In the never-ending hunt for the perfect carry-everything-but-sacrifice-nothing solution for bringing more toys and gear on my trips, I’ve been testing the 1UP USA RakAttach hitch swing for almost a year.
During that time, it’s carried both standard and electric mountain bikes from NC to AZ and back in the spring, then NC to WI to WY to CO to NM and back in the fall, plus numerous little trips to the trails in between.
Both of those trips saw a lot of off-road exploration, including some very rocky, chunky, and technical terrain.
I equipped the RakAttach swing-out accessory with 1UP’s APS Main Panel, APS Side Panel, and APS Table. These provided additional MOLLE panel-style attachment points and a fold-up table for camping. I also used their SD (Super Duty) single-bike hitch rack to carry my bike for these trips, but have also used it with a Thule 2-bike rack when I needed to haul more bikes.
So, how did it hold up? Here’s what you need to know…
Specs, Weights & Details
The 1UP USA RakAttach is made only for 2″ hitch receivers and can be flipped to swing out in either direction. Actual weights are:
- RakAttach swing: 53.2 lbs
- Hardware: 2.6 lbs
- APS Main Panel: 16 lbs
- APS Side Panel: 3.4 lbs
- Step Grip: 0.6 lbs
- APS Table: 9.4 lbs
- TOTAL: 85.2 lbs
The quick specs are:
- 100º pivot range
- 27.3″ center to end (~26.3″ center to pivot)
- 17.8″ long (sticks out ~12.5″ from back of hitch)
- 275lb cargo capacity
- 56lb base weight
- Powdercoat black finish
- MSRP $589.00
The price is really good compared to competing products from Kuat and Rig’D Supply, however it has a slightly lower payload capacity than either. But, it’s lighter than both competitors, too.
If you’re not carrying more than 275 pounds, it’s a more affordable, lighter weight option with very similar features.
Another key difference between this and the competition is its “rated” swing range. Their fitment guide and specs list a 100º opening. This happens to line up with the outer pin hole, so it maxes out at 100º if you want to lock it into that position. However…
…it opens wider than that. Whether or not this is advisable is debatable, but it’s definitely possible. That said, it might swing your bike rack or other get directly into the side of your vehicle, so use caution.
The only other caveat would be to make sure that its dimensions are wide enough to clear your tailgate, hatch, or rear door. With my GX’s barn door, I can easily open it before I put the table up, but once the table is opened, it prevents me from opening or closing my door…at least when I have a bike rack preventing me from swinging it out wider.
Two more things:
- Anything that sticks off the back of your vehicle will hurt your departure angle. If you’re “wheelin'” then maybe swing-out carriers aren’t for you.
- If you have a spare tire mounted to the back of your car, it may not fit with the APS accessories attached.
RakAttach Review
Overall, I’ve been happy with the RakAttach. Even without a lift, I haven’t had departure clearance issues nearly as much as I thought I would. Or even ground clearance issues:
Even driving over stuff like this, or dropping off little ledges or traversing big ruts. Yeah, I’ve scraped it a few times, but not nearly as often as I anticipated. And with a lift, it would happen even less. So, for rock crawling, maybe not so much. For “overlanding”, it’s fine, and adds some flexibility and capacity to the rear of the vehicle.
Things I really liked
It works as advertised, and despite my best efforts to bash it, bounce it, and rattle it, it’s held up incredibly well. Other than the expected nicks and scuffs from normal use, it still looks and functions like new.
The pin, which is a secondary security feature after the main clasp, is magnetic. This is a nice touch as I could rest it on the swing and it wouldn’t roll off and get lost or forgotten. Well, actually, it could be forgotten, but its magnet is strong enough that it stayed on there even through half a day of dirt and paved driving. I found it right where I left it at a gas stop.
Things I didn’t like
While the levered locking clasp is rock solid (and adjustable, the swing lacks an integrated anti-wobble mechanism. In itself, that’s not a problem as the included security bolt and insert tighten enough to prevent it from wobbling, but I found that it still leaned slightly to whichever side the pivot was on.
In my case, this meant a slight lean to the driver’s side that I couldn’t seem to fix no matter how much I tightened the pin. And tighten it I did – it was quite difficult to remove after being on the truck for a few months. Whether the lean was due to my hitch or the RakAttach is up for debate, but my hitch was basically new and when I insert a bike rack directly into the receiver, it doesn’t lean, soooo…
Two other things. First, it makes everything stick out from the vehicle. To be fair, any swing-out attachment will do this, and my receiver sticks out 3-4″ from the bumper, so it’s not fair to fault the RakAttach for this, but I wanted to mention it so you can plan accordingly. Add something like the new Thule Verse, which has a really long stinger, and it’s going to stick way off the back of your car.
Second, their locking pins are, to put it politely, finicky. With their 1UP bike rack, there’s three security bolts/pins in use – securing swing to hitch, rack to swing, and bike to rack. Even if they were all keyed to match (mine aren’t), the keys don’t slide in smoothly, and the spinning lock design isn’t intuitive. If you can find other security options, I’d go with those.
Notes on the APS Accessories
The APS panels proved useful for keeping my traction boards outside of the vehicle and easy to reach. That said, they take up the entire useable space and, if that’s your plan, you can save money by skipping the add-on side panel unless you want to mount something to the backside of that…which is a good spot for water, fuel, etc.
As for the table, it’s handy, particularly if you cook or prep out of the back of your rig. The pins that keep it locked down or propped up are hard to insert/remove. They also keep it super secure, but it’s just enough work that I only really used the table when I’d be set up at camp for a while.
Overall Thoughts
If you need a swing-out rack attachment, this is a good option. It’s not perfect, but it absolutely gets the job done while being the lightest and most affordable one on the market. Paired with 1UP’s bike racks, which use “stadium seating” for your bikes, ground clearance is acceptable, and it’s still in great shape even after lots of use.
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