good
product appears well made and carries 2 bikes well.
some mounting suggestions for various bikes would be helpful.

Good rack
I returned saris 2 bones bike rack and purchased this one. Bones rack did not fit properly on my Honda Accord. No problem with this rack.

should've told me up front....
The bike rack seems nice, but who can tell since nowhere does it say that you MUST buy a beam for an additional to use this rack for a women's bike. Returned to Amazon... because for + the additional for the bike beam, I can get something much nicer from my local bike shop.

Saris Guardian 2
This is a pretty nice bike rack. It's sturdy enough to hold your bikes without worrying about them moving around and dislodging. The product manual is really difficult to understand, but the rack itself is simple enough that the manual isn't really needed. Overall, it's worth spending a little extra for this rack, as you don't have to worry about anything when using it! Plus, it's got a lifetime warrenty. Can't go wrong!

Good alternative to more expensive Hitch Mounted Carriers
I own several bike carriers, including a Thule Trailblazer hitch mounted 4-Bike carrier, trunk mounted and roof mounted carriers, and fork mount blocks for pickup truck beds.
Advantage of hitch mounted carriers:
1) Secure the bike in the back reduces wind resistance at high speeds.
2) Avoid low height accidents like garages vs roof carrier bikes.
Disadvantage of hanging type bike carriers:
1) Bike swings during transit with stop and go traffic. More expensive carriers have brackets to minimize this.
2) Bikes may rub on each other if position too close, which risk marring the paint finish. Two custom road bikes did not fit my hanging carriers, and I was tired of removing the front wheel. I wanted a hitch mounted bike carrier that folded up compactly and did not require removing the front wheels during bike loads. I looked at the Thule, Yakama, and Saris product, but they were expensive, heavy and bulky. Swagman is a Canadian company, and the XTC2 was manufactured in Taiwan. The quality of the product was very good for the price.
The advantage of the Swagman XTC2 over the older XC Cross Country Carrier:
1) XTC2 wheel wells are 1/2 loops vs. full loops of the XC. This allows the tires to be tied down with the improved rubber straps vs. the wheel just sitting on the full loop well.
2) The receiver bar on the XTC2 is S-curved that lifts the carrier above the exhaust pipe vs. a straight bar on the XC. This higher ground clearance also helps with deep road dips and driveways.
3) I agree with the another reviewer that the ratchet locking system to hold down the bike to the rack found on the XTC is much better than the friction knob found in the older carriers by Swagman and carriers by Sportrack. The frame grip arms were improved and soft frame friendly to protect the bike's finish. You can lock the bike to the carrier using a padlock for each hook holders to prevent release of the ratchet. The padlock shackle needs to be a 3/16 inch in diameter or less. Anything thicker will not fit the hole. The spacing from the shackle to the lock needs have at least a 5/8 inch or larger clearance. Anything narrower will not lock. I found such a lock made by Masterlock (Model 131T) at a local discount superstore. The lock is covered in scratch resistant vinyl. They sell it in a 2 lock set with matching keys.
4) Assembling the carrier was easy. Only took about 20 minutes with a phillips screw driver, supplied allen wrench, and socket wrench (to attach the hitch receiver bolt).
5) I was pleased to see that the carrier cleared the rear window hatch opening on my 2006 Ford Escape. I use this hatch to access rear storage when the bikes are mounted. The vertical bar folds down in order to clear the rear door opening. The bikes need to be off the carrier to fold down the bar.
Disappointments:
1) The outer box arrived damaged. It was made of cheap cardboard material. The content were bubble wrapped and loose in the box. See picture. It would have been better if the shipper opened the box, filled it with shipping popcorn, then re closed the box into an outer, more studier shipping box. Luckily, all the parts were present and with no damage.
2) The main carrier can be removed along with the loaded bikes by a motivated thief with the proper tools even to there was a hitch lock in place. Two allen wrench screws are located in the underside crossbar junction. I added a separate cable lock to secure the rack to the hitch.
3) One item not described in the assembly instructions was that two machine screws need to be installed at the underside of the tip to prevent the wheel wells from sliding off.
4) Although the 1-1/4 inch to 2 inch hitch adapter was made of solid metal, and the screw in type hitch pin did minimize wobble, the 1 1/4 inch tubing used to make the receiver bar still had in inherent sway of a few degrees when driving with loaded bikes. The instruction sheet warns to remove bulky item such as child carriers to reduce wind resistance.

