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I own a Honda Pilot and looking for the best bike rack that will allow me to hang the bike on the back of the pilot but possibly still open the door. 99.9% of the time we haul the bikes on my pickup truck - but we are going on a two week vacation in the Pilot so this one time I need to carry bikes. Does anyone currently carry bikes on a Pilot's rear hatch? We can't put on top due to cargo container.

Can anyone suggest a good one that will still allow us to open the rear hatch? We don't have a trailer hitch (and I am trying to keep cost down), so one that straps directly to the rear hatch would be great.

Thanks, Mike

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    Rather than restrict this to the Pilot, can this question be applied to all hatches? Or is the Pilot hatch different in a unique way?
    – Goodbye Stack Exchange
    Sep 2, 2011 at 3:22

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Most of the less expensive car/van rear racks are shaped like this: enter image description here

The arms with pads rest against the vehicle and then straps from the center attach to the hatch, trunk and/or bumper. This should work if you attach the straps to the top, bottom and if included to the side of the hatch.

You would be able to open the hatch if the bikes are removed first, but it is likely that the hydraulic hatch struts will not keep the door open with the added weight of the rack. If the bikes are on the rack the weight will be significant and you will likely have difficulty opening the door.

For a rear rack at allows you to easily open the door and still keep the bikes stored I think your only real option is a hitch rack.

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    You will also need a lock that goes round the bikes and into the door so that even if a thief cuts the straps they still will not be able to take the bikes. Taking bikes (and the rack) is a surprisingly high occurrence in Europe, e.g. the British fortnight trip to France, however, I doubt you would have the same problem parked up in Yosemite.
    – ʍǝɥʇɐɯ
    Sep 1, 2011 at 18:40
  • I think I'll invest in a class 3 hitch and use a hitch rack... I am not liking the strap options cause they make getting into the back difficult - more so than hitch... but due to cost right now I'll have to skip taking my bike with me this time.
    – MDV2000
    Sep 5, 2011 at 13:27
  • Getting a hitch installed can be expensive. (I was quoted a price of $500 US.) It almost might be cheaper to buy yourself a folding bike for trips.
    – Goodbye Stack Exchange
    Sep 6, 2011 at 1:53
  • I think going with a hitch or roof rack is always better in the long run than using the rear racks I originally mentioned. That said, I used one like this on a hatch-back car for 18 months while I saved for my roof rack.
    – Gary.Ray ♦
    Sep 6, 2011 at 18:48

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