Alternative Model Y Bike Rack: Tow Tuff Aluminum Cargo Carrier

[reardencode]

After a ton of research and thinking, I purchased the Tow Tuff Aluminum Cargo Carrier with Bike Rack ( https://smile.amazon.com/Tow-Tuff-TTF-2762ACBR-Aluminum-Carrier/dp/B00PXNC7K0 ).

Reasons for my purchase:
* Light for a tray rack (48lbs vs 42lbs Hollywood, 82lbs Kuat)
* Short for a 4-bike rack (38" w/o strapping extension, 47" with vs. 42" Hollywood, 57" Kuat)
* Lower than most - no shank rise, and doesn't tilt the further out bikes up into the wind
* Much cheaper than most (I paid $300 w/ a locking anti-rattle hitch pin vs. $400 Hollywood, $1400 Kuat)
* More versatile than almost anything else - I can put 110lbs of almost anything on the rack, including kid bikes, e-bikes, cargo boxes, firewood.

Downsides:
* Ground clearance - because the rack doesn't tilt up, it stays about the level of the hitch out to its rearmost extent
* More difficult to load and unload
* No tilt to access the hatch.

After our first long trip (Seattle to Boise) with bikes loaded up, I'm very happy with my purchase.
* Loading and unloading wasn't actually as hard as I feared it might be, the rack held our 2 adult, and 2 kid bikes securely, almost below the level of the rear window.
* Only once did I scrape the rack pulling out of an alley.
* We were able to back in and charge at every supercharger we hit.
* Consumption was about where I expected (averaged 400Wh/mi with AP set to 20% over the speed limit, 78-84mph most of the time, and including the Washington I-90 pass, and 40mph headwind on the Westbound portion)
* I was able to sequence our bikes in a way that let the hatch open, although as the kids get bigger, that might not be possible without removing someone's handlebars

I think this rack pairs great with the Model Y, as long as you're mindful of the ground clearance with driveways and alleys that have sharp transitions.

For next trip, I'm gonna get some better straps to secure the bikes' hand brakes, instead of using paracord.

 

[Jejunjm]

Model 3 owner with new stealth hitch. This looks perfect, cheap and versatile. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[reardencode]

Model 3 owner with new stealth hitch. This looks perfect, cheap and versatile. Thanks for the recommendation.

I suspect that on the 3 you might not clear the curb at some superchargers to back in. Not sure how the mounting height will compare.

 

[Jejunjm]

I suspect that on the 3 you might not clear the curb at some superchargers to back in. Not sure how the mounting height will compare.

Good point. I haven't made a decision on what to buy yet. At most I only need 3 bikes but the option to put other things is tempting...

 

[reardencode]

We had at least 1" at all the superchargers, so might be fine in the 3 - just can't promise

 

[Ogre]

Big fan of the 1Up rack myself. Each rail is a little higher than the previous. The one I have has 2 rails and you can add up to 4 (I have three in the photo here). The nice thing is the bikes are held on by pressure on the tires only which is better for the bikes. You can also most them side to side so they fit better.

The track tilts up almost flush with the back or tilts down so you can get into the hatch area. At about $650 it's a bit on the speedy side, but if you have nice bikes it's worth it.

I suspect carrying them a little higher puts them up in the wind pretty far. I haven't measured how bad the range hit is, but it's significant.

As a bonus, I also have the Seasucker rack on the roof. It uses suction cups to stick on the glass which eliminates the need for roof rails. Also spendy, but less expensive than spending $1200 on a hitch mount and easy to install and remove than the roof rails.

 

[reardencode]

Big fan of the 1Up rack myself. Each rail is a little higher than the previous. The one I have has 2 rails and you can add up to 4 (I have three in the photo here). The nice thing is the bikes are held on by pressure on the tires only which is better for the bikes. You can also most them side to side so they fit better.

The track tilts up almost flush with the back or tilts down so you can get into the hatch area. At about $650 it's a bit on the speedy side, but if you have nice bikes it's worth it.

I suspect carrying them a little higher puts them up in the wind pretty far. I haven't measured how bad the range hit is, but it's significant.

View attachment 709096


As a bonus, I also have the Seasucker rack on the roof. It uses suction cups to stick on the glass which eliminates the need for roof rails. Also spendy, but less expensive than spending $1200 on a hitch mount and easy to install and remove than the roof rails.

I hear great things about the 1Up, but it's only practical for up to 3 bikes on the Model Y due to its weight.

 

[Ogre]

I hear great things about the 1Up, but it's only practical for up to 3 bikes on the Model Y due to its weight.

I hadn't heard this. I'd assumed the 2" hitch mount would be capable of supporting ~200 pounds. I've taken 3 bikes fairly frequently, haven't put a 4th rail (from another rack) on it yet. I have used 2 rails plus the Seasucker as is in the picture.

 

[reardencode]

I hadn't heard this. I'd assumed the 2" hitch mount would be capable of supporting ~200 pounds. I've taken 3 bikes fairly frequently, haven't put a 4th rail (from another rack) on it yet. I have used 2 rails plus the Seasucker as is in the picture.

The spec'd accessory weight limit is 160lbs. Apparently the way the hitch is mounted limits it's torque capacity far below the tongue weight limit.

 

[C_pip]

Big fan of the 1Up rack myself. Each rail is a little higher than the previous. The one I have has 2 rails and you can add up to 4 (I have three in the photo here). The nice thing is the bikes are held on by pressure on the tires only which is better for the bikes. You can also most them side to side so they fit better.

The track tilts up almost flush with the back or tilts down so you can get into the hatch area. At about $650 it's a bit on the speedy side, but if you have nice bikes it's worth it.

I suspect carrying them a little higher puts them up in the wind pretty far. I haven't measured how bad the range hit is, but it's significant.

View attachment 709096


As a bonus, I also have the Seasucker rack on the roof. It uses suction cups to stick on the glass which eliminates the need for roof rails. Also spendy, but less expensive than spending $1200 on a hitch mount and easy to install and remove than the roof rails.

I feel like that could fall off easily!

 

[Ogre]

I feel like that could fall off easily!

I've had mine on a Subaru for almost 10 years. The bikes are rock solid in there.

 

[abasile]

The spec'd accessory weight limit is 160lbs. Apparently the way the hitch is mounted limits it's torque capacity far below the tongue weight limit.

We have an aftermarket Torklift EcoHitch on our 2012 Model S, and Torklift rates its weight limit at 200 pounds. We routinely use a Saris platform rack to carry four mountain bikes. The rack plus four bikes, together, weigh roughly 175 pounds.

With a Model Y factory hitch receiver, we'd be exceeding the weight limit by about 15 pounds. I'm debating whether this is worth worrying about. Our Saris rack is steel and weights around 63 pounds. I suppose we could acquire an aluminum rack to save weight. The thing is, we really like the Saris rack. My son says a nice solution could be to replace our bikes with top-end carbon fiber models!