Bike Hitch Rack Recommendations Please

[NorthShale+1]

My searches did not lead me to a thread specifically about what hitch bike racks people are liking for their Grenadiers (please point me towards it if it exists) so here goes...

We are about to order a hitch receiver from @Oscar3rd which we intend to use only for a bike rack. The Towever Hitch Extender 2 Inch Receiver with 4" Drop/Rise, 9" recommended on another thread by @Tom109 looks good for to get the rack beyond the spare but and we'd love to hear about anything else that may be worth considering for that.

Now we're trying to identify a hitch bike rack to carry two e-bikes which weigh around 50lbs each. It needs to be up to the task of 1,000 mile+ road trips and will preferably have a drop-down or swing away feature to allow access to the Grenny's rear without removal. Would love to hear any and all experienced recommendations - thanks in advance!

 

[siseb]

Küat Pivot V2 und Uebler P22

 

[NorthShale+1]

Much appreciated @siseb ! The Küat looks like a great option for the extension and swing. Unfortunately it doesn't look like the Uebler is marketed in the U.S.

 

[bemax]

Both (Küat Pivot V2 und Uebler P22) look very interesting for me
As I already have a carrier I thought of an extension that works with a normal bike carrier.
such as

Hakenverlängerung für Anhängekupplung mit Klappmechanismus und Schnellkupplung

Die klappbare Kupplungsverlängerung ist ein 250 mm oder 200 mm langer Adapter speziell für Fahrradträger. Mit Schnellspannvorrichtung und Diebstahlsicherung.

x-camping.eu

But this solution might interfere with the doors

 

[MTNDOG]

Look into what 1UP USA has to offer as well.

 

[vtgrenadier]

I have both the 1UP (heavy duty) and the Kuat Piston Pro (the kind that has the LED lights). The latter is better for my wife's Q5 because the bikes completely block her brake lights... obviously much more expensive, but I will say - living on a dirt road - that the 1UP ratcheting mechanism is not up to the beating that the Kuat takes. I wouldn't call it 'flimsy,' but I have to fiddle with it now that it's two years old, whereas the Kuat is as flawless as the day it was new. I have heavy e-bikes and the Kuat seems to hold up better to the weight. The Kuat is absurdly expensive.

As for the hitch extension, I had the Kuat, but sold it with one of my classic Defenders. The buyer wanted it. I am now looking at the 1UP RakAttach to replace it - simply because it allows for reversible installation. The Kuat is 'handed.' The 1UP seems more universal for long-run.

 

[NorthShale+1]

I have both the 1UP (heavy duty) and the Kuat Piston Pro (the kind that has the LED lights). The latter is better for my wife's Q5 because the bikes completely block her brake lights... obviously much more expensive, but I will say - living on a dirt road - that the 1UP ratcheting mechanism is not up to the beating that the Kuat takes. I wouldn't call it 'flimsy,' but I have to fiddle with it now that it's two years old, whereas the Kuat is as flawless as the day it was new. I have heavy e-bikes and the Kuat seems to hold up better to the weight. The Kuat is absurdly expensive.

As for the hitch extension, I had the Kuat, but sold it with one of my classic Defenders. The buyer wanted it. I am now looking at the 1UP RakAttach to replace it - simply because it allows for reversible installation. The Kuat is 'handed.' The 1UP seems more universal for long-run.

Very helpful info - thanks! The Kuat looks super robust and I presume I wouldn't need the lights for the Grenadier. Kuat aside, are you happy enough with the 1Up Heavy Duty rack or would you steer me away from it? As I mentioned, it will go on some long road trips but I'm not expecting it will do much if any off-roading.

As an aside, as a fellow classic Defender owner I thought you might appreciate the rack I have for my NAS D90. A far cry from modern standards and nothing I would use for a long road trip, but I don't gather that there are a lot of period correct OEM racks out there...

 

[vtgrenadier]

Period, correct, indeed!

 

[vtgrenadier]

As for the Kuat vs. 1UP, I'd say a lot depends on the types of bikes you have... my 1UP is set up for a Rad Runner that weighs in at 65 lbs. It's like a fat tire bike. The other one is set up for my Gazelle at 56 lbs. It works great for those two bikes, but if I want to ride my gravel grinder or full-suspension, I can't bring both. That's because the inner position is set up for the fat tires of the Rad Runner and is too loose for low-pressure tires like on my full-suspension.

In contrast, the Kuat has super simple squeeze-adjustable wheel chocks that can fit a variety of diameter and width tires. I can adjust between my bikes within 20 seconds with no tools.

Oh, and one other thing: the Kuat can be fully opened to make use of a ramp - which is handy for the Rad Runner when I'm loading myself. The 1UP requires removal of a cotter pin and such, so loading the Rad Runner using a ramp is a 2-minute job instead of a 20 second one on the Kuat.

I don't off-road with the bikes in place either, but as I posted in another thread this morning, my road is pretty gnarly. Bikes get bounced around on it, even driving slowly. And since most roads in my town are dirt, the grit and such is what makes the 1UP bind up. Simple maintenance goes a long way with the 1UP and it's kind of erector-set simple to take apart.

The Kuat is one of those "you get what you pay for" examples... but, again, it's atrociously expensive.

P.S. The only reason I have both is because I have kids who ride and have their own cars. I gave them the 1UP.

 

[vtgrenadier]

I take it your Defender is a '97? I'm assuming so with the plastic dash piece between the vents that's blank - and the lock on the tailgate.

I dig the LEDs... you can never have too much brightness to get the attention of people who text and drive!