# Insane to put a hitch rack on a Honda Fit?



## Black_Cat (Jun 29, 2015)

Sized XL 29er is too big to put in the back of the Honda Fit.

Roof rack means no access to indoor parking at work or at home.


Anyone found a light weight, sturdy hitch mounted rack for a Honda Fit?

With decent ground clearance?

I'll have just one bike on the rack.

Thanks!


----------



## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

Why not a good quality hatch-mount rack, one that is not harsh on the finish and can be easily removed?


----------



## Black_Cat (Jun 29, 2015)

Glide the Clyde said:


> Why not a good quality hatch-mount rack, one that is not harsh on the finish and can be easily removed?


Not interested in hatch mounts.

But, thanks.

Again, folks, HITCH mounted rack.

Focus.

That's what I'm looking for feedback on.

Thanks, everyone.


----------



## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

It looks like you can put a class 1 on the FIT, so I'd go for it. It's definitely going to need a rack with a little slope to it to prevent ground clearance issues, but I'd just go to a LBS or a big box store that caries hitches and look around for one that works. And I'd much rather have a hitch rack than a hatch/trunk rack. You can even haul a light trailer with a hitch, can't do that with a hatch rack.
Hitch Lookup for 2016 Honda Fit All


----------



## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I have a '14 Focus 5 door hatchback. It's a little bit bigger than a FIT but I can't see why you couldn't slap on a Class 1? I rock a Thule T2 rack as that hitch mount actually is elevated from the centerline of the receiver portion. It's nice and high off the ground so clearance has never been an issue. I have the 917XTR model which is a 1.25" drawbar and will not accept the additional 2 bike rack extension that is available on the 2" T2.

If I have to go big on transport, I also have a Yakima base rack but run 2 of the Thule SideArm racks which are what the T2 is based on. You can sort of see the height of the T2 in this shot but it's definitely elevated sufficiently.


----------



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Depending on the trim of the car, a hatch mounted rack may not even be an option. I have an 07 Sport which has a small spoiler on the top of the hatch, and any rack straps would rip that thing right off. No go.

I currently put bikes inside mine, but I ride a medium frame and my wife a small, so fitment is no trouble. I'd prefer a hitch mount, but we've got a 2" Kuat NV for another car and I don't want to buy another hitch rack specifically for my Fit.

If you have a Fit of the correct year (the newer models, I think since 09) have 2" receiver fitment options from Ecohitch. They're more expensive than something like a Curt, but they're quality. My wife's Subie has one.


----------



## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Are you saying someone is making a 2" receiver for a Fit?! Short of totally custom, I've never seen a "legit" manufacturer build something like that for today's small cars. Most cars of this genera aren't even rated for towing. Period. But that's for another thread. I'm just amazed that a 2" is available, that's all.


----------



## gravitylover (Sep 1, 2009)

Go for it. I have a 1 1/4" Curt hitch on my BRZ and use a Saris Freedom Superclamp and regularly carry 2 fatbikes. My BRZ has a lot less clearance than your Fit does and it's almost never a problem with the hitch hanging low unless it's a rough dirt lot or very poorly maintained lot entrance when there are two bikes on the rack.


----------



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Oh My Sack! said:


> Are you saying someone is making a 2" receiver for a Fit?! Short of totally custom, I've never seen a "legit" manufacturer build something like that for today's small cars. Most cars of this genera aren't even rated for towing. Period. But that's for another thread. I'm just amazed that a 2" is available, that's all.


Torklift Central | Fit - Honda - Find Your EcoHitch - RVing and Towing

09 and newer. If given the choice, I'd go 2" in a heartbeat over 1 1/4". The bigger stinger allows for a much more wobble-free carry.


----------



## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I don't see the point on a small car. For 1, I just watched the install video. Not sure if it's the same for a Curt or DrawTite on the Fit but what a pain in the ass that is! Maybe it's the nature of the car model, though. Second, both the 1.25 and the 2 are rated identically at 200/2000#. No different than a Curt or DrawTite. That car is no way rated to handle either of those weights at the tongue nor the total to begin with. Is it even rated for towing at all? Most of these tiny cars are not. Granted we're talking about relatively small amounts of weight between bikes and hitch carrier as long as the arm of that load is very short as a 2 bike rack typically is. My third and final thought is having experience with both 2" and 1.25" hitch racks, specifically the Thule T2 as I have both, their drawbar is solid and threaded and they come standard with a threaded bolt/locking hitch pin. It's installed with a 3/4" box end (tool supplied) and easily snugged and there is absolutely no freeplay in the hitch/receiver interface whatsoever and this is on my DrawTite receiver unit. I think I paid around $135 from one of the big online trailer parts retailers...maybe eTrailer.com, I forget.