Update: December 14, 2009
We recently had a rain storm come through our area. After a few days I noticed a few rust spots on the latch pins which wiped off easily with a rag. The metal not have a rust resistant undercoating, so it is best if the rack is kept dry or out of the elements for long periods of time. I purchased the Swagman 2 inch threaded hitch pin lock from another website and it provides a peace of mind.

Overall this carrier was a great value.

BUY this one!
This is an awesome rack. Bikes are loaded in less than 1 minute! I could not be happier.

Fantastic- Greatly Relieved
What a relief! I spent many a hour looking/researching/contemplating on the next rack I should get after my last one suffered an epic failure.

I have a Mazda 3 sedan and my concerns were:

-I have an expensive and heavy freeride bike.. which bent my last rack.
-My bike is oddly shaped (2007 KingFisher) and hangs on those "racks" very awkwardly... maybe this lead to the rack bending in the first place?
-With the sedan, the bike isn't shielded from the wind like a SUV.
-I drive 45 min on a regular basis to the trails I like at 65+ mph.

Putting it all together was easy peezy. Impressed with the construction. Went for the XTC since I have a semi steep driveway and was skeptical whether the XC would scrape.

Once you have the wheel slots lined up. Putting the bike on is so simple its stupid. Makes you feel like you should do something more.. but that bike isn't going ANYWHERE! Enjoy the ratcheting system and the fact you can lock your bikes in. (locks not included)

Set my two wheeled, 40lb, 8" of travel fun onto the rack and set off for the trails. Cruising along at a cool 65 I was soon satisfied with it's stellar performance. Very little movement. Mozied along going 75mph now. Within 15min of arriving there was the infamous bridge crossing that when taken at the speed limit 65mph will make a noticeable bump up onto the bridge followed by a vicious bump off.. (did my last rack in)

In the spirit of science I took it at 85mph. Very impressive! Very sturdy indeed!

Kept a ratchet in the trunk to take it off once I got to the trails, I would advise getting a lock washer when putting the threaded bolt through.. I'm sure it won't come loose without one.. but it provided peace of mind for me.

Final Note: Great bike rack, very glad I got it! I used other bike racks and always found myself looking in the rear view mirror to see how the bikes were doing... not anymore! They're staying put!

Nice, but some improvement possible
I bought this to use on the back of my 2008 Dodge Caliber for my two Comfort Bikes. The main issue I have with the rack is that while the bar is supposed to tilt sideways to make it easier to put the bikes on, I am pretty much unable to do with the two hooks in place - it doesn't give me the clearance. Secondly, the bikes seem to wabble when driving, but I am confident they are not going anywhere (especially after I drove 12 hours each way from Detroit to Minneapolis with them).

Other than those to issues, the rack is very nice and it securely holds the bikes in place. It is FAR easier to use then the truck mounted one that we have for the other car, and the adjustable tire slots allows you to customize the hold for your bike.

Once slight addition I made was buying a coated security cable (the one that seems to have a plastic coating with a loop on either end - be sure that it is not too long). I put one loop on the main up right bar of the rack, then put it through the tires of each bike then locked it to the hitch (it just gave me the added comfort of locking everything together.

Very glad I bought this
Whether you specifically buy the Swagman or not, my strongest recommendation is to get a bike carrier that attaches via a hitch and has the bikes sit on their wheels rather than hang from a bar by a strap. You just feel more confident that your bikes are secure. You feel more secure while you are driving and you feel more secure when you have to leave your car unattended (assuming you use a locking hitch pin and lock for the bicycle hook arms). If you are going to need a bike carrier more than once, buy one of this type. It's also the best option for women's bikes, which don't have the top bar. (I never trusted aftermarket bars that attached to the seat post and handlebars.)

Things to know (in general):

> Don't go to your car dealership for a hitch. It's the most expensive option. You can get a hitch online for 0 or less and installation should be approximately at any mechanic or auto body shop. The hitch can also be purchased at your local auto parts store, but will be slightly more.
> You want ratcheting bike hook arms (like the swagman). It is so much simpler and faster.
> You might need a can of Rust-Oleum to cover any places where the "protective powder coating" has been scratched off. A can is less than five bucks at any hardware store and you don't want to allow exposed bare metal, which can rust.

