Best bike racks for minivans without hitch
Bike racks and minivans have something in common. Both are built to cover long distances. A family excursion in a minivan with bikes at the rear seems mandatory these days, especially on the long weekends. It’s hard to skip the bike riding on a planned trip for a minivan owner when you know what an absolute treat it would be. The minivan has always been a popular transport for the cycling enthusiasts . Do not let this excitement end in the middle of the journey by choosing the wrong bike rack for your minivan, which can damage a bike while moving on bumpy roads. As all bike racks are not designed and fit with minivans.
A traditional way to take your bike is by putting them inside the minivan, however this is now outdated, there are now a variety of bike racks that go with your minivans. Before you decide to have a bike rack for a minivan, spare yourself ten minutes to note down what type of bikes you have, how many bikes you want to carry on this rack and what type of minivan you own.
You plan your trip, and we assist you to choose the perfect, sturdy, easy to use and economical bike rack for your minivan, minivan bike racks need to be lightweight and essentially a trunk-mounted carrier. The choice of a trunk-mounted rack is due to the lack of a hitch receiver in minivans. Rooftop racks are also not popular for minivans as it requires bikes to be loaded and unloaded on the roof, which is often higher than can reach. It is no mean task to load a heavy bike without causing scratches, especially after a long ride.
The trunk-mounted rack on minivans requires firm lateral, top to bottom support for safe and steady transport. Ideally, racks for minivans need extra safety measures to avoid sliding and wobbling of bikes. The trunk racks rely on the load capacity of the back wall of the vehicle. A prospective buyer should refer to the vehicle manual to determine the loading capacity before selecting a rack.
It is prudent to find how easy it is to load bikes on the minivan. Access to the rear cargo is important as minivans haul a lot of cargo and inaccessibility to reach it is a huge handicap on long travels.
Some racks may obstruct number plates and tail lights of vehicles. Some have reflectors and folding arms to allow access to the cargo area. You will have to make alternate arrangements to deal with these issues. So if you are a minivan owner assess your requirement when selecting a rack.
Let's have a look at the best bike racks for minivans without hitches
Bike Trunk Mount 3-Bike Car Carrier Rack for Auto-Mobile Bicycle Rack Fits Most Cars, Sedans
Best Overall
- Best all round
Pros
- A versatile design fit for a wide range of bikes.
- unlimited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Not fit for vehicles with rear spoilers
Allen Sports Premier 4-Bike Trunk Rack, Model S104 , Black
Budget option
- Cheap
- Does a great job all round
Pros
- Sturdy design
- Not hide the number plate and lights of the vehicle.
Cons
- Not fit for vehicles longer than 18 feet
Tyger Auto TG-RK4B102B Deluxe 4-Bike Carrier Rack Compatible with Both 1-1/4'' and 2'' Hitch Receiver
Premium option
- Fits all types of hitches
Pros
- Three different straps attachments
- Tube adapter to load kids, ladies and mountain bikes
Cons
- Rack is not foldable and uses space in storage.
Bike Trunk Mount 3-Bike Car Carrier Rack for Auto-Mobile Bicycle Rack Fits Most Cars, Sedans
trunk-mounted bike rack is a heavy-duty carrier capable of carrying 3 bikes of weight up to 132 lbs each. The range of bikes this rack can carry and the design configuration makes it good for minivans, sedan, hatchback, saloons, rear door models and SUV. This trunk-mounted rack becomes an ideal bike carrier for minivans due to its side strap safety measures and lightweight which is under 10 lbs
The rack maker has kept in mind that the rear cargo area is packed to full when you are travelling long distances. This rear space is all the more crucial in the case of minivans and SUVs which can accommodate ample cargo in the back. Jorago has designed this rack with folding features to allow access to rear cargo. There are few racks in the category with rear access.
JORAGO comes with side-straps to provide stability to the load of three bikes. This side-on stability is what a minivan driver loves to have. A full bike load of around 400 lbs will be a concern for any vehicle. The dual lateral and vertical straps hold the bike and rack firmly in their place. This trunk-mount has six-tie down straps with soft rubber cushions which protect the vehicle from scratches. The lower straps are designed with an anti-bounce fail-safe system to give extra security to the bikes.
For lasting durability, this rack is built with high strength steel and reinforced ABS plastic. For rust resistance, the bike rack has a wrinkle black coated finish.
JORAGO has kept the safety measures high to avoid the possibility of misadventure when you haul a variety of bikes. The rack has a stretchable frame holder for the safety of oversized bikes. The lower straps are designed with an anti-bounce fail-safe system to give extra security to the bikes.
For long-lasting durability, this rack is built with high strength steel and reinforced ABS plastic. For rust resistance, the bike rack has a wrinkle black coated finish.
It is available in two colour options, black and red. The trunk-mounted bike rack of a 4.46 kg weight bike is delivered fully assembled to you. It keeps installation easy and quick. Jagro doesn’t recommend these bike racks for vehicles with rear spoilers.
This trunk bike rack is designed with the feature of folding to access the rear vehicle area, which in a majority of these types of racks does not allow.
The JORAGO bike rack offers limited lifetime warranty benefits which cover a wide variety of accidents and performance guarantees. In case a manufacturing defective product is delivered at your doorstep, the company assistance is a click away from you.
Sports Premier 4-Bike Trunk Rack, Model S104 , Black
U-shape trunk-mounted AUSELECT 3 bike is a lightweight rack but heavy-duty carrier with loads of extra measures for safe and stable haulage. These features make it an ideal bike rack for minivans, sedans and SUVs. It comes with a salient feature that allows it to be installed on the sides or bottom of the vehicle.
This rack is fit for three bikes that have a maximum weight of 60 kg. The rack maker doesn’t want to waste your fun time in installation, the rack is delivered at the doorstep fully assembled so the installation can be quick and without any tools.
Interestingly, the U-shape trunk bike rack comes with two options for installation in your vehicle. You can assemble it with a side fitting or bottom whatever suits your vehicle.
You will not have to keep a check on the safety of bikes after every kilometre as the bike rack has six tie-down straps. These strappings provide safe and stable haulage all through the drive. As a minivan owner, keeping it scratch free is important. The rack has soft cushions which keep your car safe from scratches. This U-shaped trunk-mounted bike rack has padded frames to avoid direct contact between the bike and the vehicle.
For the safety of the bike frames, the AUSELECT bike racks have an individual soft cradle that is there to protect your bike frames. This bike is designed for sturdy and handy usage. It is suggested that the bike rack should be adjusted in the correct position on your vehicle to avoid any mishap during transportation. Mind you this rack has adjustable support arms. You need to unscrew the upper adjusting knob to adjust the carrier in the right position.
The bike rack which has a 4.4 kg weight have packing dimensions of 78.4*53.4*9 cm. This bike can store easily in the boot area of most cars as it folds up well. After installing this bike rack in your minivan, the number plates and car lights will not hide so you do not require any electric work in your car for night visibility.
Before buying this U-shape rack you have to check that the vehicle should not have a rear spoiler as it does not fit it. You cannot install AUSELECT 3-bike rack on trailers, campers, recreational vehicles or on a vehicle that is longer than 18 feet.
Hollywood Racks Over-The-Top Trunk Mounted Bike Rack
This light-weighted rack is loaded with a unique strap-on safety measure, which makes it highly compatible with minivans that demand more side-on and top-bottom support for additional safety and stability to carry the bikes. These extra safety measures also make this rack the best choice for sedans, SUVs and hatchbacks with no spoilers.
Hollywood over the top rack comes as a real breather for owners of minivans vehicles with spoilers as it has an adjustable high rise frame that doesn’t come in contact with the carbon and plastic spoilers. Most of the racks interfere with the wind spoilers and in many cases end up causing damage to them. This rack assembles with straps-ones that go above the spoiler by attaching it to roof rails, trunk or anchor inside the vehicle.
The Hollywood trunk-mounted rack is fit for 3-bikes which have a maximum capacity of 35lbs. You will get three options of straps attachments in the bike rack for your vehicle which is a unique feature for the stability of your bikes. It allows you to install a bike rack as per the vehicle shape. You can use standard rubber coated hooks to attach the top strap to the rear trunk top. Another option is hatch anchors for vehicles which can be used with quick connection straps. The anchors can be used for side or bottom straps. Hollywood bike racks have quick-release adjustment hubs which give it stability and security.
Hollywood rack over the top trunk straps is made of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, It has a rubber anti-sway bike cradle to hold 3 bikes separately and maintain its rigid structure whilst in transport.
Conclusion
Bike racks for minivans need extra lateral and top to button support to avoid sway. The trunk-mounted racks for minivans are lightweight and allow rear access.