LR3 with Factory Expedition Rack - Bike Mount Solution

[amclennan]

First time poster. I've been a long time lurker and now I think I have something worth contributing.

I have a 2006 LR3 with the Factory Expedition Rack and I have been looking for a bike rack solution for 2 1/2 years. I didn't want to buy a trailer hitch solution and I was not able to create custom solution that was safe. Finally, Yamika for 2009 has a solution called the Forklift (Model #02098, page 17 in the 2009 catalog, $139.00). The Forklift has a wide bracket that fits the cross-rails of the expedition rack perfectly. The entire assembly fits inside the expedition rack and does not go above the existing rails when a bike is not mounted.



Cheers

Andy

 

[goinsurfin]

That sounds pretty slick. Do you have any photos with your bikes up there? I dont have the expedition roof rack but have used Yakima for over 15 yrs. I never found the hitch mount to be a good idea b/c you cannot access the cargo area with bikes mounted. It makes sense to travel with bikes on top.

 

[BldrRover]

Rockymounts in Boulder has a solution that I have been using as well. I think it comes to $79.00 all in...

 

[amclennan]

Pictures and Comments

Attached is a couple of pictures. Let me know if you need more.

A couple of comments. The first suggestion is that if you are mounting the fork-front facing forward, you will need to mount on the second crossbar as it will interfere with the sunroof opening. I have an XL sized mountain bike so the rear tire hits the upper cross rail. It's tight but it works. You may have the same type of problem with a road bike or casual/commuter bike. One solution would be turn the whole assembly around and mount it backwards. I will probably do that for a second bike. One other suggestion would be to mount the bike rack on the passenger side (I haven't done that yet) so that you can use the curb as extra height to get the bike up and down.

You will notice that I'm using and extra Thule bar to mount the front tire carrier also.

The whole thing is very solid and stable, just working on perfecting it a little at this point.

Cheers

Andy

 

[kwlr3]

Any Thule product that fits their "Rabid Load Bars" will also fit on the Expedition Rack. The common element is the slot on each cross bar. I carry four 599xtr Big Mouth carriers,two facing forward and two aft. The only hard part is the heavy lifting. Kayak and canoe carriers will also work if your boat has enough rocker to clear the front and rear cross bars. I don't think you could get a canoe to work because of the flat bottom but two kayaks on their sides will fit with no problem.