Things to know (about the Swagman specifically)

PROS
> holds bikes quite tight and you do not worry at all that they will fall off.
> The anti-wobble hitch pin works.
> Would be difficult (but not impossible) to steal if you use both locking hitch pin and barrel lock for the bike arms.
> Accommodates any size bike, even very small or women's bikes.
> Folds up into very tiny space when not in use. Does not obstruct view out back window.
> Easy to remove and re-attach with say... teenage boy strength required.
> I can open the trunk on my Mazda 3 with it installed (so long as there is no bike on it).
> Very nicely priced as compared to the models from Tule and Yakima.

CONS
> Sometimes the bike arm for one bike will be in the way of you installing a lock on the other bike arm. This would leave one bike unprotected. (This is my one star reduction)
> The little rubber covers for the bike arm hook release lever like to slide off. This is a minor annoyance and does not warrant any reduction in the rating.

OTHER
> If your bikes' top bars are of similar height, you can likely get by with only one lock for the bike arms. If the bikes are the same height, the top bike arm will likely sit so close to the bottom that the bottom one could not be lifted high enough to remove the bike anyway. However, if the two bikes are of dissimilar size, you might need two locks.
> Buy the locking anti-wobble hitch pin (sold separately). It's worth the piece of mind. Also buy a RATCHETING 7/8in crescent wrench to tighten it.
> The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider seems almost identical to this product. Check out both before purchasing.

-RM

Nice Sturdy Unit
Bought this bike rack to use on the back of our class c motorhome. The rack was very easy to assemble. I noticed right away the construction was superior to other racks I have looked at (this is a heavy rack) with all parts fitted and finished nicely. Look forward to many miles of use with this unit!

Allen 3-Bike Premium
She's sturdy. We drove 490 miles with it this weekend and it was great.
Easy installation, quick release allows it to fold down easily, and another quick release allows it to tilt out of the way for liftgate access.
Very satisfied.

Works as advertised
Product worked very well and was fairly easy to mount. We got the 2 bike version but only mounted one bike and it rode very well, even though the car was very small. Due to our car geometry (Nissan Sentra) and large size of bike, we had to use the outer cradle to mount the bike as the inner cradle put the bike up against the trunk lid. However, we use ours only for one bike and it worked great. Made a 200 mile round trip with it and had no problems whatsoever.

Great bike rack at a good price
Transports our bikes perfectly. The bikes have not gotten marred and they do not sway at all. Held securely in place during our 500 mile trip. Not a single problem with this bike rack at all. I would highly recommend this to anyone thinking about getting a bike rack.

Not a very good quality rack.
I purchased this rack from my local bike shop about a year and a half ago. I liked that it was adjustable (I have a Nissan Maxima with a spoiler, which it just barely clears), and that it was cheap. I used it for a while with just one bike on it, and had no problems... at first.

A few months ago, I had my bike and my girlfriend's on it to go to the Grand Canyon from Santa Barbara, CA, which is about a 7 hour drive. On the way there, the saddles of the rack began to shift a bit on the poles they are attached to. I thought nothing of it until the drive home, when the bike in the rear-most position began wobbling noticeably in my rear-view mirror. I pulled over, and found that the saddles were slipping down the poles, working their way toward the ends. I had to take the bikes off three times on the drive and wrestle the saddles back to their normal positions. On a recent 10-hour drive, I had to tie my bike's seat post to the vertical pole on the rack so it wouldn't do the same thing. I no longer trust the rack with more than one bike on it, especially since I came home from the Grand Canyon with fresh pedal scratches all over the back of my car.

Another thing is that the rubber straps became too stretched out and began popping off their attachments. Another problem is that the weight of two bikes caused the rack to make a big depression in my bumper, which luckily popped out again once the bikes came off. You also can't really open your trunk with a bike on the rack, because you have to slam it really hard to get it to latch again with the rack hitting the bumper.

To sum up, I really don't like this rack, and I wish I had a trailer hitch or roof racks so I could get a real bike rack. Hollywood sucks.

Works great on my 2008 Elantra
Just a few minutes of fiddling got this mounted sturdily onto the trunk of my 2008 Elantra. It feels really secure, and my bike hardly jiggles at all, even at highway speeds. I can open my trunk with the rack attached, even with my bike on it!

The straps are much longer than I needed (to support bigger cars/SUVs), but I'm just going to cut them shorter.

Best trunk-mounted bike rack I've ever used (of course it can't compare with hitch-mounted ones).

Great Rack, Best for the Money!
I have used some of my friend's more expensive racks and really cannot see what makes them cost so much more. I use this rack on a 2000 Acura TL and it fits perfectly without leaving any dents or scratches. This rack is very sturdy, reliable, and setting it up for your car takes but a minute. The one thing about this rack is that I don't think it could hold two bikes. Not because it can't handle it, but because the second bike might be too close to your car if not on your car. That is just my observation. I have not had the need nor do I think I will have the need to use two bikes on it, but, if you do, then you might want to look around and see how it will fit on your car because two bikes would not fit on mine. Nonetheless, I give this rack five stars because it performs very well and covers my needs perfectly. It is just as sturdy and reliable as the higher priced racks so don't waste your money on anything else, this rack will do everything you need it to. I am very happy with it.

Not ok as is for heavy use
We ride bikes several times per week. I say we meaning my me and my kids. So I carry 2-3 bikes on this several times per week. There are problems with heavy use. First of all, the pin that lets the rack fold down is 3/8 inch. Mine actually bent from running on the highway with 2-3 bikes. I drilled it out and put a 1/2 pin. Also, I didn't trust the threaded hitch pin that comes with the rack, it is also 3/8 inch and all that force is on the threads. If they break, by by rack. So I drilled it out to 1/2, used a regular class 2 1/2 pin and a product called a hich vise. for the hitch vise, but the system works much better and is more stable. Finally, the sytem holds the bikes with flexible plastic pieces which slide on 1 1/4" metal poles. They hold the bikes well, but they also slide on the poles resulting in bikes ending up touching and rubbing paint off each other. Since I have no idea how anyone could fit four bikes on this rack, I went with mounts for three. You can remove a screw on the end of each pole, take the end cap off and slide off or on the pieces that hold the bikes on. I took one set off and then cut 1 1/4 inch PVC pipe to keep the other three sets equal distance from each other. This is dirt cheap and works extremely well, the bikes stay put on the poles and don't touch each other. Lots of modifications for this rack but it works well now. I think I would buy a more expensive one in the future but there aren't many choices if you need 1 1/4 and all I have ia a class 2 hitch so I can't use a 2 inch hitch.

Very Good Bike Rack
This is a very nice bike rack for the money. I've been able to get my mother's bike on this rack without using an adapter bar. Sometimes it can be difficult to get some bikes on, but I haven't had a bike that I couldn't get it on it yet.

It does exactly what I needed it to do and I do not think I would have been more satisfied with a more expensive rack.

Solid bitch rack
Easy to assemble. Feels solid and well made. Fits well into the tow hitch receiver.

Excellent four bike rack for 1.25" hitch
I am very pleased with Yakima for creating this rack. We downgraded cars which forced us to have a 1.25" hitch instead of an earlier 2" hitch. Our previous four bike rack was from Reese, which worked very well but was heavy and over built.

Yakima BigHorn 4 is lighter yet very strong. It is the perfect size while supporting four bikes. The assembly instructions were clear. The parts and box were nicely thought out. The bike mounting and straps are as good as any I used. There was not a large selection of four bike hitch racks for 1.25" and I was please Yakima still supported this need. It appears this rack is identical between the 1.25" and 2" hitches with only one part change. Well thought out design.

The only negative and the reason I didn't give it 5 stars relates to a plastic guide when lowering the rack. This plastic guide can pop off and needs to be pushed into placed when lifting the rack in the upright position. I don't anticipate lowering it often and with care it functions fine, but you do need to keep this in mind.

Do note that for 1.25" hitches, you do get more side to side sway compared to a 2" hitch but it is acceptable and the Yakima design is plenty strong enough.

Well made and works well
I abuse this rack and haul my bikes everywear and it holds up very well. My bikes are secure and I don't ever worry about them. Roof racks scare me as I know too many people that have destroyed their bikes on the garage door.

