Thirsty

I have been reading forum posts going back to 2007 about the best hitch and bike rack for the RDX. I now own a 2012 RDX and want a hitch/rack combination. I used a rear hatch-mounted rack on my MDX and it always scared the heck out of me hanging 3 mountain bikes off it and I rarely used it due to this.
There were a lot of suggestions/recommendations, but can anyone tell me based on my requirements below, what would fit my needs:

1. A 2" hitch that I can install myself using the existing RDX mounting holes (no drilling/tapping). I don't care how far it sticks out the rear.
2. A rack that can support 3 or 4, ~30lb. mountain bikes.
3. The rack must be able to pivot down so that I can open the hatch without removing the bikes.
4. Enough clearance from the bumper so a bike doesn't touch it if the bike(s) swing during driving. If only a pedal needs to be positioned and strapped correctly to clear the bumper, that is OK.
5. No special adapters to make the rack fit the hitch.

Thirsty

So, I sent a request to eTrailer for the hingepin hole distance on the 3 hitches they sell to determine how far out from the bumper it would be. That will determine the rack to purchase. All I want to know is if anyone has a hanging bike rack & 2" hitch combination that really clears the bumper/hatch. I would rather not find out the hard way.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

well...on my MDX i have an aftermarket draw tite hitch (same as hidden hitch)...and a hitch rack (thule ridgeline 4 bike carrier). solid as far as i can say. no swaying swinging...nothing. doesn't move. i make sure to strap the wheels in such a way they don't spin. i've only carried two tri bikes on mine. i have yet to transport my MTB. if you get a hitch rack that has the anti sway device/strap, the bikes wont' move. there is plenty of space between the rack and the tailgate a good 8-12 inches and my hitch rack will tilt out of the way to open the tailgate without issue.

my brother has a similar set up and has transported his MTBs on his MDX...no issues.

you want a quality hitch rack you have to pay the extra bucks for the extra features. cheapen out and you get bikes that will sway and move a little.

hatch mounted racks... screaming for the paint to be scratched or the tailgate to be dented. etrailer has great prices BTW.

hope this helps. i know it's not an RDX but the hitch and rack set up aren't all that different. the RDX just has a smaller butt compared to the MDX.

Thirsty

Thanks for the info. With the RDX's small butt, I am concerned about pedals hitting the hatch. The MDX has a "real" bumper protrusion which will allow for pedals to avoid the hatch.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

there is ample clearance on the MDX the pedals stay in front of the hitch rack meaning they don't cross the plane of the hitch rack when mounted on the rack. get the antisway devices included with a quality rack and you won't have to worry.

Thirsty

That makes perfect sense that the pedals dont cross the rack's vertical. Now I can't understand why so many posts on hitch/racks complain about the bike hitting the RDX. This is what originally made me post this thread.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

low end hitch rack? you could always go platform rack too but that costs a little bit more $$$ than a hitch rack.

the only way i see the pedal "swing" towards the car is if there is no antisway device and the owner straps the bikes to the hitch rack so they pass the vertical plane of the rack. i guess i'd have to see a picture of it on an RDX. i know on the MDX there are zero clearance issues. and ample space between the rack/bike to the bumper/tailgate.

Thirsty

I'll take a look at that Thule Ridgeline you mentioned. eTrailer recommended the Thule Parkway or Yakima Big Horn. I'll do a comparison. Thanks again.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

i looked up the two etrailer recommended. the parkway has no antisway stability, it folds and tilts. the big horn has antisway, tilts, but doesn't fold. neither has locks for the bikes or the hitch. the parkway's tilting mechanism...

the ridgeline pretty much has everything in one pkg. locking cable for the bikes, antisway, and hitch lock. you could get a hitch lock separately for it but its another like $40-50 (you're paying for the lock core). it tilts and folds for easy storage and getting the arms out of the way when not in use if still on the car.

the little features....just make sure you know what you want out of the hitch rack. i've been pleased with my hitch rack thus far.

do you have a budget?

comes down to how much you wanna spend.

Thirsty

I see the Ridgeline and it looks like a much better rack. I think I saw it when I was first looking and didn't think that the 2" adapter would have made the rack stable, but it sounds like you don't have that problem. It is pricey, but I won't go cheap when carting around 3-4 expensive bikes.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

EXACTLY!!

it really doesn't move when i'm driving around. drove 1200 mi round trip to a race with two bikes...no problem. even survived the8 hours of pouring rain of the 10 for the drive home.

