Well, I needed a way to carry around my bikes. I decided to go with a hitch rack instead of the roof rack that I've had in the past. I purchased the following items:

Discount Truck & Car Racks from ORS Racks Direct: Yakima Racks - Thule Racks - Roof Racks Bike Racks Kayak Canoe Surfboard Snowboard Ski Carriers Yakima Big Horn 4 (1.25")

Trailer hitch, hitches and bike rack (800)298-8924 Hidden Hitch (Part #60847)

I was very happy with the website purchases. Good prices, quick shipping, etc.

I only ran into one problem when I went to set it up. I found that there is a problem mating the rack to the hitch. The bolts on the hitch were in the way of the rack, which put the rack too far off the hitch to be secured with the bolt. Returning them wasn't an option, so I decided to cut off about .5" of the rack that went into the hitch. This allowed the rack to go on far enough and align with the bolt holes.

I'm not sure if the Curt hitch would avoid these problems, but I wanted you all to be aware that this was a potential problem.

Chris

 

So far, I didn’t had that problem with my Hidden Hitch Performance Parts. But, thanks for sharing. There would be somebody who might need it. And, this post would be a great thing then.

 

Have you noticed any major handling differences with your rack fully loaded? We have a front-wheel-drive minivan which seems less stable when the hitch-mounted bike rack is fully loaded (4 bikes).

 

I haven't although I did take off one of the bike mounts from the rack. I only held two bikes on the rack and I can't foresee using 3...definitely not 4, just so I don't put too much stress on any of the individual parts, esp on a bolt on class 1 hitch.

Chris

 

Yes with a Class 1/1.25" hitch most manufacturers recommend no more than three bikes. I have the Curt hitch but the rack I ordered hasn't arrived yet. I'll post a report if there's any fuss getting everything to cooperate.

 

The Hidden Hitches I have have a tongue rating of 200lbs so as long as you don't go over that you should be OK.
I routinely use a cargo basket (64lbs) and ~100lbs of gear in the basket on both of my Class 1 hitches for my WRX and my Fit.
Only issue has been the exhaust, particularly on my WRX which gets hot so I have bolted thin plywood to the bottom of the LH side of the basket and that solved the issue.

 

Just got back from an ~1100 mile trip with hitch mount rack and bikes attached the whole way, and it was great. No problems at all, had no effect while driving.

 

Hi dbvolfan. Which cargo basket did you go with? I recently installed a hitch on my fit and am looking for a basket. Any tips?

Thanks!

 

Be aware that the kinds of loads applied by a cargo box (or a bike rack) and a trailer tongue are different; in particular, the cargo box places a higher torque on the trailer hitch than a trailer, since it sticks out a good bit farther than the ball extends from the hitch. It's the same idea as using a longer ratchet handle on a bolt; the force on the end of the handle may be the same, but the torque is larger due to the longer lever arm.