This rack has a swivel to lower the rack and get to the hatch, but beware! When the rack is loaded-down with bikes, it is very heavy! You'll need a buddy to help raise the rack back into position. This earned it a four star instead of a five.

I also had to purchase a Hollywood Racks Boomer Bar Womens or Dual Suspension Bike Rack Frame Adapter for my full-suspension mountain bike to fit on this rack. My road bike and wife's bike fit just fine though.

Overall, this is a good piece of gear that I could not live without.

Great Bike Rack
This bike rack is very sturdy and easy to use. The bikes barely move back and forth when going over train tracks and bumpy roads. Great feature to get into the back of your tail gate on a jeep. I would recommend this item.

Good Rack
A good all around rack. Built well and very functional. Only problem is customer service at Hollywood. Called with a few questions and the person was impatient and a bit condescending. Too bad- kind of bittered me towards future Hollywood products.

Awesome Bike Rack!
Great 4-bike rack at a great price. Light enough for me to easily put on and off by myself, as a 47 year old woman, but very sturdy. Easy to snug bikes up, anti-sway works well. I can even open my back hatch on my Lexus 330, without hitting it. Get a pad lock to replace the Carter key, and it is secured to your hitch. But you still need to lock your bikes onto the rack with a cable, if you leave them. Excellent product!

It's a rack and it's for bikes...
From the beginning, I was impressed. From the quality of the actual item, to after I installed it (which was amazingly easy), to using it for the first, second, third, etc. time. My wife and I had grown tired of biking in the same side of town for a while and decided it was time to take it to the conveniently near foothills. So, logically, we needed a bike rack for our car. Here's how it stacks up:

PROS:

Easy to install
Tough build
Holds bikes securely with up to three straps
Padded to prevent scratches (to car or bike)

CONS:

None

BOTTOM LINE: I would recommend this product to anyone with a car (like a sedan or coupe style) who wants to be able to throw a couple bikes on the back and go for a ride somewhere distant. If you have a trailer hitch, you should stick with those styles as they are easier to setup and take down a lot easier.

I just leave mine on my car with the straps and slack secured inside the trunk so you'd have to cut the straps to steal it.

An ignorant review
I only say ignorant because I never really gave this product a try on my car. But I HAVE installed it just to get accustomed to it. First, it uses nylon straps to secure onto the car. I have no real problems with this since it seems secure enough (although I have my reservations). However, if you baby your car like I do, the straps and the rubber coated hooks can rub against parts of your car. If you're not careful, this will mar parts of your car's paint or bend an edge here or there. Second, the hooks that come out do not have separate straps to hold down your bike. I am guessing you would have to just tie them down with rope or buy another strap/strapping product. What I liked about the product was that it was simple and easy to store. It folds up pretty flat and can stand up on its own (very convenient). You can also transfer it to another car if needed with little effort. In the end I opted out for a hitch and a hitch mount bike rack and gave away the Hollywood rack to the first neighbor that I saw had a bike. It was more expensive but it was faster to deal with and a hitch has much more usefulness, but that is another story.

Hollywood, 3 bike rack
this fit very securely on an 05 Toyota Camry. I actually got it to use as a rack for my mothers wheel chair which weighs 50 lbs.. who would think that no one has cornered that market to make/sell this as, a wheel chair rack. It works perfectly.

my first bick rack
Very nice bicycle rack. Attaches easily to the rear door of my 98 dodge caravan. Carrying three full size bikes would be stretching the limits of this product. Especially a far distance. I carry it with me all the time just in case.

Works great...a good value!
The Hollywood F1B was exactly what I wanted to carry our bikes for a recent camping trip. Easy to fit and fasten, it worked perfectly on my 2010 Fusion (with no damage to the finish, either). With just a little readjusting, it fit 3 full-size bikes. Only one has a horizontal bar, so the other two bikes rested on their angled frame pieces. The lack of individual frame clips and straps was actually an advantage for this arrangement. The mounting straps do loosen somewhat as the padding compresses, so stopping to retighten the straps after the first half-hour or so (as someone else suggested) kept everything snug and secure. Took off one star because the rack comes with only two tie-downs even though it's a 3-bike rack. I purchased 3 pairs of 2-foot long bungee cords that worked wonderfully for holding the bike frames to the rack. The center strap that goes around all three bikes is a nice extra security feature. Once tightened down, those bikes weren't going anywhere until we took them off at the campground. A good value for the money!

