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swagman bike rack quality is it good or junk?

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Discussion starter · #21 ·
i dont mean to beat up on the swayman xc rack but i saw one today on someones car in the parking lot at local trailhead, and to tell you the truth i am glad i didnt get this rack, it looks as though it might barely do the job, but it looked very flismy to me, too many bolts and joints, the trays looked very thin, even the bar entering the hitch looked as if it was on the light side not something i think would last very long, next to that was a car with an older sportswork rack, it was a day and night difference, way more burly and stronger looking. the swagman xc might be good for someone who just wants to take his bikes to the local park and who doesnt ride too often or far away, but if you ride very far and alot you should look elsewhere....
 
#22 ·
david8613 said:
.the swagman xc might be good for someone who just wants to take his bikes to the local park and who doesnt ride too often or far away, but if you ride very far and alot you should look elsewhere....
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Hm, well if it's strong enough to haul JimC's Knolly V-tach around then it can't be too flimsy! Thats easily a 40lb bike.

I think the question is, "how much rack does it take to safely haul bike(s) on a car from A to B?" Sure the swagman/performance/hollywood racks look wimpy compared to a sportworks. But, people have used strap-on trunk racks and all kind of crappy roof-racks for years w/o too many problems... persoanlly I used a fork-up and roof rack for my free-ride bike for 2 years, finally the drop-outs on the fork broke, the cheapo roof rack trays never gave me problems.

Anyways I have a performance (re-branded swagman) 4-bike showing up this week, with a money back guarantee. We'll see how it looks but i would be suprised if it's not up to the job. Anythings better than a spare tire-mounted rack that uses rubber straps, but that woudl still get the job done.
 
#23 ·
Just an update- I got my performance 4-bike hitch rack last night. (it looks to be a re-branded swagman). $250 after tax. The rack looks really good to me. Assembly was easy, instructions were clear and well thought out (I'm a drafter and I think manuals are often a good insight into a companies overall attention to quality). The hardware is all good, with zinc-plated bolts and nylock nuts with plastic caps to keep everything clean and safe. The 4-bike rack is 2" hitch only and looks plenty beefy.

it's definately a simpler design compared to the sportworks, and lighter duty, but also lots beefier than my current yakima roofrack system. I'll be hauling 4 FR bikes from Seattle to Moab and back in two weeks, that will be the real test.
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
i got my thule t2 yesterday and i was not impressed at all, its going back. the saris cycle on rack i had prior was way better, i will post a review soon, FM can you post some detailed pics of your rack loaded, unloaded, folded and unfolded that would be cool...
 
#25 ·
david8613 said:
i got my thule t2 yesterday and i was not impressed at all, its going back. the saris cycle on rack i had prior was way better, i will post a review soon, FM can you post some detailed pics of your rack loaded, unloaded, folded and unfolded that would be cool...
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will do... I'm getting the hitch installed tomorrow so it may be 2-3 days.
 
#27 ·
david8613 said:
fm how about those pics? i would really like to see how your rack looks on your ride...
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Sorry about the wait, no pics yet. Things are a little crazy right now- bought the new van and rack, hitch installed, everythings good to go, I'm leaving for Moab next week and I still have my old car which I will sell when I get back. But I drove that to my ride this weekend since I was solo and it gets better milage than the big van.

I probably won't get the rack loaded with bikes till next week at this point, since I need to get my work, family stuff & bike tightened up before the moab/fruita biking trip.

I did go to G.I. Joes and spent $7 on fancy high-end bungee cords, got some 4" ones that are perfect for securing the wheels to the trays, and a longer 4' one for the frames. They're all black with rubber coated hooks so they look very stock on the swagman rack. These will add 2 minutes to my load & unload time, but it's good to have that added security. Picked up a locking hitch pin too. I did do some dry-fitting of bikes and everything looks good.
 
#29 ·
Rack works fine, but not perfect

I was replying to a similar thread last week. I own a Hollywood rack which seems identical to the swagman.

Other thread for more info

My post there:
I have the swagman. Actually, I'm not sure if it is that brand but it looks absolutely identical. It is quick and easy to use. The padded hooks have worn some paint off the bike frame. I wasn't keen on the threaded bolt hitch pin for holding the rack in the hitch. I take mine on and off frequently and I wasn't about to have to bust out a wrench to do it. I had to drill the hitch pin hole in the rack a bit bigger to fit a standard trailer hitch pin. It is my understanding that the threaded bolt hitch pin eliminates rack sway and I had an issue with that at first. the rack swayed pretty bad. then I bought a little device online that helps that out. This is the device. I use it on my pickup truck and I load dogs in and out of the back frequently. The bikes need to be removed to do it. the hoops on the ends of the "arms" that hold the tires in place make me very nervous about a dog leg getting stuck in there. The two arms are hinged to swing up and out of the way, but I can only swing one side up with the tailgate open. It has to do with the location of the hoops. So I swing one side up and block the other side of the tailgate with my body for loading dogs in and out. I have never once used the feature where the vertical post swings downward. The bikes also need to be removed to do that. HOpe that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions about it.
 
