Tweet
So after 8 years of transporting my bike on a roof rack, I forgot about it and pulled into the garage.
This sucked, the one bike carrier folded and went through the back window, the bike is fine, the cross bars look okay, I have yet to give them a closer look.
I got the car fixed up, went with a black roof instead of the Gray. I had them tint the rear window before it was installed.
I started looking into the options of rook rack vs Hitch carrier.
The downsides to the rook rack
- Muddy Bike dripping on the car.
- Bike arrives coved in Bugs.
- Car is slower.
- My wife has a hard time getting the bike up there.
- The roof rack is too noisy to have the sunroof open on the highway.
But you always have the roof rack with the car ready to go.
Then I started looking into Hitches, but the "Hidden Hitches" don't clear the GLI rear valence and drilling into the thin tin in the spare tire well seems flimsy.
Then I saw how the Bosal and Westfalia hitches(towbars) mount and fit and how the car was designed to accept a hitch.
Even our tool tray's in the spare tire has the provision for the removable European receiver.
Mounting Holes
There is a notch where the hitch slides in
But to buy a hitch, it would com in close to $500 and still require rework to use one of our receiver styles.
I decided to get some steel and make my own.
Rubber grommet is for the trailer wiring to come through.
I used 7/16" bolts with 2x2x1/4 Flatbar drilled.
Finish Welded
Finished in Black Endura
The design intent was only to carry a bike carrier, nothing more. The 105hp car can only handle so much. I have dimensions and drawings if anyone wants the info to build their own. I based the design and capacity's on this Hitch.
This sucked, the one bike carrier folded and went through the back window, the bike is fine, the cross bars look okay, I have yet to give them a closer look.
I got the car fixed up, went with a black roof instead of the Gray. I had them tint the rear window before it was installed.
I started looking into the options of rook rack vs Hitch carrier.
The downsides to the rook rack
- Muddy Bike dripping on the car.
- Bike arrives coved in Bugs.
- Car is slower.
- My wife has a hard time getting the bike up there.
- The roof rack is too noisy to have the sunroof open on the highway.
But you always have the roof rack with the car ready to go.
Then I started looking into Hitches, but the "Hidden Hitches" don't clear the GLI rear valence and drilling into the thin tin in the spare tire well seems flimsy.
Then I saw how the Bosal and Westfalia hitches(towbars) mount and fit and how the car was designed to accept a hitch.
Even our tool tray's in the spare tire has the provision for the removable European receiver.
Mounting Holes
There is a notch where the hitch slides in
But to buy a hitch, it would com in close to $500 and still require rework to use one of our receiver styles.
I decided to get some steel and make my own.
Rubber grommet is for the trailer wiring to come through.
I used 7/16" bolts with 2x2x1/4 Flatbar drilled.
Finish Welded
Finished in Black Endura
The design intent was only to carry a bike carrier, nothing more. The 105hp car can only handle so much. I have dimensions and drawings if anyone wants the info to build their own. I based the design and capacity's on this Hitch.
If it's smoken it ain't broken
Comment