Great Rack!
I decided to wait for a couple of tests before reviewing this rack. I've owned it now for a month, during which I really put it through its paces. My main Mountain Bike trail is about 40 miles away from my house (south Florida has some good trails, but they are scattered!!). I've driven there and back twice now, with two bikes on the rack. Traveling at around 75mph the bikes sway a little bit, but nothing to be concerned with. I have seen bikes swaying on 0 Thule and Yakima racks too! There is also a trail about 70 miles away, which involves more highway driving, after which you must drive on a terrible dirt farm access road. I was really surprised with how well the rack held up to this abuse. Considering my small car (Scion TC, 1.25" hitch), I was driving very slowly, and the rack did sway a bit, but held on to the bikes like there was no tomorrow. As far as the weight of the bikes, we have two heavy bikes that we mostly use: an older Kona steel frame dual suspension and a Cannondale Moto, which are both at least 30 pounds. That makes 60 pounds at least. Another thing about the rack is that it adjusts very quickly, and I've been able to switch the configuration of the wheel hoops to fit our beach cruisers in about 5 minutes. I keep the rack on my car at all times, but keep the retention arms in the car, so that the foam doesn't dry out (Florida weather is really harsh, nothing against the rack). Would buy again!

Great buy...great rack!


I bought this rack for my old Landcruiser. First thing I noticed taking it out of the box was its construction - very solid and heavy. Assembly was quick and easy. Putting the bikes on the rack was easy. With one bike only on the outside hook, I am able to open my hatch without lowering the vertical post :). Highly recommend...especially when you can get it on sale as I did for less than eighty dollars!

Heavy, but works well
This rack is well-engineered and well-made.
Mostly made from steel, it is somewhat heavy...but still easily handled by one person.
The steel gives it strength and rigidity of course.
Bikes are held securely with virtually no chance of getting scratched or damaged.
I am happy with my purchase and can definitely recommend it.

Well worth the investment!
This is a fantastic design for a bike rack! No more worries about dangling bikes scratching my car or each other. No more worries about losing the rack or bikes as I'm driving down the road. Overall product quality is excellent. No doubt that we will get years of utility and enjoyment from this rack.

Also important is the security of the transport design of this rack for bikes. We've invested in nice, quality rides and want to protect them during transport.

We use this rack on our cars, which are small (Lexus IS 350 and Honda Accord). Had to buy and install trailer hitches for both. The total investment was a bit large, but we will use this rack for a long time, so to us it is worth the money. If you already have a hitch, you're in great shape.

Finally, this was another great purchase experience with Amazon.com. Keep up the great work!

Works great! What a value! But was missing a few parts...
Just used it this past weekend. Worked great. Bike stays stable, even at reasonably high freeway speeds. It's good if you place the bike's center of gravity over the centerline of the rack, so it's balanced on the rack.

I would have given 5 stars, but I was missing a few parts in the box. An e-mail to Hollywood racks took care of that. Replacement parts were received in the mail within a week.

Yakima DoubleDown 4 - One year review
Purchased this product one year ago. Rack is used for road and mountain bikes, all frames are different shapes and sizes. Securely holds bikes without damaging them. Bikes will not move when all straps are used. Well built heavy duty unit. Very little wear and tear after one year of use. Fold down arms and fold down mast feature work well. Individual bike cradles are movable and adjustable for any frame or spacing between bikes. Fold down mast allows access to back hatch (Jeep Cherokee) with no problem. I have even folded it down with bikes on to access the hatch (not recommended, but it will work). Previously owned a Rhode Gear rack mount which was good, but this is a much better product by far. Also purchased lock for hitch pin which works well. I would highly recommend this product.

Works well for three bikes, could be hard to carry four
We needed a way to haul three adult-sized bicycles from our home base to various cycling paths. So I visited a number of local stores to see what my options were. I settled on the Yakima BigHorn 4 as the best option for my budget, then discovered through some online searching that I could purchase the next model up, the Yakima KingPin 4 bike rack for a bit less than the BigHorn 4 would run me in a traditional retailer.

