THULE 3-Bike Carrier and Class 1 Hitch regrets.

[CDub125]

I have one regret... The Class 1 hitch. Didn't know much about hitches when I had Mazda put it on, but now that I'm shopping for a trailer and a bike carrier, I feel like a fool. With a family of 3 I thought an appropriate carrier, the THULE Helium Aero 3 to be exact would be perfect. Fine print says 2 bikes max on a Class 1 Hitch, but the stinger fits the 1 1/4 opening. It says this even though the bikes and carrier would come in well below 200 lbs.

This is common across the board except for SARIS which allows it, but I don't like their quality as much. I hope the dirt bike trailer is even a possibility, may have to cut bait and go Class 2... (pissed)

Any thoughts wise ones?

 

[txken]

I'd say cut your losses, go with the class 2, sell the class 1 on craigslist/ebay, unless you keep the c1 and stuff the 3rd bike in the cargo area.

For me, I'd be installing the Curt Class 3, 13127 is the part number along with the Kuat NV rack.

 

[plemieux]

grab the mazda roof rails and rack then buy the thule bike mounts. thats 2 bikes on the hitch carrier and 2 more on the roof. cx5 looks great with roof racks.

 

[MazdaDriverNJ]

I hate to say but I'd second biting the bullet and getting class 2 or 3 hitch. That's my 2 cents, since you asked
I've been looking at hitches (and bike carriers, too) for the last 2 months and my eyes are sore! But I would definitely install a hitch class 2 minimum. My plan is to carry 2 bikes only, even though I am thinking of getting a 3-bike carrier just in case. Maybe not Thule - maybe Allen.. If anyone else has a good recommendation for a hitch/bike rack that is $ reasonable, please share.

 

[paris1]

I hate to say but I'd second biting the bullet and getting class 2 or 3 hitch. That's my 2 cents, since you asked
I've been looking at hitches (and bike carriers, too) for the last 2 months and my eyes are sore! But I would definitely install a hitch class 2 minimum. My plan is to carry 2 bikes only, even though I am thinking of getting a 3-bike carrier just in case. Maybe not Thule - maybe Allen.. If anyone else has a good recommendation for a hitch/bike rack that is $ reasonable, please share.

I believe I was the one who recommended the Allen to you when you began your search. You're wise to get the 3 bike carrier (that's what I got even tho I only carry 2 bikes) for a couple of reasons. 1) That way you don't have to crowd your bikes onto the rack and lessen the chance of them getting beat up in transit. 2) If you do turn up a stray friend who wants to tag along, you will have room for the third bike. The only difference is the carrier tubes are a few inches longer, which is hardly a downside. As for the hitch, I've got the Class II Curt sitting on my workbench awaiting installation this weekend (need the wife at home to help hold it up while I thread the bolts!) I see absolutely no reason to go to a Class III since you are limited to Class II tongue and tow capacities by the vehicle, not the size of the hitch. Besides, both versions are the same with the exception of the receiver assembly and they're built like the proverbial battleship! Save your money and the get the $134 Class II from Sarasota Trailer Supply (through Amazon) complete with tongue (in case you ever want to tow a small trailer). It's the same price with or without it!

 

[CDub125]

Great advice gang, I may go to class 2 after all. Question: I now have a bumper notch, is there a class 2 out there with the same bumper notch hugging characteristics of Mazda's Class 1??

Ah the fun... I too have been researching bike carriers and trailers for months!

 

[MazdaDriverNJ]

I believe I was the one who recommended the Allen to you when you began your search. ....

Thanks paris1, I believe you are correct! And I've been keeping the Allen bike carrier you suggested in my amazon shopping cart since then, but haven't clicked the 'buy' button just because I haven't finalized the hitch yet. I got a quote from U-Haul and it was about $200 for the 1 1/4 hitch and install. If I get a hitch separately I am not sure I can install it myself - even though I am quite handy. And going somewhere paying for the labor only - to me sounds like a recipe for being overcharged. Hence my hesitation with the hitch.

Great advice - thank you!

 

[Bopper]

Obviously for towing a trailer the Class I may be a problem. I find it hard to believe that bumping from 2 to a 3 bike setup would cause a problem for the hitch. I think I would take my chances on the 3 bike rack in this instance, but towing a trailer would be a no-go for me.
I have the Curt class II in my garage awaiting install. I will use it mostly for a storage platform. I considered the Class III, just so I did not need an additional 1.25/2" adapter because my platform is a 2". If I remember correctly the Curt Class III weighed approx 20lbs more then the Class II. I didn't want to carry around the extra weight forever just for my limited application. Another benefit of using the adapter, is that the platform will sit about 6" further from the bumber possibly allowing the hatch to clear items sitting on the platform. Using the adapter will have an impact on tongue weight load, but I rarely pack even 100 lbs on there.
I also have a 15 year old Performance 3 bike hitch piece, and having the extra room for a friend or two is a great idea.

 

[iracemine]

3 walmart bikes do not weigh the same as 3 treks.

thule plans for the worse case scenario.

Do not tow with a class 1. If you must, tow under 45mph and just like a few miles at most.

 

[CXFive]

If I remember correctly the Curt Class III weighed approx 20lbs more then the Class II. I didn't want to carry around the extra weight forever just for my limited application.

The class 3 Curt hitch weighs 32 lbs. Maybe the class 2 hitch weighs just 2-5 lbs less.

