# Honda CRV Spare Tire Mounted Rack - Are there cons?



## luar (Jul 24, 2007)

I live in Brooklyn and it would be practical for me to have a rear mounted rack. I have a 2003 CRV and wanted to know if I get a spare tire mount and only use it for 2 bikes, would it cause any long term damage to the rear door or hinges? Can the door support the 75lbs that most of these kinds of racks can support. Ultimately I like the Thule 963 because it is lockable. Others I am considering are the Yakima Spare Joe, Allen, Hollywood and Swagman.

I am really interested in knowing the opinions of Honda and Toyota RAV4 owners. Thank you so much.


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## Blister Butt (Jul 20, 2005)

*No hinge problems*

I've had the Thule 963 on my 2001 CRV for years now. No problems with the hinges.

Problem is with the rack and our current bikes. When we had a dual suspension and a hard tail we were carrying around, the rack worked very well. We were very pleased.

Trying to haul around two dual suspensions hasn't worked. Probably because of the different sizes of the bike. If we put both on the rack, one bike gets beaten up by the other. We haven't been able to come up with a configuration that accommodates both bikes.

I strongly urge you to try out the rack with the bikes you'll be using before you buy.

That said, we got many good hauls out of the Thule rack, and we still use it for one bike (the other gets stowed inside the vehicle). After five years, the rack is starting to rust out a little bit. Time for a replacement.

Hope that helps.

--Rev. B. Butt


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## luar (Jul 24, 2007)

Blister Butt said:


> I've had the Thule 963 on my 2001 CRV for years now. No problems with the hinges.
> 
> Problem is with the rack and our current bikes. When we had a dual suspension and a hard tail we were carrying around, the rack worked very well. We were very pleased.
> 
> ...


So let me clarify one thing - were you able to open the rear door without any problem or concern about damage? Thanks for your prompt reply.


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## Blister Butt (Jul 20, 2005)

*No trouble*

I had no trouble opening the door. Remember, the rear door on the 2003 model is different than the one on the 2001, however. But I think the '03 cargo door will actually be better. On the 2001, you had to open the glass upward before you could open the door sideways. That meant I had to unlatch the window, then unlatch the door, and then move the door open so the bikes would move out of the way allowing me to raise the window. :madman:

In the 2003, the entire rear door and window swing sideways, which bypasses that problem, although I'm not sure you'll be able to raise the window while bikes are on the rack.

Good luck.

--Rev. B. Butt


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## woodsguy (Mar 28, 2007)

I have a Thule on my 2005 CRV's spare tire. I love it. I think it is the best way to carry bikes. I've had no issues opening and closing the door with two full suspension bikes on it, it folds out of the way when not in use, doesn't bounce or shake, and unlike roof racks I can drive into the garage with the bikes on (greatly appreciated in a downpour). I used the same rack on our old 2000 CRV for a couple months and found that it worked in that application as well.


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## Blister Butt (Jul 20, 2005)

*Give me your configuration secret, please!*



woodsguy said:


> I have a Thule on my 2005 CRV's spare tire. I love it. I think it is the best way to carry bikes. I've had no issues opening and closing the door with two full suspension bikes on it


Hey Woodsguy,

So give me a hint on how you configured the two full suspensions on the rack so they didn't gouge each other? If you can't explain it, maybe you could post a pic?

Both our full suspensions need top tube adapters. Because one is medium and one is large, the handlebars overlap if the fronts are going the same direction. If we reverse directions (front to rear), we get complications that way, too.

Any help would be appreciated.

--Rev. B. Butt


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## luar (Jul 24, 2007)

Thule sent me an email stating that as long as the weight does not exceed 75 lbs, it should not be a problem. Sounds like a canned response.


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## woodsguy (Mar 28, 2007)

Blister Butt said:


> Hey Woodsguy,
> 
> So give me a hint on how you configured the two full suspensions on the rack so they didn't gouge each other? If you can't explain it, maybe you could post a pic?
> 
> ...


This is with mine and Strangeland2's bike. My wifes Cannondale Rush fits in the same way. In order to keep the seats and handlebars from hitting, I push the bikes forward (for the bikes). I also heard that you can attach to the back of the seat tube. I've taken many long and short trips with two bikes and have yet to have any damage.

Good luck!

Kevin


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## luar (Jul 24, 2007)

woodsguy said:


> This is with mine and Strangeland2's bike. My wifes Cannondale Rush fits in the same way. In order to keep the seats and handlebars from hitting, I push the bikes forward (for the bikes). I also heard that you can attach to the back of the seat tube. I've taken many long and short trips with two bikes and have yet to have any damage.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> Kevin


Wow I did not notice that the bikes partially stick out. As I live in New York City, this requires extra care for me.


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## woodsguy (Mar 28, 2007)

luar said:


> Wow I did not notice that the bikes partially stick out. As I live in New York City, this requires extra care for me.


I only move them about 4" from center. They stick out less than the side mirrors so it shouldn't be a problem.


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## Blister Butt (Jul 20, 2005)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the photo, Woodsguy! That's the type of configuration we're going for, but we don't have it dialed in yet.


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