The KingPin 4 folds features a fold-down mast, a must convenience to allow access to a vehicle's rear hatch or door. Although I would not consider a bike rack without this feature, be forewarned: once you lower the rack while it's loaded with three bikes (more about the fourth bike claim follows), you will be hard pressed to single-handedly reposition it and slide in the lock or bolt. There is too much weight on that pivot point.

I soon learned, therefore, that it was easier to have the mast folded up, not down, when loading the bikes.

The dual bike arms are a must, allowing for more stability and easier loading and unloading. The bike arms fold down as well, though this option, while useful, is not essential in many cases. (These folding bike arms are the main difference between the KingPin and BigHorn racks.)

A series of bike cradles and rubber "chainstraps" stabilize and anchor the bikes. You can slide theses cradles along the tubular arms to allow sufficient room to avoid any rubbing or scraping if you are carrying three bikes. (I looked as some less expensive racks that required hand-tightening one or more big bolts to tighten clamps that held the bikes. That system seemed like a royal pain and huge annoyance.)

Despite the name and billing, I'm less confident in recommending the KingPin4 for transporting four bikes. I think it's possible, but would require great care to avoid scraping paint or entangling pedals and spokes. Plus, I prefer using four "chainstraps" per bike for a bit of insurance, so if you want to carry four bikes, I would recommend springing for another set of these.

The unloaded contraption weights about 32 pounds, so it's not too heavy as you carry it from the basement or garage to install it. But be careful of the arms or you might shatter the glass in a door or an outside light. Also, you need to do a bit of assembly out of the box, so allow a good 30 minutes to set up and test the rig before using it the first time. The drawings in the instructions did not seem to match what I was actually looking at when I had everything before me on the floor, so I spent an extra few minutes considering the options. This assembly is not difficult---it's just that adage "never do anything for the first time" may stump one for a bit.

I am using this rack with a two-inch hitch, and I purchased a locking pin to replace the bolt that is shipped for attaching the rack to the hitch. I also run one of the cable bike locks through the bike frames and around the spanner between the arms to add a measure of security.

During our first foray, a 100-mile trip each way, the bikes and rack swayed just a bit from time to time, but overall, the sway was not a problem. Having a hundred extra pounds jutting up behind the rear window will change any vehicle's handling and hamper visibility through the rearview mirror, so be prepared to change your driving style as needed.

To conclude, the KingPin 4 has performed well. We could load and unload three bikes in about five minutes, and neither the Durango or bikes were scratched during transport. But, again, I would suggest that this rack is great for three bikes, but may be a challenge for carrying four.

Go DoubleDown
I drive a Honda Element and had been putting my bike in my vehicle for 2+ years. It can be a little labor intensive and can take an 15+ minutes of my day taking out my kid's car seats, folding up the rear seats, taking off the bike's front wheel (and then putting everything back again before the family can go out again). I finally talked my wife into letting me get a hitch mount rack and I'm glad I bought the DoubleDown. I almost made the mistake of buying "cheaper" and I'm glad I didn't; this thing is a well made cycling tool. I've kept the rack on for a few weeks now - it tilts out more than enough for me to open the back of my Element. Now, I have my bike with me 5 or 6 days a week for rides instead of just 2 or 3 times a week.

I was initially concerned because for the first 24 hours it sounded like the rack was rattling around too much but I simply hadn't tightened it enough. A few quick turns with the corresponding socket/ratchet and I can't even tell the rack is back there. I should also mention that Yakima provides a few tools to assemble the rack; all you really need is a screwdriver. You should have a few wrenches and maybe a socket set ready to make sure everything is nice and tight - it comes together in a few minutes. Assembly = piece of cake.

It might be a good idea to visit a store like REI to touch a few of these racks in person first - Thule makes a similar product. Shop around to see who might have the best prices and then come back to Amazon - You'll find a few vendors with free shipping.

*Well built
*Convenient
*Easy to assemble
*Well built (to me, that's the best part)

A very solid hitch mounted bike rack
When I first put the double-down 4 on my 2" hitch, I found it to be quite loose as well and was initially a bit disappointed. However, after I tightened the screw and washers that came with the rack, it was solid without much swaying at all. The upper arms folds down and the lower vertical arm folds down as well. The only negative in my opinion (and this just applies to both Yakima and Thule branded racks in general) is that they can to nickel and dime the consumer with every little acessory, whether thats a bike lock that works with the rack or a hitch lock that is specific to that rack bolt. At any rate, I have replaced my previous rack with this one and am quite happy. I guess you just really get what you paid.

