Anyone got experience in either of these?
Would be using with our 1-Up rack on a pickup.
Would be using with our 1-Up rack on a pickup.
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Yakima Backswing or Kuat Pivot swing away?
- Thread starter 6thElement
- Start date
I don't have the pivot, but it looks like it's virtually identical to the NV 2.0 base, which I do have. That's been a great rack- very easy to use and install. Would recommend it highly.
can't offer any first hand experience, but LW has a review on the NV2, with a reference to the pivot add on
http://theloamwolf.com/2018/11/04/review-kuat-nv-2-0-rack/
http://theloamwolf.com/2018/11/04/review-kuat-nv-2-0-rack/
I would love a pivot for my rack, someday.
Curious, why not the 1up version?
No reason, had forgotten it. But it does look like it lowers ground clearance, similar to the Kuat...
https://www.yakima.com/backswing
http://www.kuatracks.com/products/hitch/pivot/
https://www.1up-usa.com/product/rakattach/
https://www.yakima.com/backswing
http://www.kuatracks.com/products/hitch/pivot/
https://www.1up-usa.com/product/rakattach/
I've got the Kuat Pivot with a 1Up on my Sprinter. It's a nice addition, super convenient for getting into the back of the van (with or without bikes on the rack). Only negative (aside from weight) is that it definitely decreases ground clearance. It needs to sit low enough to clear the van doors, which ends up being pretty low. I get a lot more ground contact with the pivot in place entering and exiting driveways and parking lots, crossing water bars, etc. Not sure how much of an issue that would be with a pickup. I have no experience with the Yak version.
Stupid me, what am I missing about the drop in clearance? Rack is bolting in higher than before isn't it?
Look at the design of the Kuat/Rak, they appear to have crossmembers which are lower than the normal vehicle hitch. Not much and the rack would likely catch anything first, but still worth considering.
Yakima appears to put everything higher than the vehicle hitch, plus is about 10lb lighter than the others.
Take another look at the Kuat Pivot and you should see what I mean. The lower bar sits lower than the hitch mount and in particular, the big bolt on which the whole thing pivots sticks down pretty low. (Without one of these, your hitch is usually the lowest thing back there.) They do it like that so you can open van doors, rear hatches, etc., without swinging the rack out of the way. Might not be an issue on a pickup.
http://www.kuatracks.com/products/hitch/pivot/
Edit: Sniped!
http://www.kuatracks.com/products/hitch/pivot/
Edit: Sniped!
I tried both the Kuat and the Yakima. I tried the Kuat first because a friend had it and seemed to like it. But it didn't fit on my van (which has a custom bumper and the hitch is probably mounted a little further towards the front of the vehicle vs the bumper than most). It would hit the bumper before the mount holes would line up in the hitch mount. I'd guess that for most "normal" vehicles this would be an advantage as it means that it's not extending the rack as far away from the hitch vs. other designs.
I returned it and swapped for the Yakima. I had checked the docs thoroughly for the measurements first this time (which I highly recommend doing before buying anything!) and knew it should fit, but this time there was yet another problem. The actual clearance between the folding mechanism and the bumper was fine, as the measurements indicated. However, they have a locking mechanism that keeps the thing from closing when it's opened, and that thing sticks out towards the bumper. In the end we had to take the sawsall to it and remove a chunk. Now it doesn't latch open but it otherwise works fine.
Some notes:
- The Yakima is a LOT lighter than the Kuat, maybe an issue if you're taking it on/off or swapping between vehicles.
- My buddy with the Kuat had some complaints about it after using it for a while, mainly that sometimes the main latch works loose sometimes just driving over bumpy terrain. This isn't an issue with the Yakima because the design puts the latch handle horizontal when closed, rather than vertical like the Kuat.
- The Yakima has a screw that acts as an anti-rattle device for the mounted rack. I use an additional hitch stabilizer I picked up on Amazon for the mounted rack, and for the main Yakima-to-receiver connection, I use a Hitch Vise, which is freakin' awesome. Basically zero motion back there.
Overall I like the Yakima. Works well and does the job. Obviously, it does make your rack stick out further than it would normally, in this case about a foot, so keep that in mind.
Before:
After (in the first pic, that hook-looking thing at the end of the part that folds at the bottom of the pic is the part I had to grind off; when it opens up, that part would normally curve towards the bumper and eventually slide under the latch, and halfway through that travel it would hit the bumper; note the latch itself is butted up directly on the bumper; zero extra clearance):
I returned it and swapped for the Yakima. I had checked the docs thoroughly for the measurements first this time (which I highly recommend doing before buying anything!) and knew it should fit, but this time there was yet another problem. The actual clearance between the folding mechanism and the bumper was fine, as the measurements indicated. However, they have a locking mechanism that keeps the thing from closing when it's opened, and that thing sticks out towards the bumper. In the end we had to take the sawsall to it and remove a chunk. Now it doesn't latch open but it otherwise works fine.
Some notes:
- The Yakima is a LOT lighter than the Kuat, maybe an issue if you're taking it on/off or swapping between vehicles.
- My buddy with the Kuat had some complaints about it after using it for a while, mainly that sometimes the main latch works loose sometimes just driving over bumpy terrain. This isn't an issue with the Yakima because the design puts the latch handle horizontal when closed, rather than vertical like the Kuat.
- The Yakima has a screw that acts as an anti-rattle device for the mounted rack. I use an additional hitch stabilizer I picked up on Amazon for the mounted rack, and for the main Yakima-to-receiver connection, I use a Hitch Vise, which is freakin' awesome. Basically zero motion back there.
Overall I like the Yakima. Works well and does the job. Obviously, it does make your rack stick out further than it would normally, in this case about a foot, so keep that in mind.
Before:
After (in the first pic, that hook-looking thing at the end of the part that folds at the bottom of the pic is the part I had to grind off; when it opens up, that part would normally curve towards the bumper and eventually slide under the latch, and halfway through that travel it would hit the bumper; note the latch itself is butted up directly on the bumper; zero extra clearance):
We picked up the Yakima too, just need the weather to improve for some riding to give it a test.
I probably just missed it, but did you get a slide-in camper for the pickup?
I want one, kind of.
Working on it...
Maybe I missed this, but can you use a Yakima swing away with a Kuat rack? Ie. Are these interchangeable?
The swingaways don't care what you're attaching to them, they're just a hitch that can move. The only consideration to them is that you don't overload them.
Thanks. I'm just wondering if The Industry™ got a hold of them yet. Ya know, new standards or some bs.