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Not trying to stir up controversy but I disagree with the comment above. I installed a hitch and bought a rack 2 years ago and the hitch rack I got specifically came as a 1 1/2" or 2 ".
right, but push come to shove, they make adapters that can 'convert' your hitch either way.
in the end, it really boils down to what else you think you may use the hitch for. if your rig is a light duty rig (like my xB), there's no reason to get a Class III or larger hitch since you'll never be able to use the capacity anyway. it's likely you would never even find one. but, if your rig CAN handle the kind of weight a larger hitch is designed for, i would go for it only because, well, you never know what future plans will entail.
as far as buying a hitch sight unseen, you can usually find reviews of anything online. i chose my hitch (between 3 choices) because it got great reviews on strength of design and simplicity of installation. it is a Curt brand hitch, which i have only ever heard good things about.
I just made a purchase of the hitch and rack through HitchSource. They had the models that seemed good, but for less even with paying shipping. I hate buying site unseen, but the hitch has good reviews. Here's hoping.
Apropos of this topic, I have a minivan and am looking for a bike rack. What precisely is a hitch versus a rack, and do I need to buy them at separate places or do some come as one piece?
Apropos of this topic, I have a minivan and am looking for a bike rack. What precisely is a hitch versus a rack, and do I need to buy them at separate places or do some come as one piece?
Sincerely,
Confused in Chapel Hill
a hitch, simply put, is just a device that attaches to your vehicle and allows you to tow or carry things with it. they're typically a black bar located underneath the rear bumper, most commonly found on trucks and SUVs (since these are your most popular vehicles used for towing). a hitch has a square opening located directly in the center into which you can install a number of different items depending on what you want to do.
now, what is being discussed in this thread is the option of installing a hitch and then buying a bike rack that uses the hitch to attach to the car. almost anytime a vehicle is carrying bikes on the back, it is using this kind of setup. to do this, you would need to have a hitch installed on your vehicle (unless it already has one), then buy a bike rack made to be used with a hitch. it's a popular way to go since you can use a hitch for so many other things (like towing), but if you don't have a hitch already, it can get pricey. depending on your vehicle and just how heavy duty you want the hitch to be, they can cost anywhere from a mere $20 or so to probably somewhere close to $300.
then there's the matter of installation. you can have them professionally installed (like Charlton Dude wants to do by having Raleigh Hitch do the work), or in some cases, you can install them yourself. it really depends on your vehicle, the hitch, and your mechanical ability and access to basic tools. for my vehicle, the hitch was easy to install since it simply bolted in using holes already located in the vehicle. in some cases, however, it can require a good amount of drilling as well as some repositioning of items like the spare tire or the exhaust. to go even further, if you plan on doing any towing, you need to add a wiring harness that will attach to the trailer's lights. in some cases, this can be a simple 'plug-and-play' affair using harnesses designed to work specifically with your vehicle. other times, it requires wire cutting and splicing as well as some basic knowledge of circuits to get everything in working order.
there are other options for carrying a bike with your vehicle. these include roof racks (like the Thule or Yakima brands) or racks that strap onto back doors or trunk lids.
for options, you may want to hit up a local bike shop and ask what would be best for your specific vehicle. there is a Performance Bicycle located in Chapel Hill inside the Trader Joe's shopping plaza, as well as a number of smaller shops on Franklin Street downtown.
good luck!
Mike
PS - sorry for the overly long post. i used to sell auto parts for years and am just used to giving out this information all day long. old habits die hard!
Last edited by whiteboyslo; 02-15-2009 at 07:41 PM..
My hitch came in and I installed it in my SUV today. Dropping the exhaust was the hardest part. It was only 2 rubber grommets, but they are hard to remove. The hitch installed without a hitch. It was actually quite easy to install, but you need someone to hold it. The exhaust goes back up much easier than it came off. Less than 45 minutes to complete the entire process.
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It was actually quite easy to install, but you need someone to hold it. The exhaust goes back up much easier than it came off. Less than 45 minutes to complete the entire process. 