Love it!
I bought this to transport my 26" commuter and a touring bike. It works great. My only complaint is that I have no way of getting my neice and nephews 20" bikes on. I haven't tried the adaptor because it seems pricey. Other than that, I love it. High quality and fits real tight in the hitch.

Great Rack!
Switched from a strap mounted system to this and love it. Very heavy duty and the built in lock cmes in handy.

3 Bikes, Yes... 4 Bikes, No Way
We have a family of four, and thank goodness our daughter's bike is small enough to fit in the back storage area of our SUV. There's no way we'd be able to fit a 4th bike, regardless of size, on this rack. Fitting 3 is a puzzle enough.

Best value & feature hitch bike rack
If you are looking for a hitch bike rack, this is the one to get.

It's very sturdy for a folding-featured hitch rack, meaning the arms fold down and the entire rack folds out for easy trunk access. It's heavy, but it's only because it's pretty much all steel. Again very sturdy, and anything lighter and as sturdy would cost a lot more (like the Thule's helium models). The two folding joints are very solid, and feels like they won't move once they're "clicked" into place (down or up).

It comes with locks for the rack and the bikes themselves, which are accessible with the same key (very convenient). You cannot lock the bikes in place without the key, so you'll won't forget your lock key. The rack also comes with the anti-sway straps, which works exceptionally well.

If you are to buy all those separately from Thule, you'll pay much more than the Ridgeline. Even comparing other brand/models, it made sense to buy the ridgeline model.

Other's have noted that the bike locks can come off and drag. Well, unless the locks break off, which is highly unlikely, they will not drag. When there's no bike loaded on the rack, and the arms fold down, the bike locks "can" drag off. But if you're that worried, just pull them out and lock them in place, and you're done.

I've read from another review that the hitch lock is a joke, and can easily be broken off with a hammer or something like that. Well, that's absolutely true. But unless you weld your rack to the hitch, there will always be a way for a willing person to brake a lock. Any bolt cutter will cut most chains & locks, and any any portable drill will drill through the toughest key pad lock, etc, etc etc. My point is, the Thule lock system is as good as any bike rack will get, and it's very convenient.

If I had to, I can complain about the fact that the paint on the rack can easily scratch, especially on the 2 folding joints. So if you have moisture on the scratched area, expect some rust. However any can lubricant will cause any further serious rust damage. Also, since it is a folding rack (and has joints), the rack will bounce from front to back, and may be side to side a little bit. That's normal, and if you have more bikes on the rack it will bounce more. It may appear to be loose, but it's not. If you don't believe me, just mount the rack, and jump a little on the rack joint. The entire car will bounce before the joint gives.

Finally, it says Sweden everywhere, but it's made in USA. Gotta love that one.

Again, I could not find a better value and set of features than this one, and I've looked at several others at nearby stores. Hope it works out for you.

Good Overall....but some basic design flaws...!
This is a sturdy and functional hitch mount bike rack but I have found some really basic design flaws that causes me to rate this product with only 3 Stars.

** the 2 inch (combo) hitch mount is very sloppy in the receiver of my factory 2007 Yukon XL. The rack sways and bounces around like its about to fall off my truck. Very poor fit on the 1-1/4 inch / 2 inch combo hitch mount.

** the hitch pin is under sized for a 2 inch hitch mount. Sure the pin threads are sized correctly, but the portion of the pin that extends through the pin hole to the lock is undersized and adds considerably to loose rack fit and sway. The pin is also too long and allows the pin threads to back out unless tightened down with a wrench. Luckily, the pin lock keeps the pin from completely falling out and allowing my 4 bikes to crash on the pavement at 70 mph!

How could Thule make such basic fitting errors after building a good, a heavy duty bike rack that is otherwise well engineered?

Solid, functional rack
This rack works perfectly on our RV. It folds down easily when not in use. We were able to put two adult and two kid bikes on the rack with no trouble. The hitch bolt locks on, and there is a security cable hidden in one of the tubes. You just pull it out and lock your bikes. Great feature! Very sturdy and convenient. Highly recommended!