Description:Combining all the best features of the Hitch Collection and adding Yakima's celebrated Swing Away Technology, the Roc'n Gate takes its rightful place as Yakima's top of the line hitch mount. Full access rear of the car bike carrier the Roc'n Gate features a convenient release lever that triggers easy swing-away access to the back of the vehicle providing the maximum tailgate and rear hatch clearance for today's SUVs.
Roc'n Gate is fully stabilized and includes the Stratalock system -- locks bikes to mount and mount to receiver and Fits 2" receiver hitch,carries 4 bikes.
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Sandy, UT Date Reviewed: December 16, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Holds 4 bikes securly and safely. Swing gate is very convenient. Leave the work stand at home.
Weaknesses:
When loaded down with 4 bikes, you've got to have a little muscle to lift the bikes to get the wingnut lined up. I can do it by myself without too much problem. The pain is when your truck (and bikes) is caked in mud or salt slush and you've got to get down in between the truck and the bikes, lift the bikes, and unscrew the wingnut. Don't try this with a white t-shirt. The pin to keep the gate open fell off the first time I used it, so now I've just got a black plastic ball dangling from a thin cable (people like to try to figure out what it's supposed to do). Mounting brackets are too thick/wide, so it can be a pain loading small frames. I had to take off the water bottle cages on my wife's bike to get it on.
Similar Products Used:
Thule and Yak roof racks/boxes, trunk racks.
Bottom Line:
My friends have other brands of hitch racks and the Rocngate is much nicer. Despite my list of weaknesses, I still think this is the best one out there, although full retail $ is too much for this rack.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Big Daddy
a
from Palo Alto Date Reviewed: January 7, 2003
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At:
Schwinn
Strengths:
It holds 4 bikes and still let's me get into the back of my minivan. The curvature in the upright bar lets my low clearance minivan get up steep curbs without scraping.
Weaknesses:
Same as below, the latching wing nut will not line up when the rack is loaded.
Similar Products Used:
A scissors style hitch mounted rack that extends directly back from the hitch. This bottomed out on steep curbes when the van was loaded
Bottom Line:
The rack works well and it is the only rack I could find that did not scrape the pavement on steep curbs and would still gives me access to the back of my van. (2 kids 4 bikes and 3 weeks worth of gear in a minivan make for a heavy load). It is hard to close and requires a second person to lift the bikes while you secure the tie down bolt. On the other hand, I have logged better than 8000 miles during two driving tours of the western states as well as a dozen or so shorter trips without any real problems. Just wish Yakima would fix the latching mechanism.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rick
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, Texas, USA Date Reviewed: December 6, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
This is one sturdy rack! I have hauled 4 bikes several hundred miles on many occasions with no complaints.
Weaknesses:
You better have a strong back to lift this one. I wish there was some sort of a stabilizer system because the rack is pretty springy when loaded, and tends to whip and bounce in the bumps. This rack is rock solid on the pavement, and not recommended for off road.
Bottom Line:
I reviewed this rack six months ago when it was new. I have used it fully loaded many times and probably have 2,000-3,000 miles on the rack with no problems. I recommend checking nuts and bolts periodically. Yakima indicates in the literature that the rack is not meant for off-road use. This probably makes sense consdering it's weight when loaded. However, I recently was hauling this rack fully loaded offroad, when I encountered some deep ruts in the jeep trail, that really pitched my Tahoe4x4 violently. I happened to check my rearview mirror and the rack was whipping side-to-side like crazy. I was sure that I had damaged it. When the trail smoothed out, I checked the rack, and there was no damage to rack or vehicle. I think this rack would be strong enough for offroad if Yakima would attach some sort of stabilization. Its already probably the most substantial and solid rack on the market. I recommend it if you haul 4 bikes with an SUV, and need access to the back door.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Larry C
a Weekend Warrior
from Saratoga, CA, USA Date Reviewed: September 9, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Looks light, but rock-solid sturdy. Does not rock, even over bumps and curbs (I tried on a side street to test it.) Holds 4 bikes comfortably. Stablizers, a cool concept and works well; eliminates lots of bungee cords. Still needs two bungee cords to hold front wheels steady. Convenient locking system, easy to use.
Weaknesses:
Tough to get the smaller children bikes over the stablizers. Needed the horizontal bar attachment at extra cost. With all four bikes on, a second person must help to lift all the bikes in order to unlatch the swing mechanism. With two bikes, the latching mechanism worked better with one person operation.
Similar Products Used:
Bauer was too bulky and too heavy; don't like the locking system; the bikes swayed too much with the short horizontal support bars. Thule was too thin looking, but never tried.
Bike Setup:
Four mountain bikes, all on the heavy side. Two adults. Two children.
Bottom Line:
Very pricy; a bit better with 20% discount at REI sale; thus, the value rating of 4. Would recommend highly to a friend.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
A weekend warrior
a Weekend Warrior
from dallas, texas, usa Date Reviewed: June 27, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$399.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Sturdy, no squeeks, easy initial installation, easy on/off
Weaknesses:
Can be stolen easier than you think. Sticks out a long way behind the vehical, as all 4x holders do which may be illegal in your state.
Bike Setup:
4 bikes for entire family
Bottom Line:
This is a great carrier. If you need to haul 4 bikes on a big SUV, this is the one. Perfect for my Tahoe 4x4, but almost made the Jeep pop a wheely when loaded. Trays are a bit large for my kid's BMXs, and you must use cross bar adapters which cost extra. No squeeks, no rattles. Literature says it is not recommended for off-road. No problems that other reviews mentioned. However, bikes could be easily stolen with a screw driver when locked. I won't say how in case the bad guys are reading, but come on Yakima, how about some tamper-proof screws, or at least allen screws, and you know where!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
A
a Weekend Warrior
from SF, CA Date Reviewed: November 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
REI - review for Terragate 2
Strengths:
*great concept and design (this is THE swing arm rack) *solid and well constructed (for the most part) *can use U-lock to secure bikes to rack (great design) *looks nice - thick coat of paint, nicely finished (looks rust proof, until it gets scratched)
Weaknesses:
*wing nut (big problem) *bikes can sway back and forth and hit each other (if you have 3 or 4 bikes) *trays slide when tightened (so just use a U-lock) *the rack can get easily stolen by removal of hinge (can be a problem where I live)
Similar Products Used:
cheap generic rack from eBay
Bottom Line:
THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE OLD TERRAGATE 2 with the old trays. I'll get right to the point. Its a proven fact that products only get reviewed if there are complaints about them. When installing, the wing nut did not line up with the hole when the gate is in the closed position. This caused the bolt to be stripped when tightened, and it can't be tightened snugly. With the play in the rack, the paint was worn off and now there are patches of shiny bare metal. It won't be long before it starts to rust. It seems like the previous reviewer had the same problem when the rack was loaded with bikes. I had the problem when the rack was empty. I'm fairly mechanically inclined, and I'm sure I possess the ability to thread a huge bolt correctly. But maybe I just got a bad rack.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jeff newman
a Weekend Warrior
from chicago, il Date Reviewed: August 14, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$399.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Very solid. Locks to hitch tightly. Good concept. Good bike stabilization system.
Weaknesses:
Swing gate sags when bikes are on rack, causing the latching wing bolt to not line up. A second person of sufficient strength is need to lift the back half of the rack with bikes on it to allow the rack to be fastened closed. Makes it cumbersome enough that I am taking the rack back.
Similar Products Used:
None with a swing arm. Performance hitch rack (but no swing arm>)
Bottom Line:
Great concept. Poor execution. Can probably be solved with an improved wing nut locking mechanism.
$ 459.00
Overall Rating:
