Howdy. I have a new-to-me VW Jetta Sportwagen and am outfitting it for bike hauling. I am interested in the Thule Apex that swings out, but it needs a 2" receiver. I’m told by U-Haul that I should use a 1 1/4" receiver on the car, but could use an adapter (1.25 to 2") if the car manufacturer recommends. VW won’t comment on hitches - after market, not their deal. So…any thoughts on this configuration? Other recommendations for a hitch rack? We need capacity for 4 bikes, and I’d really prefer a rack that swings out.
Thanks!
Just get an aftermarket 2" receiver hitch for your car. The only reason they are recommending the 1.25" is to get you to get a Class I/II hitch which is rated for lower towing weights. Class III/IV are 2" and are meant for more heavy duty towing. They are trying to prevent you trying to tow something too heavy for your car frame it could be dangerous for yourself and others on the road (as your transmission might and frame will not like you).
You can always go with a Hidden Hitch or a Curt Hitch or something. You can use the adapter converter to go up or down in size and they work fine for a bike rack. But, they will also stick out farther as a result (which may or may not matter to you at all).
I ran into the same dilemma when I got a hitch for my car. Went with the factory hitch (for my Subaru) even though it was the 1.25" (wish I had a 2" instead) as I didn’t want to get into issues in case I had to make a factory warranty claim. I ended up having to get a 1.25" to 2" adapter but had to get a custom one made for how I wanted it configured (bought one and had it welded in a different configuration) as I needed it to not stick out so much as I have an attachment I leave on when not using my bike rack.
According to one of the reviews on Amazon of the Thule Apex, someone there says:
“While the rack is listed as for 2” receivers only, the hitch mount is in fact a 1" and it ships with a 2" adapter that I had to install…"
So you may be ok. I have a similar swing out rack from Yakima, but seriously I almost never use it. That thing is heavy, the whole swing out mechanism adds a bit of weight to it. Plus, it touches the top tubes of the bikes, the bikes can swing a bit and hit each other, and bikes that don’t have a standard top tube don’t play nice with those racks. With four bikes on it the bikes are probably going to beat the crap out of each other back there. I much prefer the tray style hitch racks, you can load them in seconds and the racks don’t touch anything but the tires. And the tray rack I have fits the smaller hitch. But the tray racks I’ve seen only hold two bikes. Maybe a roof rack for two bikes and a tray rack for the other two???
Completely different direction but just checked out the Seasucker system at the NYC Gran Fondo this weekend. Was a bit blown away at the simplicity of the system. Comes in a 1, 2 or 3 mount rack. Not terribly expensive. And incredibly easy to use without worry of damage to your vehicle or bikes. I already picked up one.
Thanks - good feedback. That’s generally what I was thinking on the hitch - I would never tow anything other than possibly a small trailer with the car; the hitch is just for the bike rack. So I would think the 2" (or the adapter) would be ok.
Good point on the tray racks. I don’t know if there are any that will hold more than 2 bikes. I do have a roof rack and one bike mount, so I could also consider a 2-tray system with 2 bikes on top. We also need to use the rocket box for trips, but that should be fine with 2 bikes.
I like the Seasucker concept - I’ve never seen this before - handy to move around to different cars and/or travel with as well.
Here’s a more generic question for the crowd: What rack system works best for you for 4 bikes, 2 kids and a bunch of gear? 
The Kuat racks can tilt back (not sure if you meant sideways) and come in native 1.25" versions, and the NV has a native 2" option that allows a 2-bike extender to be used as well.
Kuat racks have an add-on that enable you to have four (4) bikes on the tray rack.
Also has a tilt-function that gets the bikes out of the way of the tailgate.
My rack needs an adaptor to fit my 2" hitch - so you should be good with a 1.25" hitch.
They are not the cheapest rack but it has been the most practical solution for me.
My rack is on a Sport-Trac, not a wagon, so I can’t guarantee the tilt-function will give you full clearance for your tailgate.
Howdy. I have a new-to-me VW Jetta Sportwagen and am outfitting it for bike hauling. I am interested in the Thule Apex that swings out, but it needs a 2" receiver. I’m told by U-Haul that I should use a 1 1/4" receiver on the car, but could use an adapter (1.25 to 2") if the car manufacturer recommends. VW won’t comment on hitches - after market, not their deal. So…any thoughts on this configuration? Other recommendations for a hitch rack? We need capacity for 4 bikes, and I’d really prefer a rack that swings out.
Thanks!
I have the Yakima Swingdaddy and I actually find it does work well. However, I’m rolling with a mini-van and when we travel with the family with my bike, it’s nice to be able to swing it away to access the tailgate to get stuff like luggage, kids stroller, etc. Since you’re driving a VW, I can’t imagine this is useful to you. The tilt options don’t work for me because I need to get into the rear hatch with bikes on.
Note, by getting a smaller hitch receiver and adding the adapter, not only will it make it longer but will also add some wobble. I have two vehicles: one with a 2" and the other is 1.25" so I use an adapter. It works, but does have some more movement. As others have said, get a 2". If the rack is for a 1.25 and it includes an adapter (to a 2" hitch) it won’t have that extra wobble that I warned against.