Hey all, i'm trying to figure out a solution to carry two adult and two kids bikes on the back of my 2012 Prius. Been searching through the forum but wanted to get a more up to date opinion. Was thinking of installing the 1 1/4 inch Curt Hitch along with a 2inch adapter and something like the Swagman XP 4 Bike rack. I think towing this many bikes could be a little frightening to me at first and I worry about the hitch carrying this much weight. Anyone have experience with a similar setup?
Yep... I used that same hitch to haul my 250 pound wood chipper on 2000 Mile road trip. I was at max weight, maybe even a little over for hitch & I built custom mount to minimize weight, leverage & movement. Everything was great until SF Bay area where you have to get up to 70mph just to merge in congested traffic and I hit a patch of really bouncy slumps in the freeway at that speed& I cringed knowing it was more than setup could handle. I lucked out though. Only bent the hitch down 1/4 inch or so... So yes your configuration will work but modifying / reducing overall leverage would help and just don't drive in insane road conditions like traffic that travels on worn out roads at 70mph in SF Bay Area.
I went with the eco hitch since it’s 2” and then the cheapest 2” 4 bike rack on amazon, Allen sports or something, I’ve used it for thousands of miles and it has been great. I will say that depending on the size/shape of the kids bikes they can be more challenging to secure than the adult ones, but I’ve done 2 adult and 2 kids without issue.