Thirsty

The rack sounds like a winner. I like the latching mechanisms and the dual tube tie-down. I waited too long to get a hitch for my MDX...the threaded frame bolts were rusted away, so I went with the trunk rack; was supposed to be only for my Trek Fuel but but 3 soft and 1 hard-tail later, this didnt work out. The 2012 RDX is new so I don't wanna wait. Besides 1200 miles to me sounds like slickrock country and would be a nice ride in the new RDX instead of the 160,000 mile MDX!

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

well live and learn. no touchy the painty...same deal with sedans...NO TRUNK RACKS. only roof racks or hitch.

i did have a roof rack on my TL (it saved my car earlier this yr from more damage from a 12 foot tree branch that fell on my car-it landed on the rack first which took the brunt of the impact , mangled one of my bike mounts and shattered my windshield while leaving dings all over the car. somehow the branch missed my hood). currently my TL's roof is naked and she's been promoted to garage queen since the incident.

i have a trek fuel f/s MTB and a single speed mongoose (modded-obviously)<==these play in the dirt (no off road tri's though...my ankles won't handle the trail run). i ride a QR Ti tri bike for road tri's.

DateTSX

i just installed the draw-tie hitch from etrailers the other month and im using the Thule Roadway 4bike. its work perfectly with the hitch aside having 1 to 2 mm clearence from the release level to the bumper. i also spend the overpriced Thule snug lock to secured the hitch and to keep the hitch from swaying. ill post some pictures if any of all are interested.

REVTEC

I'm interested in seeing pics of this if you don't mind posting them!

Thirsty

I installed the Curt Class III 2" hitch from Hitchsource.com ($121 free shipping) a few weeks ago. Installation was simple using tie-wraps to hold it up. No cutting or bending. Now its time to purchase the bike rack.

DateTSX

As promised. I was waiting on a nice day to wash the car and take the pictures.
You see how release level is a few mm away from the bumper but it never hits it.






and this my new Toy.

dinkeldorf

Great thread! 3 weeks into a Arctic White '12 Non Tech SH-AWD. I haul around 2 carbon fibre road bikes, 1 29er hard tail, 1 29er dualie xc bike & a 26er hard tail. Was transferring over a Thule T2 XT and a Add on XTR platform rack.

Did the Curt hitch after some educated guess work that the T2 would indeed fit.

Results here (all important wheel cup to rear bumper):


Clearance:


Stepping back:


Platform racks aren't for everyone. They're heavy, bulky and expensive. Reversing can be fun. On the plus side the rack doesn't touch the frame of the bike, bikes can come on / off in any sequence (with practise), and with the T2 XT you can drop the platform to open the trunk. The new XTR has a cable lock integrated into the arm. We're actually looking at getting a second T2. In addition to the existing 4 roof mounted racks.

Unfortunately we're now the go to folks for bike trips...

Enjoy the ride!

Thirsty

My final setup:
Curt Class III 2" hitch - nice hidden tubular ($120).
Softride Element 4-bike parallelogram rack ($200) with anti-sway attachment.
The rack is nice but has one great feature that I needed---you can tilt it down to access the rear hatch without removing the bikes. The parallelogram feature allows the bikes to stay level with the ground. Also makes it easy to load bikes.

mrgold35

I have the rear OEM diffuser on my RDX. Do you think the Curt Class III 2" hitch will clear the diffuser? Did you also install the trailer wiring for towing or just the hitch? I would like to see pictures or re-do the picture links above (I only see red X's or photobucket removed/delete image).

Thirsty

The hitch just clears the underside of the bumper (see pics), so I do not know if it will fit under the diffuser. I did not install the wiring but it is simple on the RDX according to other posts (the connector and holes already there).

mrgold35

Thanks for the pics!!

It is hard to tell since your RDX is +10 model if it will clear the diffuser. I might have to do a little slicing and dicing on the diffuser to get the receiver to sit properly. I don’t know if I could use shims to drop the hitch a 1/8 or 1/4 of an inch down (haven’t checked into the pros/cons). Just looking to use the hitch for a bike rack for three.

RDXRonin

Thirsty, you have convinced me to get this exact hitch for my 2012 RDX, do you have a recc for a two bike carrier? Thanks!

