Has anyone put a Thule Speedway 962xt or a Saris Bones 3 rack on the back of a Minivan? How did it work?
I do not want to buy a hitch plus a rack and I have too many kids and other things to keep the bikes inside the van.
No! My wife won’t let me strap the kids on top of the van.
This is not really answering your question but my sister has a Yakima rack on the back of her Dodge Caravan. It works very well and carries a lot of bikes. It has a wide padded brace that fits perfectly below the window. She carries a mix of mountain bikes, kids bikes and road bikes.
I have a Saris Bones 3 but I have never used it on a minivan. Have you checked their website to see if your model van is recommended?
Yes the web site says that you can use it on my minivan. Scott at my LBS says it workes too. However, getting first hand knowledge from others is always helps.
When I was selling them I put a Bones rack on a new VW Bug. There is no minivan that could be more difficult than that oh-so-round Bug.
Just make sure you sinch the straps at the top and bottom VERY tight. The ones on the side just need to be snug as they are not load bearing, but for keeping the thing from swinging on a turn.
What’s especially nice is that you can tuck the excess straps into the tube so they will not flap in the breeze.
I have used my Saris Bones rack on my SUV and it works fine. As a word of caution, the straps on mine stretched a bit (as the directions said they would) so the first time I used it I stopped about 30 minutes into my drive and re-tightened them. No problems after that.
I have a side-question for anyone listening.
I have a Volkswagen Passat Wagon and need to get a rack. I would prefer a roof rack but would entertain thoughts of a rear mounted rack as well. Anyone with suggestions?
Stier
If your Passat already has a factory roof rack, take a look at Rocky Mounts “Noose SL.” It fits factory racks and though I’ve only had mine a month, I love it.
Kevin
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