Bike rack quick-connect to hitch?

ZapBrannigan

ZapBrannigan

If it ain’t a Boeing, I’m not going. No choice.
My garage is not deep enough to keep the back rack attached to my wife's Subaru Outback and still close the garage door. Plus, she doesn't like the rack in the way for her day to day errands with the car.

Is there any such thing as a bike rack with a quick-connect that allows it to quickly and easily attach to the hitch and unattach without the use of wrench or other tools?

We won't be using it every day. Just a few times a week to go to the park etc.

Thanks!
 
ZapBrannigan said:
My garage is not deep enough to keep the back rack attached to my wife's Subaru Outback and still close the garage door. Plus, she doesn't like the rack in the way for her day to day errands with the car.

Is there any such thing as a bike rack with a quick-connect that allows it to quickly and easily attach to the hitch and unattach without the use of wrench or other tools?

We won't be using it every day. Just a few times a week to go to the park etc.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Let me know what you find - I've just ditched my Saris spare-tire rack to get a hitch receiver rack and I'd like the same option. Thule and Yakima seem to be the most popular brands...

I think most of them will work fine with a bolt through the hitch receiver. But it would rattle some....
 
Yeah my junky allen rack uses a bolt and a locknut. It's inconvenient to pull out tools every time I want to attach or unattach the rack. I'd like to find a receiver that stays attached to the hitch full time - and then maybe a rack that clips into that when you want to use it. Not sure if such a thing exists.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
Yeah my junky allen rack uses a bolt and a locknut. It's inconvenient to pull out tools every time I want to attach or unattach the rack. I'd like to find a receiver that stays attached to the hitch full time - and then maybe a rack that clips into that when you want to use it. Not sure if such a thing exists.
Click to expand...

I just did some quick looking on Amazon and it seems like most of the systems use a hex-head bolt to secure the rack in the receiver. What we really need is a quick-release bolt, or a removable rack in the vertical plane. A couple of the more expensive Thule options look like that.

Alternatively, we could look for a knobbed bolt in the proper dimensions, so it becomes a simple process to install or remove the bolt without tools.
 
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Use this for the boat trailer. Pretty quick.
 
Sounds like somebody smarter and handier than me could make some money inventing something like this.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
Sounds like somebody smarter and handier than me could make some money inventing something like this.
Click to expand...

I think that this is a case of no one wanting to accept liability for a rack falling off on the freeway...

My rear hitch rack threads into the hitch adaptor and also locks. I leave it on all the time. So far I have not been hassled about the hitch blocking my license plate. It actually happens a lot around the Bay Area, drivers are often given a ticket for blocking the license plate.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
Yeah my junky allen rack uses a bolt and a locknut. It's inconvenient to pull out tools every time I want to attach or unattach the rack. I
Click to expand...

I have an allen rack, just has 3 clips - two for the top of the trunk, one under the bumper. Attaches in about 5 seconds. Seems sturdy enough, have been using it 6 months, does not seem like it would come loose.
 
Nobody will give me slack about it blocking the plate here. My wife just wants to be able to put it on and take it off without dealing with the big bolt and locknut. Usually happens on a trip when I get the guilt-trip phone call. "well, I was GoNNA take the boy to the park to ride bikes but it's not worth the hassle of putting on the bike rack" or "well I wanted to go grocery shopping but it's not worth the hassle because the bike rack is on and it's a pain to lower it so I can get into the lift gate."

Unwinnable scenario. Kobeashi Maru.
 
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