[GotMojo?]

What are your thoughts? And how do you carry the bike? I'm thinking a hitch mount bike rack would do the trick.

I'm considering an '05 Wrangler Ulimited. I know the gas mileage sucks, but I drive less than 10K a year. I'd like to finally get a vehicle with some off-road capability and I really like these Wranglers.

 

[LJ0913]

Thule Tire Mount....

I have the Thule Tire mount rack. Works very well. It holds two bikes, but I've had three on there a few times with no problems. My buddy has a hitch mount never heard him complain about it.

What are your thoughts? And how do you carry the bike? I'm thinking a hitch mount bike rack would do the trick.

I'm considering an '05 Wrangler Ulimited. I know the gas mileage sucks, but I drive less than 10K a year. I'd like to finally get a vehicle with some off-road capability and I really like these Wranglers.

 

[Locust]

Hitch rack

I had two kind of racks for my Wrangler. The first was a Yakima that held onto the top tube, which was nice cause you could pull a pin near the hitch and pivot the rack down and out of the way so you could open the door. The second was Performance model that consisted of the two channels and held the bikes with a forkmount and a strap on the rear tire. It was a more secure mount, especially for my Enduro, but I could only open the rear gate about 8 inches. They make some that pivot to the side, but watch the toungue weight on your receiver, somewhere I read where you shouldn't put more than two bikes on the back because of tongue weght. They where probably thinking of Hell-mart bike though. The Unlimited does have a higher weight limit. I'd have to say if you have a top tube those spare tire mounts would work very well.
I miss my Jeep, traded in for an 05 Taco.but nobody waves to me anymore.

 

[LJ0913]

Funny......

"I miss my Jeep, traded in for an 05 Taco.but nobody waves to me anymore."

I traded in my 02 Taco for my Jeep! I miss my Taco, but not practical when you live/work in San Francisco! Parking it was a nightmare. Now I zoom around in the Jeep.

 

[ScottW]

What are your thoughts? And how do you carry the bike? I'm thinking a hitch mount bike rack would do the trick.

I'm considering an '05 Wrangler Ulimited. I know the gas mileage sucks, but I drive less than 10K a year. I'd like to finally get a vehicle with some off-road capability and I really like these Wranglers.

I built a hitch mount bike hauler for my Jeep. Got a cargo carry rack from Cablea's and mounted fork mounts to either end. Front wheel holders fit in between the bikes. Could carry 2 bikes very securely and can be built for about $100. Only drawback is it does prevent opening the rear hatch when bikes are loaded.

 

[Bulldozer]

Wranglers aren't for everybody. They're loud, rough (compared to 99% of new cars) and about as aerodynamic as two bricks stacked on top of each other. The highway gas mileage on a windy day can rival a truck with a V10. On the other hand, they're fun to drive, have plenty of power (with I6), can be accessorized beyond belief and are easy to work on yourself. As a bike hauler, you can haul 4 bikes without a problem but finding room for four passengers and their gear would be much harder.

 

[impdude]

Go for it!

Great bike hauler, campin vehicle. Awesome off road.

 

[Krabill]

I've got a Jeep Cherokee and just toss my bike in the back. One of my riding buddies drives a Wrangler and took his back seat out so he can just toss his bike in the back of it just like I do in my Cherokee.

 

[Dex]

I use the Allen Spare Tire rack on my 2001 Sahara. Works great and hauls 3 bikes.

 

[zenorb]

The tire rack will allow you to open the back without taking the bike off. That is a massive advantage.

 

[MrXC]

I just ordered a Saris hitch rack to replace my aging Rhode Gear spare tire model for my 95 Wrangler. I still have to buy a hitch receiver however, as the class 2 my GF picked up for me as a present won't fit properly (we knew it may not when we bought it, but the price was right and it was returnable. I might just buy a bumper with a receiver from Quadratec.

I like the simplicity of the spare tire mount, but the bolt on variety is getting increasingly rare and they don't work with all frames - particularly FS frames with unconventional front triangles. In addition, they all support the bike by the top tube, which allows them to sway a bit and rub against each other. Why somebody doesn't make a spare tire mount that retains the bike like a roof mount tray or many of the hitch mounts is beyond me.

Back to its bike hauler qualities - its absolutely great for back country campsites, but the ride home from endurance races can be a bit taxing. Also the standard size really doesn't have much cargo room, but if you go with the Unlimited (which would be my choice if buying again) that problem should be solved.

 

[Brandon]

What are your thoughts? And how do you carry the bike? I'm thinking a hitch mount bike rack would do the trick.

I'm considering an '05 Wrangler Ulimited. I know the gas mileage sucks, but I drive less than 10K a year. I'd like to finally get a vehicle with some off-road capability and I really like these Wranglers.

Jeeps are great off-road vehicles but I wouldn't buy a truck to carry bikes that required extra hardware before you could even haul a bike around. If you really want hardcode off-road capability go with the jeep, if you want utility and basic off-road get a pickup (and you might actually get better mileage).

 

[Gaffney10]

I have a 1997 wrangler and I use a hitch mounted rack from Yakima. Works great and can hold 4 bikes. Also bought the lock system...

 

[Dex]

Here's a poor image (phone cam) of my Jeep and the spare tire rack hauling 3 bikes.

 

[aliensporebomb]

Yep....

My buddy Todd has a Wrangler and uses the Saris Batrack system.

Pics:
http://pod.ath.cx/bikedecide/mountain/bottoms2004/Bloomington River Bottoms 2004-Pages/Image0.html

And:
http://pod.ath.cx/bikedecide/mountain/bottoms2004/Bloomington River Bottoms 2004-Pages/Image1.html

Or if you just want to see a bunch of ride reports:
http://pod.ath.cx/bikedecide/bikedecide-Pages/Image0.html

 

[brrrrp]

Having ridden and driven on both coasts both times using jeeps (Wrangler and Cherokee) with a hitch mounted rack to take my bikes around. My buddy had a Yakima tire mounted rack on his jeep but it swayed too much and even managed to eject his bike at 35mph! Though, I think it was human error I just cant trust them since. That's why I use a Swagman 3 bike hitch mount with an anti-sway bolt so that puppy aint going nowhere!

 

[TexasMTBr]

Yep

I have two racks, one hitch mounted and one spare wheel mounted. I use one or the other depending on which bike I'm haulin'. Pictured below is the hitch mounted.

I love my Jeep and will never get rid of it! Ever! Just can't wait until it's paid for so I can start wh0ring her out.

 

[applegreenheckler]

My buddy has a sportworks rack on his

 

[dlbennett]

I have one and love it!

Mine is an 04 Wrangler Rubicon.
I use the Mopar spare tire mount bike rack and it holds 2 bikes no problem. I also removed the rear seat and installed a Tuffy rear storage box that has 2 doors and it locks. This way I can secure gear and not worry about it too much, even with the top off.
The gas mileage is about 15-18 mpg. That is not good but it is a very capable vehicle. Without the rear seat the vehicle sits 2 with plenty of room for gear. The Unlimited is also very cool and has a lot more room.
As for the noise, it is not bad at all. Also with the 7 speaker stereo with subwoofer... the tunes rock!

This is my second Jeep Wrangler. My 1st one was an 04 softtop model. I like the Rubicon a lot more since it is a little higher and with larger valume tires so it makes the ride nice.

Another plus for me is that the vehicle is so small you can fit it into any parking spot and you can go anywhere off road.
D

 

[Stick]

Great bike hauler, campin vehicle. Awesome off road.

What kind of rack do you have on your spare tire? Brand? Model?