# Rack Advice - '14 Ford Escape Company Car



## eriqjo (Jun 17, 2014)

I'm going to be stuck with a company car for the next 9-12 months and I'm looking for a good 'temporary' bike mounting solution (1-2 bikes). It's a 2014 Ford Escape NO roof rails and NO trailer hitch. If it was my personal car I would just get a hitch installed but that is not an option. The only solution I see is something that attaches to the hatch. Anyone know how well the Yakima KingJoe Pro 2 fits on a SUV? Is there is a different option that I haven't seen yet?

-Eric


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## deuxdiesel (Jan 14, 2007)

Realistically, hatch racks can scuff the paint and leave marks pretty easily, so the car has to be very clean before you install the rack. I am curious about the hitch thing- would somebody be checking on this? I cheap hitch from e-Trailer can be bolted on easily, and then removed after a year and sold off. If you are stuck with a strap-on rack, also look at Thules offerings- I put one of those on the most difficult cat I have ever fitted a rack to (Toyota Camry convertible) and was impressed how adjustable it was.


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## fotooutdoors (Jul 8, 2010)

Other option is to do roof bars (after market like Thule or Yakima) and tray mounts. You generally don't have to have rails, they just make life easier for roof racks.


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## eriqjo (Jun 17, 2014)

I didn't realize there were bolt-on trailer hitches, I just assumed that they would have to be drilled or welded on. That seems like a possible solution but the hitch alone is more than a gate-mounted rack would cost. I have Yakima bars on my Focus right now and it turns out those are the same size that is required for the Escape. This seems more likely to scratch/dent the car up than the gate-mount as well, no to mention the struggle to reach up to get the bikes on and off. Thule's site shows only roof and hitch mounts that work with Escape, so my options are looking limited...


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## mbmtb (Nov 28, 2013)

seasucker. no question.


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## lastplace29er (Apr 29, 2012)

For around $200 you could add a hitch. My highlander took about 30 min to install by myself.

2014 Ford Escape Trailer Hitch | etrailer.com


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## Neseth (Nov 4, 2009)

I would do the seasucker rack.


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## eriqjo (Jun 17, 2014)

Wow, those SeaSucker racks are.... different. Do either of you guys have experience with any of the SeaSucker racks? The 'Hornet' looks interesting but the MTBR YouTube video had me a little scared when he said it will fall off if your window and the cup aren't clean. I should also note that this will need to survive a couple of trips between Detroit and Kansas City (700+ miles, ~12 hours). It also seems like it would obstruct the license plate (not sure of the legality of this, but Michigan only has plates on the rear of the vehicles).


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## deuxdiesel (Jan 14, 2007)

Ummmm, Michigan roads + a rack not mechanically fixed to a car = flying bikes. It's your bikes and your call, but you seem averse to the best solutions (hitch rack that can moved to another car and the hitch can be sold on Craigslist later, or a roof rack system). What about just putting them inside the car? We have a Mazda CX-5, and it will fit 2 Pugsleys in the back with the seat posts removed and the front wheels taken off. The Escape is almost identical in size.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

For trunk racks especially the Saris ones I do not think they scratch the car or do a bad job. I snagged while a couple years ago from savers (like goodwill) for $30. It holds two bikes and we still have it for just in case moments. I have a hitch rack now but we use it on other cars or borrow it out to friends.

So a trunk rack is not the worst option plus can store away easy after you bring the company car back.


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## mbmtb (Nov 28, 2013)

i have both a hitch rack and a seasucker mini bomber, and used them both this past weekend. (they each carry 2 bikes, and i had 3-4 bikes on my car).

the hitch rack is certainly way nicer to deal with. since it's so easy to install, see if your company cares. looks like decent hitches are under $200 and you can probably install it yourself with just a few bolts. then a rack is another $200-$700, but you can often get decent ones from craigslist cheap. (i have the older version of TransIt Flatbed 2DLX 2-Bike Hitch Rack - Hitch Mount which is decent enough )

the seasucker works great, but the mini bomber (what i have) is a roof rack. i didn't realize how tall a ford escape is, any roof rack is probably a pita. the hornet probably works (there's a video of fc doing an mtbr review of it). maybe post on the seasucker thread about the hornet?

saris trunk racks are well liked and work well too.

any of these should work just fine; the reason i suggested the seasucker was your original 'don't modify the car'. they do work, i've had it on high speed and very twist roads, though i haven't had it on any bumpy roads.


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## eriqjo (Jun 17, 2014)

So here's my analysis of the options:

*Roof mount - * Could be free if I take everything off of my Focus. Will likely scratch the upper door openings where they are mounted. Vehicle is a little tall for getting bikes up and down.

*SeaSuckers - * I'm not sure I want to risk these on Michigan roads, which I think are some of the worst in the country (at least that's what the billboards around here say). I would also worry about dirty glass and the long trips.

