounts bike racks on that. I have a hybrid and it doesn't take a mileage hit with that rack (unless you put bikes on them, in which case it takes a huge hit).

Wilbur76

Also have the Kuat Sherpa 2.0. Have only used it once because frankly with covid, I haven’t traveled anywhere. Just local rides.
I love this rack though. Did a lot of research and narrowed it down to this and 1up. The polished paint finish and overall quality made the coarse 1Up look well, coarse. Also price for rack mount that holds two bikes (Kuat) is the same price as 1up’s single bike rack. One caveat is if you have rim brakes because the way it clamps down is to secure the locking arm as close to your front fork as possible. Even though the locking arm has a rubber coating, I felt it could damage my bike’s front cantilever brake. So I created this hack with cut sections of pool noodle, velcro straps and a tupperware lid. Works great. I just updated this design using a corkscrew pool noodle at my local BIg5. Cut that long enough to make one chubby ring now its just one easy piece. I’ll post those pics soon.

jpescatore

I've done the roof rack on SUV, very inconvenient to get bikes up there and sooner or later you will hit something - your own garage, ATM machine overhang, etc.

On that same SUV, I did use one of those strap held things on the rear hatch - worked OK for two bikes but kinda tough on the bikes.

I echo the other recommendations - have a trailer hitch put on, or put one on yourself - best solution in the long run. I did that years ago when I moved to an Outback from the SUV and started with a cheap.Allen hitch mount rack from Walmart. That was fine for local use but rattled around a lot and the bikes swayed a lot. After 10 years with that, I joined Team Kuat and put on a NV platform hitch rack for a long driving/biking vacation - expensive but really works well.

Cyclist0108

Just to re-emphasize, you can get the hitch on line for about $100 or so, and it is fairly easy to put it on yourself (I think you will need a 19mm and 17mm socket). I have no real aptitude for this sort of thing, but it wasn't hard. The rear-rack is used far more than our roof rack, and is almost a necessity for thru-axle mountain bikes.

I complain about my Kuat rack getting bent from someone rear-ending us, but it probably saved us the headache of a major repair. (The guy who did it looked like he probably didn't have AAA insurance.) It offers a bit of protection (but in a high-speed crash, it might make things worse).

SJX426 

I struggled over this with my Evoque. I have two Jeeps with factory 2" receivers and a Yakima rack with the capability of configuring for 2 or 4 bikes with top tubs. Tough for mixtes and step through frames.
For the Evoque I decided on a roof rack. I bought aftermarket roof rails that look like the stock ones from LR. Found Yakima cross bars with the aero shape, on CL for 70% of new price. Then found two Yakima bike racks, High Speed, for 27% of new price, with key cylinders but no key. Fortunately they were unlocked and could be removed. Replace the cylinders to match the key on the cross bars. Done.
IMG_20200705_115643, on Flickr

I have thought about the issue of destroying the bike by driving under something that doesn't have the clearance for a number of years, yes decades. I have close friends who have done it twice using their garage. There are tree branches too that need to be watched on residential streets. Having driven a 60' double tractor trailer for awhile, I think I can remember what I am carrying on my rig!

oldwinger14

1Up-USA.....You will never regret it. If you do not have a hitch, they are inexpensive and easy to install.

Altair 4

I needed a few more tools than that to install on the Rogue. I needed an extension or two on the ratchet driver to reach some of the bolts. Also, I used a torque wrench for the final tightening. I did the install in my driveway and getting the torque to the correct setting was a little challenging while laying on the ground. Also, I used a utility blade to cut the plastic under panels to reinstall them (the installation instructions say you can leave 'em off, but I had the time, patience, and obsessiveness to fit them back on).

primov8

Another +1 for Kuat bike racks. On my suv, I’ve got both. A Kuat Sherpa 2.0 and the Kuat Vagabond XL cargo basket. No problems mounting and removing the bikes when I have them on the Vagabond.

Cyclist0108

If it doesn't bottom out, which is a HUGE problem with the Rav4. So check this first.

Cyclist0108

Here is how my Kuat Sherpa 2.0 looks on the Rav4. (It is a bit beat up.) One of the benefits is that it does not obscure the license plate (even though I did). It has a bend-down feature that enables access to the hatchback without taking the bikes off the car.




The ground clearance is quite poor (this is Toyota's fault, not Kuat's):

Cyclist0108

RockeyMounts Roof Rack with T-slot mounting to WhispBars (now bought out by Yakima). This was the most aero option, which for a hybrid is a concern:

Wildwood 

Hahahaha

bike rack for SUV?

i don’t know of any bike racks that would support an SUV.

But it I bow to those who want to haul their SUV.

Disc brakes if hauling an SUV downhill, or in the rain.

strong wheels at a minimum.

Tanstaafl

I have a 2011 RAV4. I fold down half the back seat, and use a front for rack to hold the bike up. I can lock the bike safely inside the car.

Moe Zhoost

As you pin down what rack meets your needs, check out etrailer.com. They have a lot of good reviews of the racks that they sell, including videos of installation and use. I found these helpful when I was looking for a rack. I ended up not buying the rack from them, but I did buy a receiver hitch for my Forester. Great service-oriented company.

Kapusta

What year RAV4? If it is an older one with a swing gate, I would use a spare tire rack instead of a hitch rack.

bike_tom

I second the idea of putting the bikes inside the SUV. Here's two bikes inside a 2010 RAV4:






Bikes are safe and out of the weather. All you need is a piece of wood and two fork mount blocks. Maybe $20.
For two bikes, this is really only practical for day trips to a trailhead, as it doesn't leave much luggage space for an extended trip.

Cyclist0108

My 2017 can't do that, unfortunately. Do the back seats come out of yours?

bike_tom

They don't come out, but they fold pretty flat, as you can see.
I've ridden in the back of a 2017 and it definitely felt tighter than ours. I think the latest gen is roomier again.

Batstar

I don't own a Rav4 but have also chosen to transport bikes inside our Volvo SUV for the very same reasons as the previous posters. Our vehicle did not come equipped with a hitch.

Parts/hardware were obtained at the local hardware outlet including the 4' Gladiator GearTrack panels cut down to fit the width of the cargo area. The fork mounts were purchased online. I utilized the leftover end cut pieces as trays for the rear wheels. To position the bikes, the mounts can be moved along the panel slots by loosening the wingnuts and elevator bolts.

We've always managed to find sufficient space inside to accommodate other gear/luggage but also have a roof box if additional space is required.