 

[CDub125]

3 walmart bikes do not weigh the same as 3 treks.

thule plans for the worse case scenario.

Do not tow with a class 1. If you must, tow under 45mph and just like a few miles at most.

Eesh... This is getting uglier by the minute, I'll definitely have to make the class 2 switch, gotta tow 3 dirtbikes.
Our bicycles are pretty light, I have an aluminum Cannondale, my wife has a 25 lb K2 and my daughter has a small K2 mountain bike. We'll be okay as is, but the towing thing is a killer.

Thanks much!

 

[Bopper]

The class 3 Curt hitch weighs 32 lbs. Maybe the class 2 hitch weighs just 2-5 lbs less.

If your going to spend the time correcting me, at least get it right.
Curt Class II Weighs 26.1 Lbs
Curt Class III Weighs 39.55 Lbs

 

[paris1]

If your going to spend the time correcting me, at least get it right.
Curt Class II Weighs 26.1 Lbs
Curt Class III Weighs 39.55 Lbs

OK boys, here comes the spoiler. Just weighed my Class II and it comes in at 31.4#. So nobody's right here; not even Curt. Looking at the pics on Curt's web site, there appear to be one or two minor differences in design of the two, but I gotta tell you it's hard to believe the Class III is any beefier than the Class II, based on the boat anchor sitting on my workbench!

 

[CDub125]

Anybody worried about voiding a warranty when Mazda sees your "beyond tow/tongue rated" hitch on there at the shop?
That's one of my concerns. Did some math and I'll be within spec on both the trailer and the carrier. Didn't know some Class 1's are rated to just 100 lbs or 150 lbs tongue, I'd say the stock Mazda seems to be on the strong side of the Class 1 rating.

 

[CXFive]

OK boys, here comes the spoiler. Just weighed my Class II and it comes in at 31.4#. So nobody's right here; not even Curt. Looking at the pics on Curt's web site, there appear to be one or two minor differences in design of the two, but I gotta tell you it's hard to believe the Class III is any beefier than the Class II, based on the boat anchor sitting on my workbench!

Thank you for the information. The weight difference of more or less 10 lbs is more realistic. The 20 lbs difference as per Bopper's estimate is just way too much in my opinion. When I get the curt class 3 hitch, I will weigh it before I install it. I will also post it here

 

[Jonesey]

FWIW - I installed the Curt Class II Hitch and I use a Thule 4 bike carrier with no problems.

I also pull a 2000 lb (max - I don't actually pull that much) utility trailer using this Class II hitch

 

[CCR76]

Do not tow with a class 1. If you must, tow under 45mph and just like a few miles at most.

Come on now, it's not that bad. Mazda states in the literature that comes with factory hitch a maximum trailer weight of 1,500 lbs and maximum tongue weight of 200 lbs., and also that it is designed to safely tow up to the limits stated in the owners manual. The owners manual states the CX5's maximum TTW is 2,000 lbs. TTW is the total load including trailer, hitch, passengers, and cargo. In those ratings the owners manual makes no distinction between classes of hitch, so even if you managed to bolt a fifth wheel saddle back there it would not change Mazda's TTW recommendation. Owner's manual and hitch literature make no mention about speed limits when towing.

The factory hitch attaches directly to the frame, to points that were engineered for that specific purpose. It weighs 53 pounds; I think Mazda rating of it as Class 1 is conservative; I suspect it is just as heavily built as the Curt class 2.

In practice I would not hesitate to pull a 1500 lb trailer with a tongue weight up to 150 lbs; above those I would be concerned about the vehicle's overall ability to handle the weight--brakes, frame, suspension, drive train, wheelbase--more than the ability of the hitch to handle it.

You might have guessed that I have the factory hitch with no regrets. I like that it tucks up as high as possible, improving rear ground clearance over aftermarket receivers.

With that said, I would be less confident in any 1.25" hitch's ability to handle carriers. If you want to put a bike carrier back there or hang a big box off of it, then a 2" receiver makes more sense. Personally those accessories bother me, seeing them hanging off the back of vehicles looks 'wrong' to me, seems like an awfully big lever to put on any drawbar that was engineered for straight-line load bearing. But that's just me. Interestingly, Curt recommends a stabilizing strap for their bike carriers, which attaches the top of the carrier to a point near the roof such as the top of the hatch. Those make sense to me. With one of those I would feel ok about hanging bikes off a 1.25" receiver.

Cheers

 

[CXFive]

OK boys, here comes the spoiler. Just weighed my Class II and it comes in at 31.4#. So nobody's right here; not even Curt. Looking at the pics on Curt's web site, there appear to be one or two minor differences in design of the two, but I gotta tell you it's hard to believe the Class III is any beefier than the Class II, based on the boat anchor sitting on my workbench!

Just got my curt class 3 hitch and it weighs 35.5 lbs including the harwares. So the weight difference between the class 2 vs class 3 is about 5 lbs as I predicted. Thanks Paris for posting your class 2 weight.

 

[MazdaDriverNJ]

I installed my Curt class 2 hitch last weekend and assembled the Allen bike rack. Now can we get some warm weather please??

 

[CXFive]

I installed my Curt class 2 hitch last weekend and assembled the Allen bike rack. Now can we get some warm weather please??

Can't wait for warmer weather too so me and my buddies can hit the DNR, 6 mile etc.. and the roads too.