*Hitch-mount - * By far the most expensive options, but the most stable. I'm trying to minimize my losses on this, much of my cost could be recovered on eBay or Craigslist, but at $400+ I stand to lose quite a bit of money on a rack I won't use again (I plan to keep my 2013 Focus for several years to come).

*Gate-mount - * I think this is what it is going to have to be. $165 for a Yakima KingJoe Pro 2 (+ 10% REI dividend!!) seems to be the best value. Yakima has been treating me well for the past 5 years, so I'll stick with the tried and true. Maybe if SeaSuckers changed their name to SquidRacks or OctoMounts I would trust them a little more. This is probably going to scratch the paint, but the car is 'Karat Gold' so the scratches will make it look better (look it up).

Thanks for the input!!

-Eric


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## fotooutdoors (Jul 8, 2010)

Why not get a hitch for your focus and the company car? It sounds like you want something besides a roof rack for your focus (since it already sounds like you have a roof system for it but would keep a hatch mount), so get a fast-installing, highly secure system instead of a hatch rack. 

In my experience hatch tracks are either fast to install and not very secure or fairly secure (though rarely as secure as a hitch rack) and time-consuming to install. Just my $0.02


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## Shakester (Jun 26, 2012)

The Thule Raceway Platform rack is one to look into. I met up with my friend who had one and threw my bike on there along with his and it held up just fine.


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## gddyap (Sep 29, 2011)

How about a blanket or tarp and put the bike inside the Escape?


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## deuxdiesel (Jan 14, 2007)

Karat Gold- whew, you are right. That is ugly.


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## eriqjo (Jun 17, 2014)

I would simply throw my bike in the back with a tarp, but I also need to transport all of my worldly possessions with me as well. Alternatively, shipping either a bike or some of my stuff would be more expensive and complicated than racking the bike.

I have the roof rack setup on my current Focus because the bike and ski mounts (and like $100 in SKS locks) are from my previous Focus, I just had to buy the rails. The car is low enough that I can get my bikes up there with only slight struggling. My dad has been using a hitch rack similar to the Thule Raceway and TransIt Flatbed which is pretty slick. If I didn't already have all of the stuff from my previous car I would've gone hitch mount and done the same with the company car. Not worth the switch at this point IMO...


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## TenSpeed (Feb 14, 2012)

I had a SeaSucker for my Mustang and my mtb, and I live in Michigan. I made several trips to trails like ILRA, Tree Farm, and even went to Rochester Hills to buy a bike from a friend. The hour and a half ride home on 96, in a torrential downpour, with a 19" steel 29er HT on the roof, at 80+ mph.....I was worried. The thing didn't even budge. The roads here suck, like they do across the state. The rack isn't just suction cups that pop off easily. These are strong vacuum cups that hold everything in place. That Hornet looks like the best option of all of the SeaSucker racks, as it offers a secondary attachment to the vehicle. As for clean glass, keep some Windex and paper towels or a towel in the car. It takes 15 seconds to clean the back window. Mounting the cups to the window is actually the most ideal place, as there is no body panel flex at all. That is why my bike was mounted backwards.

Here I am heading west from ILRA, shot by a friends son with his cellphone. We were doing about 80mph at the time. Bike is a large Titus Racer X 29er.


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## eriqjo (Jun 17, 2014)

I purchased a Yakima KingJoe Pro 2 yesterday and did a trial fit today. It will be going back to REI tomorrow. This will not work for my vehicle (and is probably why Thule simply says "No Fit" for this application). The two biggest concerns are the side and bottom hooks (you know, those little things that keep the whole rack from flying off).

The side hooks want to be where the tail lamps are. If I put the hook above the tail lamp, it slides down as I am tightening the strap. If I put it below the light it wants to go up. This pulls the hook to a character-line margin in the gate and the hook easily slide out:








The bottom of the rear hatch does not have the traditional lip that the hooks require to hold on. This results in the hooks pulling outward when the straps are tightened. If I leave the straps a little looser they push off when I close the hatch. 








As much as I hate to say it, the SeaSuckers may be the way to go. There seems to be a lot of* positive reviews* and a lot of *negative speculation*, myself included. I'll just throw my road bike on there and upgrade if it falls off!


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## TenSpeed (Feb 14, 2012)

If you mount the Seasucker correctly, it will not fly off. On long road trips, when you stop for gas or food or whatever, just check the cups to make sure that they have not lost vacuum. If they have, simply pump them up again.


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## Canadmos (Aug 1, 2005)

Its expensive, but just get a hitch and hitch rack. Make the investment. You will keep the rack for many more years than the cars. And you won't have to deal with the hassle of removing the hatch rack or risk having it stolen.


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## eriqjo (Jun 17, 2014)

Well, I guess I'm a sucker (Hornet). No riding today due to a soccer game, but this thing seems surprisingly stable. Wasn't my first choice, but hopefully it will serve its purpose. Tomorrow will be the test run.









Here the setup on my personal vehicle:


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## Canadmos (Aug 1, 2005)

Nice setup.

Man, that is the worst colour I've seen in a while on that Escape.


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