Discussion starter · #30 · (Edited)
#31 ·
david8613 said:
sounds good fm, enjoy the new rack. i just ordered mine today from a dealer on ebay, 4 bike carrier 239.00 shipped, i should see it by thursday, good deal i think.
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yeah putting it on tonight for these photos, I was stoked. seems a lot more solid after I spent some time getting to know the adjustments. The short rubber straps for the wheels seem like a good idea. anyways here's pix- btw the tires are micheling DH 2.5's so this rack can handle big ones....
 

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#34 ·
I picked up the same exact rack from Target on discount for $45-60, can't remember. Then it went on super discount for like $30. I use the threaded bolt it came with, no sway other than normal flex. It is pretty damn solid and I am glad I did not get anything else. Of course I had to buy and install hitches but I don't count that into the price. It is solid, strong and simple, and if you get it from target under the coleman name you can get it for a song.
 
#35 ·
FM said:
... Sure the swagman/performance/hollywood racks look wimpy compared to a sportworks. ....
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My Hollywood Boomer is three times the weight and a much better rack than the Swageman I mentioned above. It doesn't look wimpy if you are looking at it. My previous no-name e-trailer badged rack was perhaps more solid but had fewer bells and whistles, larger tube diameter but much thinner tube walls.

In my opinion you have to examine each rack regardless of manufacturer to determine the quality and usability. Lumping all the somewhat off brands together under 'looks wimpy' probably paints a false picture.
 
Discussion starter · #36 ·
i dont think target sells this rack anymore, i heard about the great price they had so went to check it out but none to be seen....i noticed there are slight differences in the different brands like the swagman has some kind rachet system for the arms, but the export has knobs that you tighten instead, and noticed theat the export, coleman, hollywood versions have a slight rise on the main tube, were the swagman doesnt i hope i dont have any clearance issues....i cant wait to get mine...
 
#37 ·
Works Great

I have used this four bike Swagman Extreme XP for the past three years and it works great. I bought it for two reasons, security and flexibility to hold different types of frames.

As far as security, I have a lock for the hitch that secures the rack, then another locking knob that clamps down the outer most bike carrier. So, I can load up all four bikes, then lock down the last one so that none of the bikes can be removed. Well not without a saw, some tools and time, or a lot of noise.

The other thing I like about the small clamps is that it will hold many different types of frames. For example, I can clamp in my Santa Cruz Heckler, even though the top tube is bent and the shock connects to the top tube.

Overall, I would say I have seen other racks that are faster to load, such as some of the tire mount racks, and have also seen what looks to be higher quality racks, but for flexibility, price and security, the Swagman rack works well.

tlg said:
Anyone ever use a Swagman with these style clamps? How good are they?

Image
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#38 ·
Kansasflatlander said:
I have used this four bike Swagman Extreme XP for the past three years and it works great. I bought it for two reasons, security and flexibility to hold different types of frames.

As far as security, I have a lock for the hitch that secures the rack, then another locking knob that clamps down the outer most bike carrier. So, I can load up all four bikes, then lock down the last one so that none of the bikes can be removed. Well not without a saw, some tools and time, or a lot of noise.

The other thing I like about the small clamps is that it will hold many different types of frames. For example, I can clamp in my Santa Cruz Heckler, even though the top tube is bent and the shock connects to the top tube.

Overall, I would say I have seen other racks that are faster to load, such as some of the tire mount racks, and have also seen what looks to be higher quality racks, but for flexibility, price and security, the Swagman rack works well.
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Great thanks.
I already ordered it, so I'm using it no matter what. Security wasn't much of my concern as my hitch pin is locked and I can always cable lock the bikes. My biggest concern is how secure are the clamps? Being a single clamp, as opposed to a 2 arm design, do they ever spin or move?
 
Discussion starter · #39 ·
got my swagman xc 4 bike rack, its a little different than yours fm. i absolutely love it, its stronger than it looks, held 4 bikes no problem. i will post an in depth review and pics as soon as i can. everyone was stopping me and asking questions while i was driving around with it, one guy was like damn you turned your 2005 chrysler 300 in to an suv with all those bikes!:) happy easter to everyone....
 
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