Coastal Tech HITCH and Allen Racks Bike Rack

[RadMarv]

Well last Sunday I finally found time to install the Coastal Tech's hitch. It WAS a very easy install.

Yesterday I found time to take pictures of my Allen Deluxe 3 Bike Carrier 530RR features on the Prius.

I've posted three pictures in my Album pages here on Priuschat. Username RadMarv. Take a look if you'd like.

EDITTED 5/16/2005 16:50 PST

I forgot to mention that with the forks of the bike rack extended you cannot open the hatch up. There is not enough clearance. You can however, use the swing away feature with bikes attached to the rack as the swing away still doesn't allow the attached bikes to reach the ground.

I'll post another picture soon.

[ScubaX]

Looking foreward to those pictures.

[raf]

Click on "Album" at the bottom of his post. Then click on a picture to enlarge it.

[RadMarv]

I have added two pictures to my album showing the bikes attached to the Allen Rack.

[ScubaX]

Well last Sunday I finally found time to install the Coastal Tech's hitch. It WAS a very easy install.

Was that the 1 1/4 or 2" hitch? How do you like that bike rack for stability of the bikes?

[RadMarv]

It is the 2" hitch.

I've had the Allen Rack for about a year now and I've used it on my Mazda 626 during that time. Works great! You just need to add some extra lashing for the bicycle wheels

[knowledgeseeker]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RadMarv\";p=\"82188)</div>

It is the 2\" hitch.

I've had the Allen Rack for about a year now and I've used it on my Mazda 626 during that time.  Works great!  You just need to add some extra lashing for the bicycle wheels[/b]

I'm using the Coastal hitch and a Yakima KingPin4 bike rack - no need to lower the rack to open the hatch, even with bikes attached, and the rack arms swing down so I can fit the car in my garage with the rack (but not the bikes) attached (a workbench limits the fore-aft room available). Also, the rack adapts to handle a mountain bike, road bike, kid's bike, and/or Adams trail-a-bike tagalong. The clever mounts prevent sway with no bungees, foam separators, or tie-downs. I use at most 3 (and usually just 2) of the 4 sets of mounts. The rack locks to the hitch and the bikes to the racks.

A ski-rack adaptor has been available from Yakima (but it does not work on their similar 2-bike rack---a good reason for buying the 4-bike model). They just took it off the market in anticipation of introducing an improved model for next ski season. I'll probably buy the new one when it comes out.

I like the setup a lot. Will take a picture one of these days ...

[RadMarv]

knowledgeseeker,

I did some research on that Yakima rack and looks like an excellent choice for the Prius.

I purchased my rack before I got my Prius and the price was excellent at "Overstock.com" at about $80.00. I've used it with the Mazda with no problems but really don't like the fact that I cannot open the hatch up with the forks of the rack extended while the rack is upright (a scratch just waiting to happen).

I don't ski so the Kingpin 4 would be fine for me.

However, I am not clear on your message about the discontinuance. Is it the Bike rack or the Ski-rack adaptor?

Thanks.

[knowledgeseeker]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RadMarv\";p=\"84056)</div>

knowledgeseeker,  
 
I did some research on that Yakima rack and looks like an excellent choice for the Prius.  
 
I purchased my rack before I got my Prius and the price was excellent at \"Overstock.com\" at about $80.00.  I've used it with the Mazda with no problems but really don't like the fact that I cannot open the hatch up with the forks of the rack extended while the rack is upright (a scratch just waiting to happen).  
 
I don't ski so the Kingpin 4 would be fine for me.    
 
However, I am not clear on your message about the discontinuance.  Is it the Bike rack or the Ski-rack adaptor?  
 
Thanks.[/b]

RadMarv,

On the Prius (at least on mine, with the Coatal hitch) there is clearance for opening the hatch regardless of the position of the forks of the rack. It is not a lot of clearance, but everything seems bolted together tightly enough that I am not concerned. Of course, there may be manufacturing variations in the car, the hitch, or the rack, so everyone should check for themselves.

The ski-rack adapter was discontinued, but I was told that a new model will be out soon. AFAIK, the KingPin 4 is available.

[KathyY]

I have a Thule 4 bike rack and it works great on the Prius with the Coastal hitch. It locks to the hitch and the bikes can be locked to the rack. I can open the hatch with the rack installed and it folds down to fit in the garage. It seems to work great on the car but I still am not used to how much longer it makes the car and I know that I overcompensate. It takes just a couple of minutes to mount the rack on the car.