Cycle Carriers For Rav 4

[richard g]

we have a Rav 4 2001 5 door & would be interested to hear if anyone has any info or experience of using a spare wheel mounted cycle carrier on the Rav 4.

I have purchased one but it all looks a bit dangerous!!

Is the rear door & spare wheel mounting capable of taking the weight & will it need a light board because the rear end of the car looks a bit illegal.

any comments very much appreciated.

thanks

[umpolung]

Not that this will help, but I ended up purchasing a Class 2 (I think) hitch and a 4-bike rack after looking at the various wheel well models (very few) and other SUV racks that do not accomodate the spare tire. I'll be going with the swing-away type rack that allows (easier) access to the trunk. If you shop around, you can find a hitch for a reasonable price. As for the door taking the weight, unless you've got steel frames, it should do ok--although Toyota sells the hitch-type rack.

p.s., the rack arrives Wednesday; I can post my experience with its installation then.