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Can Swing-Away Bike Rack be Used With Hitch Adapter on 2015 Subaru Outback With 1-1/4" Hitch  

Question:

Hi - my 2015 outback has the factory 1.25 inch hitch and Im looking at swing away bike racks, which are mostly designed for 2 inch receivers. Id prefer not too have to swap out the factory hitch with an aftermarket 2 inch hitch... can I just buy a 1.25 inch to 2 inch adapter for the swing away bike racks? Thanks!

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Helpful Expert Reply:

The issue with using a 1-1/4" to 2" adapter for a swing-away bike rack on your 2015 Subaru Outback is that it cuts the capacity of your hitch in half. According to my research, the OEM hitch on a '15 Outback is a Class I hitch with a 200 lb tongue weight. That means you would need the Hitch Adapter 1-1/4" to 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver # HTAD, which weighs 5 lbs, giving you a total of 95 lbs to carry a swing-away bike rack and your bikes.

The lightest swing-away that can be used with an adapter is the Thule Apex Swing XT 4-Bike Rack # TH9027XT which weighs 42 lbs, so the max your four bikes could weigh is a total of 53 lbs, and even a little less if you had an alternative, women's or child's bike that required the 2 lb Bike Adapter Bar # TH982XT.

So unless you have very, very light bikes, the best solution is to replace your factory Subaru hitch with the etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver # e98847.

Doing that will allow you to use any of the swing-away bike racks, the SportRack Ridge Swing 4-Bike Rack # SR2415, Yakima FullSwing 4-Bike Rack # Y02465 or Thule Apex Swing XT 4-Bike Rack # TH9027XT.

I have added links to video reviews of these racks for you to check out as well.

expert reply by:
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Kyle S
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Instructions

Instructions for e98847Instructions for TH9027XTInstructions for Y02465Instructions for SR2415

Miscellaneous Media

Beginner’s Guide to Installing the etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver on a 2015 Subaru Outback Wagon
Beginner’s Guide to Installing the etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver on a 2015 Subaru Outback Wagon - Video
How Does the SportRack Ridge Bike Rack for 4 Bikes Fit on a 2015 Subaru Outback Wagon?
How Does the SportRack Ridge Bike Rack for 4 Bikes Fit on a 2015 Subaru Outback Wagon? - Video
Thule Apex Swing XT Bike Rack for 4 Bikes Feature Review
Thule Apex Swing XT Bike Rack for 4 Bikes Feature Review - Video
Hands-On with the Yakima FullSwing Bike Rack for 4 Bikes
Hands-On with the Yakima FullSwing Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - Video
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