Bike Rack Hitch Mount 5th Gen 4Runner, Swagman XC Cross-Country

Bike Rack Mount 5th Gen 4Runner (2-Bike Hitch Mount)

Bike Rack for 5th Gen 4Runner – Swagman XC Cross-Country Rack (Made for both 1/1/4 and 2-Inch Receivers

One of the great aspects having a 5th Gen 4Runner is the ability to go on adventures and enjoy the great outdoors. Something that I really enjoy doing is mountain biking. Mountain biking gives me a good workout but it is also something that gives me a lot of peace and takes my mind off outside things in life.

The 4Runner can lead me to some great destinations, but sometimes there is some terrain that I like to cover on a mountain bike. The only problem is transporting my mountain bikes to my desired location.

Fortunately, I found a cheap and effective solution to carrying up to two (2) mountain bikes or road bikes on your 4Runner.

Swagman XC Cross-Country 2-Bike Hitch Mount Rack

Swagman makes many different solutions for mounting bikes on your vehicle and after a significant amount of research, I found the Swagman XC Cross-Country. This rack fits into the receiver hitch of your 5th Gen 4Runner and carries up to two (2) mountain bikes or any other type of bike.

The great aspect of this rack is that it secures your bike(s) so they are not swinging, unlike other bike racks for the 4Runner. I have even taken this bike rack off road with no concern.

This rack works exceptionally well in being able to secure your bikes and keep them in place, even over rough terrain. I have two XL mountain bikes and the Swagman carries them flawlessly.

Swagman Rack and Gear

The Swagman: Check Today’s Price
Softride SoftWraps: Check Price
Hitch Pin and Cable: Check Price

How to Use the Swagman XC Cross-Country on a 5th Gen 4Runner

Operation of the Swagman is pretty straightforward and simple. When you get the rack it will be ready to fit a 1 ½ inch receiver hitch. The bad news is that the 5th Gen 4Runner utilizes a 2-inch receiver hitch, but the good news is Swagman includes a solid adapter so that it will fit in a 2-inch receiver hitch. All you have to do is place the adapter on the male end of the rack and tighten it down.

After putting on the adapter you can slide the rack into the receiver hitch until the holes on the male end of the rack align with the holes in your receiver hitch.

Swagman includes a bolt which works really well at securing the rack in place without any play. In fact, I don’t think there is any movement in the rack once you tighten the ¾ inch bolt into the receiver hitch. If you are wondering how the bolt tightens, it works off of the threads on the Swagman bike rack.

As always, safety is best so throw a pin on the end of the bolt just in case the bolt should come loose (although I have never had an issue with a loose bolt).

How to Mount your Bikes

Mounting bikes on the Swagman is pretty simple. There are four oval hoops that you can adjust to place the tires of your bike in. If you are only carrying one bike you can just utilize two of the hoops. You need to use the hand screws to loosen the hoops so you can adjust them to fit your specific bike.

Each bike is a little different in size so the hoops can adjust to fit the wheelbase of your bike. After sizing the hoops to the appropriate distance from one another to accommodate your bike(s), you need to tighten the hand screws securely so the hoops do not move.

One tip is that you should always size your primary bike to fit on the hoops closest to your vehicle. The reason is due to weight distribution. If you happen to only bring one bike, having the bike located closer to your vehicle puts a lot less stress on the Swagman bike rack.

Also be sure to align the bikes so that the handlebars and other components of the bikes do not conflict with one another. This might take a little time to find the proper alignment but can be done without much hassle.

After adjusting your hoops, you can go ahead and place your bikes on the rack and secure them. To do so, you need to have the hooks moved to the top on the ratchet system. After placing the bikes on the rack, push the ratchet hooks down onto the bike. You want to make sure it is pushed down tight and secure.

If you are wanting to add a little extra security to your bike you can throw on a cable bike lock and secure your bike to the hoops on your 5th Gen 4Runner’s receiver hitch.

Swagman XC Cross-Country Overall Review

As a whole, the Swagman XC Cross-Country 2-Bike Hitch Mount Rack is an excellent buy and has served me well for over a year now. I think it is a great investment to help keep your bikes secure when traveling from place to place.

I really like how the bikes do not move around on the Swagman and the bikes stay nice and still. Another nice aspect to the Swagman is how easy it is to store away, put on, and take off from your 5th Gen 4Runner.

If you are looking for a good bike rack that can hold up to two bikes, I’d look no further than the Swagman XC Cross-Country 2-Bike Hitch Mount Rack.