Thirsty

I recently purchased the Yakima Prorack 2-Bike Carrier.
It is so much easier to use than the hanging type rack that I also have, especially if you have bikes with a strange top tube. It is also easier to remove the bikes since they sit in their own wheel wells with quick release arms that hold the bikes in position. The main upright bar folds down so that you can open the RDX hatch. I personally think that it is well built for the price and I have compared it to comparably priced same-type racks that my friends have and I feel that it is better. You can spend more money and get other brands that have locking mechanisms if that is what you need. One thing to keep in mind----the main bolt that holds the carrier to the hitch is long and fully threaded, so you will need a ratchet since it takes a long time to get that bolt screwed in. A box-wrench will frustrate you. Let me know if you need further specs.

mrgold35

I went with a Curt Hidden Hitch and it work with my rear OEM diffuser. I also purchased the Softride Dura Assist 4 bike rack because I wanted something to move out the way to access the hatch. Because the Dura Assist tilt release was so close to the bumper, I also purchased a 7" x 2" Square Extension Receiver. Then I had a new problem, the hitch extension had a lot of play and I purchased a StowAway Hitch Tightener. I just leave the hitch extension on 24/7.

Buyers Products 1804003 7" x 2" Square Extension Receiver ($47):

Amazon.com: Buyers Products 1804003 7" x 2" Square Extension Receiver: Automotive

Amazon.com: Buyers Products 1804003 7" x 2" Square Extension Receiver: Automotive

StowAway Hitch Tightener ($22):

Amazon.com: StowAway Hitch Tightener: Automotive

Amazon.com: StowAway Hitch Tightener: Automotive

Curt Manufacturing 13536 Class III Receiver ($124):

Amazon.com: Curt Manufacturing 13536 Class III Receiver: CURT: Automotive

Amazon.com: Curt Manufacturing 13536 Class III Receiver: CURT: Automotive

Picks without hitch extension:


Pick with extension:

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

Platform racks... depending on the bikes you will be hauling should dictate the type of rack. The platform rack Thirsty linked, is fine for non carbon fiber frames. From what I researched, if you have a carbon fiber framed bike the best racks for them are fork mount roof racks OR platform racks that do not touch the frame (ie wheel based mounting system). Aluminum, steel, and Ti frames will be fine on frame based mounts.

I upgraded from my hanging Thule ridgeline 4 bike rack to a Thule T2 platform rack last summer. The reason being I upgraded my race bike to carbon fiber frame and all the bells and whistles that went with it. I didn't really want to risk damaging my new steed during transport on a hanging rack.

Check out etrailer.com for hitches and racks.

hachir0ku

I'll add my setup after reading many reviews, including this thread.

2009 RDX.

Went with the Swagman XC 2-Bike Rack Platform
Swagman XC 2-Bike Rack Platform Style for 1-1/4" and 2" Trailer Hitches Swagman Hitch Bike Racks S64650

Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver
Trailer Hitch by Draw-Tite for 2009 RDX - 75563

The hitch was difficult to install since it was heavy/bulky. It would be really easy with 2 people (one person holding it). Once I figured out how to balance the hitch, it took a few minutes to bolt it on--The threads had rust, which was another issue I had to deal with. I ended up using PB Lubricant spray and soaked the thread hole for a few minutes and cleaned it with a wire brush and it worked.

This hidden hitch was really far back which may be a good thing for some and not for others. At first, i liked the idea of a hidden hitch, but when i put the bike rack on and loaded the bikes, the pedal was "way" too close to the trunk of the car. It doesn't rub or hit the car because the rack really is great and hold the bikes really tightly--there is no to and fro movement. However, it does stress me out if i happen to drive on rocky/patchy roads.

Another note about the hitch. It is a really tight fit--so much so that the hitch itself touches/pushes against my bumper once it's installed. It's underneath the car, so i'm not too worried about the paint job rubbing off (eventually it probably will), but do know that it touches the bumper (in my experience).

The bike rack itself is pretty sturdy. I went with a platform just because I don't like the idea of a bike "hanging" out the back of my car. The quality is really good and its easy to install and take off. I usually take it off if i'm out riding since i don't have a bolt lock. I'm afraid someone will just come along and steal my $150+ rack. It's really easy to install and uninstall (about 30 seconds, minute if you do it slowly).

**Issue/Concern** As I previously mentioned, the hitch sits far in, which makes the 1st bike sit much closer to the car. In my experience, you have to have the pedals set at certain position EVERY time you load the bike closest to the car---sometimes i forget and its annoying to have to readjust/remount the bike to that specific position. But i'm sure after a few dozen times of use, you'll do it automatically.

If i had to do it again, i probably wouldn't get a hidden hitch. I'd get a normal hitch that stuck out a bit more. That would essentially eliminate the negatives about the combo I selected. Either way, both products are definitely high quality and straightforward to install.