----------



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

It is ecohitch gear. Pretty much all of them tuck up to the car more snugly than curt et al.


----------



## J_Westy (Jan 7, 2009)

IMO, Hitch racks are the best choice if a hitch is available.

I don't have Fit, but I have a Fiesta ST + 1-1/4" Drawtite + 1upUSA


----------



## Black_Cat (Jun 29, 2015)

J_Westy said:


> IMO, Hitch racks are the best choice if a hitch is available.
> 
> I don't have Fit, but I have a Fiesta ST + 1-1/4" Drawtite + 1upUSA


Nice rack!

How do you like the Drawtite?


----------



## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Not for towing, but in general, a 2" receiver allows a lot more bike carrier options. I use a kuat that mounts in a 1 1/4" receiver. Has their anti-sway tightening thing, which is awesome by the way. I'd rather have it in the 2" though. a 2" tube just supports it better.


----------



## J_Westy (Jan 7, 2009)

Black_Cat said:


> Nice rack!
> 
> How do you like the Drawtite?


It's fine. If you don't know, Drawtite, UHaul and Hidden Hitch are all the same.

I bought it mail order and it arrived with the paint worn off from shipping, so I repainted it with Rustolium satin black before installing. Not a huge deal because I would have painted it anyway to try to keep it from rusting for as long as possible.


----------



## crfnick56 (Mar 7, 2012)

Check out etrailer.com!! I had a hitch mounted rack on my GTI that was lowered 2 inches and never had an issue (except backing into parking spots and not being careful of the parking curbs). Almost all of the hitch racks raise up above the centerline of the hitch to gain ground clearance. I have the Kuat rack and it raises up probably 2-3" above the receiver of the hitch. 

Also, a lot of times etrailer has free shipping which on a hitch and a bike carrier is a huge savings. Just make sure that when you order you get the right size rack for your hitch (1-1/4" or 2") but I would guess most, if not all, hitches for the Fit would be 1-1/4".


----------



## b.r.h. (May 3, 2007)

09 Fit owner here. I have a 1-1/4" receiver on my hitch. It's great and I love it. You definitely need an anti-sway mechanism. But I use it with both bike racks and a cargo carrier when I go camping and it works well.


----------



## tk1971 (Aug 10, 2007)

No Fit, but I really like small cars. I've put a hitch on all my cars.

Here are a couple small cars sporting hitches:

PriusC


Yaris 3-door



CT200h



As far as sway, most bike rack's have their own anti-sway mechanism consisting of a bolt that secures the stinger to the hitch receiver. Tighten it up and it's good to go. I've gone through many cars and many bike racks. Never had a problem with any of them that wasn't related to human error


----------



## saildesign (Aug 10, 2006)

I have a hitch on my Fiat 500 - tows the boat beautifully.
Rack for the bike will appear as soon as I make up my tiny mind which one....








I believe I have about 20hp LESS than the Fit.


----------



## Rock (Jan 13, 2004)

I put a receiver hitch on a 2010 Insight. It worked fine with 2 30ish lb bikes on it, I did interstate and mountain roads. No issues. The Insight was based off the Fit I believe. 1 1/4" unless you already have 2" racks. Don't try to tow anything, but bike racks are fine.


----------



## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

The Fiat towing a boat I would find hilarious if I saw it on the road and probably would take a picture.

I think small hatchbacks are one of the best cars to put a hitch rack on, biggest downside is actually accessing the stuff in the back of the car. I think 1up does this best if you only need a carrier for a single bike if you want two I would seriously look at the Saris SuperClamp 2, it does not fold up but is small enough that it does not need to and will allow access to the back with bikes off.

One of the local shops uses the Saris on a Honda Fit actually they bring to events sometimes. I personally use a Superclamp 4 on a Honda Element.


----------



## saildesign (Aug 10, 2006)

Mr Pink57 said:


> The Fiat towing a boat I would find hilarious if I saw it on the road and probably would take a picture.
> 
> <snip-de-dip!>


People do...


----------



## jonz (Mar 23, 2009)

Oh My Sack! said:


> I don't see the point on a small car....


There are reasons. I wish I would have known about the 2" EcoHitch option a few years ago for my Civic. My reason: being able to use the same 2-bike rack on both of our vehicles (Ody and Civic) without having to use a stupid ass adapter which introduced all kinds of wobble.


----------



## big_slacker (Feb 16, 2004)

Awesome! I literally came here to ask this question since I just got an '09 Fit as a commuter.

A little strange that the OP couldn't get a 29er in the back with the seats down? I assume removing the front wheel. 

My situation is a little different in that I have car seats that are a minor PITA to remove where a hitch rack is a lot easier to just throw on the back and go. I have a 1-up USA and don't want to worry about ground clearance. 

That EcoHitch looks PERFECT! I also see they're like half an hour from my house which is awesome!

In terms of a 2" on an econobox it isn't necessarily about towing but about carrying stability. Put a rack and 2 downhill bikes on there or say a cargo basket with a bunch of camping gear. The 2" is much more stable especially over bumps. It's not a must have or anything but if the option is there why not do it???


----------



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I ride a medium frame, and before I got a dropper, my saddle hit the roof of the car, even with the front wheel off. The length of the bike pretty much requires upright carrying, because the back tire peeks between the front seats.

Now that I have a dropper post, fitment is generous and makes loading/unloading easier.

But yeah, my back seats are down almost all the time. Can't alternate car seats with inside bike carrying easily. Thankfully carrying kids in my car is rare, because I don't have my own.


----------



## uclamatt2007 (Apr 30, 2010)

I have a 2015 fit and have been running the Draw Tite 1 1/4" hitch with a 1 up rack with no issues for the last year. I leave a single tray on all of the time since I usually only carry one bike. This means that I don't have to bother folding down the rack to open the rear hatch when I am not carrying bikes.

I've had 2 bikes on multiple times with no issues. The back end sags a bit with 2 30 pound bikes, but I havent noticed any issues.

Installation on the hitch was relatively easy, only about an hour with no need to cut anything. You will need ramps or car jacks for the install and having a 2nd person would help a lot. The hitch is completely removeable later if you so choose.


----------



## teamdicky (Jan 12, 2004)

Buddy's Fit headed cross country with three bikes/Raxter rack:










My Fit with a single bike Raxter rack that I swap for the three that's on my friend's car above:


----------



## b.r.h. (May 3, 2007)

I'm intrigued by this Raxter, but they're not very quick to respond to email. Is there any warranty on the rack? Has it stood up to extended use? Looking for something to put on the hitch and leave it there.


----------



## teamdicky (Jan 12, 2004)

b.r.h. said:


> I'm intrigued by this Raxter, but they're not very quick to respond to email. Is there any warranty on the rack? Has it stood up to extended use? Looking for something to put on the hitch and leave it there.


Mine has been in use for 4-5 years (honestly don't remember). The only issue I had was that I broke one of the feet. I was forcing it when I really shoulda pulled it out and lubed it. Lesson learned.

They sent me out a new one pretty fast.


----------



## carthief (Aug 11, 2014)

J_Westy said:


> IMO, Hitch racks are the best choice if a hitch is available.
> 
> I don't have Fit, but I have a Fiesta ST + 1-1/4" Drawtite + 1upUSA


Man that's sweet, I'm waiting for my wifes car to be paid off before I get a FiST. Already have 1up roof racks and was planning on putting something up top but yours looks excellent. I'm sooo jealous!


----------



## Davidfs (Feb 18, 2016)

I work for U Haul, and we mount hitches on small cars (Fits, 500s, even Smart cars!) all the time for bike racks and for cargo trays (which are typically rated for 500 lbs). Most U Haul locations also carry four or five different hitch mount bike carriers, I'm not sure how competitive the pricing is on the actual carriers, but hitches run from <$200-$300 installed depending on the car.


