Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack for Vehicles with Rear Mounted Spare Tire (2-Inch Receiver) Review

I was very disappointed to find that this rack does not work with side hinged rear doors. It only works with hatch style rear doors. No where on the packaging or in the manual is this mentioned. I quickly put the rack together (very easy to do so) and was quite pleased at how solid it was. I then put it on my 2006 Hummer H3. So far, so good. Then, I went to test the mechanism that allows the rack to fold down so the rear door can be opened. I folded it down, but was stunned to find that my rear door only opened about 5 inches before hitting the bottom area of the rack (yes--even with the rack folded down). Surely, I thought, I must have installed it incorrectly. But, I hadn't. I then called Allen, and spoke to someone there who very readily admitted that the fold-down mechanism does not function well with side hinged rear doors. Oddly, he wouldn't admit that the rack is useless for such vehicles because "technically, the rack still works--you can put bikes on it". He suggested that I carry around a pair of 3/4 inch closed wrenches, and "simply take the rack completely off when the rear door needs to be accessed". I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't. Of course, this is not a viable solution. Oddly enough, the folks at Allen decided to use an image of a vehicle with a side hinged rear door on the box. You can actually just look at that picture and see that the rack would not work with that vehicle.

I would have given this product one star, but added a star to reflect its strength and the ease at of putting it together.

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Product Description:
Designed to fit most sedans, hatchbacks, minivans and SUV's, the Allen 640RR Deluxe 4-Bike Trunk Mount Rack for Vehicles with Rear Mounted Spare Tire offers an easy-to-use and versatile option for transporting bicycles while on the road. It features a patented tie-down system, which individually secures and protects each bicycle. Its 22-inch long carry arms can accommodate up to four bicycles and can be released with a single pop-up pin when not in use for easier storage. The rack's streamlined, single-configuration design eases installation and requires only minor assembly. It is finished with a rugged UV-resistant polyester powder coating, ensuring both durability and a sleek, attractive look.
Manufacturer's Warranty
Limited lifetime warranty
About Allen Bike Racks
In 1967, after a few years of working on the aerospace technology for the Apollo missions, Dick Allen was out of a job. Government cutbacks led Allen, a Harvard-trained physicist, to transform his garage hobby into a new industry. A cycling enthusiast, inventor, and family man, Allen had a personal need for a bike-carrying device. On weekends, he would take his sons and wife to Cape Cod or the White Mountains of New Hampshire. What proved difficult time and again was the transport of his family's bicycles. Rather than fight through inconvenience with twine and a dinged car, Allen sought an answer for himself as well as a market in which he foresaw major growth possibilities.
Always a pathfinder, Allen took to work in his Lincoln, Massachusetts garage in search of a more efficient way to transport bikes. Drafting designs during the day and constructing them throughout the night, he put together a model made of electrical conduit, metal strapping, and fire hose casings (for padding). At first, the Allens' tested the prototype on weekend excursions. Finding the first trunk-mounted rack to be a success, Dick started Allen Bike Racks. Dealer acceptance came quickly, and by 1971 Allen Bike Racks were sold nationally through a number of major bicycle distributors. Today, the company owns over three dozen patents and offers a versatile product line of bike racks while Dick's son Alex now owns and operates the business. What started out as a small garage run operation now operates three warehouses nationally, two factories abroad, and has products sold in more than a dozen countries around the world.


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