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hollywood over the top bike rack for 12 ody? see link

8K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  whoa 
#1 ·
#3 ·
Would never do it. 2 bikes on a moving vehicle can add a lot of stress on latch and bumper points. You also risk scratching or denting the sheet metal. Not to mention it's a pain if you need to get into the hatch. If your wallet can handle it, go with a proper class 3 hitch and a hitch rack. I like the ones that can "swing away" even when loaded. Thule and Yakima are best.

Thule Apex Swing 4 Bike 9027 - Thule
FULLSWING | Yakima
 
#4 ·
The other thing I'd caution against is the bumper that rest on the rear window. Your Odyssey will automatically turn on the rear wiper if your front wipers are on and you shift into reverse, which could potentially damage the wiper and motor. Add my vote for a hitch-mount rack - the strength and convenience are definitely worth the extra cost.
 
#5 ·
The other thing I'd caution against is the bumper that rest on the rear window. Your Odyssey will automatically turn on the rear wiper if your front wipers are on and you shift into reverse, which could potentially damage the wiper and motor....
You are a wise man.

I concur with the other posts. Hitch-type, all the way. I have seen this type of over-the-hatch-and-roof rack on a minivan, but not an Odyssey, and at freeway speed it did not look as secure as other available options, not to mention DWF_Ottawa's astute observation regarding rear wiper function.

This is my Thule 964 Revolver, in the transit position, and in the swingaway position:

Land vehicle Vehicle Bicycle wheel Motor vehicle Bicycle
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Mode of transport Motor vehicle


The offering from Yakima (called a "SwingDaddy", I believe), appears a better choice for our Odysseys, as it sits higher. My Thule did scrape a couple times with a full load of four bikes due to rear end squat. Monroe Sensa-Trac Load Adjusting shocks with their coil-over helper springs cured that problem.

I sold the Thule due to the difficulty in getting four bikes on board. I could do it, but it was hard avoiding a tangle of pedals & spokes. I found a used Yakima Holdup in great shape for a really good price. This is not my setup, but you get the picture:



Here it is on a Sienna, folded up. Looks the same on either of our Odysseys. Believe it or not, it is not a huge impediment to rearward vision:



One consideration for all of this very easy bike access is that it is not easy at all to gain access to the rear of the van with bikes in place. The Yakima Holdup rack can tilt down, but you need a helper to remove the ball-detented safety pin (it's beefy for a reason) and then move the release lever. You still have to remove one or two bikes to make opening the hatch a reality.

Another point: with this much rack cantilevered out back, and four heavier bikes (mountain bikes and a hybrid), the whole shebang overcame even the Monroe Sensa-Trac Load Assist shocks when I had my family of six on board (and two more bikes on the roof using a set of Thule Big Mouth roof-mounted bike carriers). I had to install AirLift 1000 bags to bring up the rear end again. Here's that same Sienna. It's squatting a little more in back than either of our Odys did, and the Toyota hitch is perilously low to begin with, so he is a candidate for Monroe's or AirLift 1000's. Essentially, this load levered out like that duplicates a pretty hefty trailer tongue weight.

.

If it was just me and my wife, we would still be using that wonderful Thule Revolver (or, since we sold it, try the Yakima version, which has a design perfect for our low-slung hitches). For now, the Yakima Holdup fits the bill.

Again, hitch mounted for secure mounting and available options is the way to go.

OF
 
#7 ·
That Yakima Swing Daddy is a really good bike rack. I think it has a little bit more "real estate" on it than Thule's offering does, all to make it easier to get those four beefy bikes on board. It swings out like my Thule Revolver did, enabling un-restricted hatch operation.

Man, you ARE loaded for bear! :D

OF
 
#8 ·
Yeah, but the bikes still got scratched up a bit. Tight for 4 bikes nonetheless. Of all the hitch racks, I felt the Yakima one protruded out the least; just wanted to minimize the "cantilever" effect. Thank goodness for the airlifts, as you well know, the back of the van easily bottomed out. We were loaded for our annual family camping which is now a distant memory as the kids, van, hitch rack and roof box are gone :(.

I liked the way you laid out the options btw.
 
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