A Simple Guide to Choosing Car Racks

For anyone exploring the outdoors, the interior of your car or trunk may simply not be enough room for your goods. This especially holds true for bikers, kayakers, paddleboarders, snowboarders, and anyone with equipment that far exceeds the internal storing capacity of your trunk. There are a variety of different racks designed for your vehicle to help transport items, and these racks differ in size, shape, and uses. Here’s the down and dirty on how to choose a car rack.

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Design

Different rack types are designed differently, but the basic setup includes an anchor point, the rack itself, and securing straps or posts for your items. The design of your rack is what determines its functionality.

Styles

While the general guidelines are listed in the table above, there are a few intricacies to each style that will help in your decision-making process. Here’s a little bit more info about each style type as well as the pros and cons therein.

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Roof Racks

These traditional and versatile racks can be adapted to transport just about any piece of outdoor equipment in your inventory, from kayak to bike to cargo box. They’re extremely stable and out-of-sight, making them a favorite for outdoor travelers.

While your vehicle may already come equipped with some combo of factory-installed towers, siderails, crossbars, or mounting points, you’ll still want to check your manual to ensure the maximum allowable weight limit. With a plain roof, you will need to build your own rack system.

Trunk Racks

Trunk racks are a lightweight, economical choice for anyone driving a sedan, hatchback, or sports utility vehicle. A system of straps and paint-friendly hooks anchor to rear decks, and bikes rest on support arms (usually equipped with cradles) and are secured by straps (typically made from neoprene rubber). Overall, they’re fairly easy to use and are versatile enough for most vehicles.

Hitch Racks

While most vehicles come with a hitch reciever for a hitch mount (necessary for utilizing a hitch rack), you can install one should your car not come equipped as such. Hitches are divided into classes according to towing capacity, from Class I (which fit any vehicle and tow up to 2,000 lbs.) through Class V (which fit only full-size pickup trucks, vans and sport-utility vehicles and tow up to 10,000 lbs., and in some cases more), and hitch racks are usually compatible with Class II hitches and higher.

The section of a hitch that extends away from a vehicle is known as its tongue with a maximum tongue weight, which is 10% of its towing capacity. So while a Class I hitch can tow up to 2,000 lbs., its max tongue weight is 200 lbs. Thus the collective weight of a heavily loaded hitch rack could cause a Class I hitch to bend or possibly snap off. Check what classification your vehicle’s hitch falls under in the manual to ensure that you’re exercising proper safety in regards to weight limits.

Hitch receivers come in 2 sizes: 1-1/4" and 2". Mounts for hitch racks simply slide into these receivers, and smaller hitch racks (the type suitable for cars) usually can carry only 2 or 3 bikes; larger mounts can handle up to 4, sometimes even 5 bikes. Again, ensure that you’re paying close attention to your hitch classification.

Spare Tire Racks

Vehicles equipped with a rear-mounted spare tire may also be equipped with a spare tire rack to carry up to two bikes.

Truck Racks

The bed of trucks can be converted into storage areas via the use of a truck rack. For bikes, these systems involve internal rails or support bars that can be temporarily installed in a truck bed to anchor bikes in place, but they can also be adapted to work in conjunction with cargo boxes.

Cargo Boxes

These futuristic-looking storage boxes are hard-shelled containers that mount to the roof of your car for transporting just about any item except bikes or boats. While the support system (such as siderails) for a box will likely remain permanently attached to your vehicle, boxes can be removed and installed with only moderate effort. Cargo Baskets are also available for those who want their goods up and out of the way but don’t want the restriction of a hard-shelled container.

Other Helpful Tips

While we’ve already mentioned some of these tips before, they’re certainly worth mentioning again if you’re considering purchasing a car rack:

• Always check your owner’s manual to ensure that your rack and your equipment don’t exceed maximum weight restrictions for your vehicle and the anchor points (such as the hitch for hitch racks)

• Not every bike is a perfect fit on every trunk rack or hitch rack (or the cradles they use). It's rare, but on occasion some bikes (particularly women's or kids' models) do not fit perfectly on some cradles. Test-fit your bike on your trunk or hitch rack before you plan a trip.

• Utilize extra straps or bungees when transporting multiple bikes to reduce sway (and the possibility that your vehicle’s paint will get chipped from bumping)

• If you own a tandem bike or other unusual piece of equipment, opt for the versatile roof rack.

• Opt for lighter color cargo boxes if you’re traveling in sunny/hot climates, as it will help keep the interior of the box and your vehicle a little cooler.

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