----------



## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Oh My Sack! said:


> I don't see the point on a small car. For 1, I just watched the install video. Not sure if it's the same for a Curt or DrawTite on the Fit but what a pain in the ass that is! Maybe it's the nature of the car model, though. Second, both the 1.25 and the 2 are rated identically at 200/2000#. No different than a Curt or DrawTite. That car is no way rated to handle either of those weights at the tongue nor the total to begin with. Is it even rated for towing at all? Most of these tiny cars are not. .


None of this is going to be a problem if it's just used as a bike rack.



Harold said:


> Torklift Central | Fit - Honda - Find Your EcoHitch - RVing and Towing
> 
> 09 and newer. If given the choice, I'd go 2" in a heartbeat over 1 1/4". The bigger stinger allows for a much more wobble-free carry.


^^This.

2" will be more stable than 1.25". If you have the 2" choice, go for it.

J.


----------



## uclamatt2007 (Apr 30, 2010)

JohnJ80 said:


> None of this is going to be a problem if it's just used as a bike rack.
> 
> ^^This.
> 
> ...


I skipped the 2" Ecohitch because it requires cutting the bumper.

I like the fact that the Curt/Drawtite/Hidden hitch is completely removable with no damage to the car. The 1 1/4" 1up rack has been just as stable as the 2" T2 rack I used on my last car.


----------



## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

uclamatt2007 said:


> The 1 1/4" 1up rack has been just as stable as the 2" T2 rack I used on my last car.


I agree that cutting the bumper is not the way to go if it can be avoided. That said, a 2" receiver is preferable over a 1.25" one. Presuming the fit is tight there will be less twisting because of the significantly higher surface area.

The 1Up rack should be more stable than your T2 in any size of receiver because of the method by which it is secured in the receiver. So that is not a good comparison.


----------



## xufima (Jun 4, 2009)

I use a hitch rack on my Civic Si, it's a great way to carry bikes. I bought a Curt receiver from Amazon for ~$120 and installed it myself, the only modification needed was to cut about a square inch of muffler heat shield for one of the bolts, but it will vary by car.

I have a 1.25" and I wish I had gone for the 2" for more choices in bike racks.

I also have a roof mount system, but prefer to throw kayaks up there.


----------



## Bokchoicowboy (Aug 7, 2007)

The Torklift Eco is nice, but the involved install is too much work.....I have a Draw Tite that I installed in about 45 minutes or so that works fine with my rack on my 2013 Fit. It is an older Xport hitch rack from Performance that holds the bike by the top tube and seat tube. No clearance problems so far, and I have had both road and mtn bikes on it. I think if I had a tray/wheel holder style there are times it may bottom out, but I kept this rack as it works well with my full fender commute bike.


----------



## uclamatt2007 (Apr 30, 2010)

Bokchoicowboy said:


> The Torklift Eco is nice, but the involved install is too much work.....I have a Draw Tite that I installed in about 45 minutes or so that works fine with my rack on my 2013 Fit. It is an older Xport hitch rack from Performance that holds the bike by the top tube and seat tube. No clearance problems so far, and I have had both road and mtn bikes on it. I think if I had a tray/wheel holder style there are times it may bottom out, but I kept this rack as it works well with my full fender commute bike.


So far at least I haven't had any dragging issues with my 1upusa on a 2015 either. I could see something like a T2 potentially being an issue though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


----------



## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

DH immediately installed a hitch on our Fiat 500. It works great with the Kuat two-bike rack.


----------



## Ray Dockrey (Feb 23, 2006)

I have a hitch mounted on my Chevy Spark. I can't really use a strap mounted one and I could get a hitch from Amazon for $107 with free two day shipping. Took about an hour to install. 

I found an used Saris Freedom 2 that had very little use for $75. I am really happy with the setup.


----------



## saildesign (Aug 10, 2006)

June Bug said:


> DH immediately installed a hitch on our Fiat 500. It works great with the Kuat two-bike rack.


The 1Up works well, too. Now that I have finally got around to buying one.....


----------



## Swordzkof (Sep 27, 2015)

North Shore Bike Racks


----------



## adamb52 (Aug 3, 2021)

What type of hitch receiver did he have on that white Fit with the tree bikes? Was it a class 1 or 2? Were there any issues on the long trip? All that I have found says to not put more than two bikes on a rack that uses a class 1 hitch.



teamdicky said:


> Buddy's Fit headed cross country with three bikes/Raxter rack:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------

