Interior bike rack in a 2003 Toyota 4Runner

Try:

They seem to have a decent selection ofracks for inside and out. I've never bought from them, just websurfed tothem. Thule used to make an interior mount rack for vans and SUV's. Seems to be discontinued...

Most of the interior racks require rear seat removal (or folding them away.) If I were putting two mountain bikes inside my 96 4Runner, I'd leave the seats up, remove the front wheels from both bikes, and put them in laying down with a thick blanket between them or standing up, whichever way they fit best. I can foresee problems with the pedals/cranks getting tangled without a blanket between them. I really have no way to remove or fold my seats down, unless we removed the kids first

Word of warning though, if you have to drill through anything to install something like that, you'll likely void some sort of warranty on your vehicle. In other words, seal your holes well with a weather proofing material so you don't get rust prematurely.

Personally, I would not want my bikes inside, for numerous reasons (space being one of them.) I would recommend a hitch mounted rack, even if you don't need a hitch for towing. It keeps the bikes low, so you can still go through drive up windows, and does not risk your paint job or denting your body the way temporary trunk-mount racks do. Rear visibility is not really affected much. It is also easier to use, making packing and unpacking for rides quicker, as there's no wheel removal or need to adjust the bike smaller. I see only two drawbacks... One is accessing the rear cargo area, which is easy to work around by lowering the back glass (I have no idea if the 03 models do that) or reaching in from the back seat. The other is the possibility of theft with the bikes on an external rack. If that's a worry, there are locking devices around. I wouldn't worry too much about the bikes being outside if they're locked, because any thief who wants them bad enough will take them no matter what you do. Dee

4Rnr inside is not really conducive to interior bike rack -- Honda Element or the Nissan Xterra are more designed for that. Why not one that fits in the rear hitch receiver? -- I've seen some that actually fold down so you still can open the hatch. I think putting on roof is pain getting them up there plus it raises your center of gravity -- and we all know the results of that on an SUV.

-- rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see

Please read the charter before posting:

Hmmm, make your own and use the cargo tie downs in the rear deck to hold it in place?

Since you'll have to take the front wheel off no matter what, might as well save some money and just put them in the cargo area sideways up against the seats.

I simply made a cheesy base out of scrap 2x4s then attached fork lock downs to it. The Yakima fork locks cost about $20 each. You can buy an interior rack, my parents have one they use in their minivan. I don't recall who makes it, but it was ordered through a CarQuest store. You would need to check the spacing and posistion of the lock downs on something like that to make sure it would work in your vehicle.

My rack doesn't look the greatest but few people ever see it. My parent's rack has straps on it that go out the back under the hatch and can attach to a hitch or something underneath. I should do something like that or use the cargo hold downs for mine. It's stable enough, but the bikes could be dangerous in an accident.

I see no reason why they wouldn't fit in a 2003 4Runner. I have a

2000 4Runner which I believe is smaller and 2 bikes fit just fine, with plenty of room left over for cargo.

-- rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see

Please read the charter before posting:

One of the nice features of using a manufactured base for your fork locks vs. a handy 2 X 4 is the manufactured product often is designed so the fork locks can be easily slid to position them on the base as needed.

Chris Neary snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

-- rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see

Please read the charter before posting: