Installing a dirt bike rack on my RAV4 (episode 3)

[@chrismills2192]

Dude, I tuned in to see how it could be done as I've a newer RAV4 and would like to do the same for a dual-sport bike. There is NO WAY I'd even try something like this, let alone accomplish it. You are a master. I signed in exclusively so that I could give you a full thumbs up.

[@wolfman175]

Wow. So much respect! I admire the hell out of you for sticking with it and getting what you wanted!

[@LabCoatPaul]

Thanks! The hitch works perfectly all the time. I'm glad I did it.

[@christopher2309]

This man is tenacious!

[@logmeindangit]

You really did that as a labor of love there! Good planning. That is more than most would ever do. Perhaps you could hire your services out! Now a friendly tip: You REALLY should mount taillights to the rack. The ones on the vehicle are blocked far too much. Here's how I built my rack, including the lights. My rack is a home-built, with a fixed track of U-channel aluminum bolted to two pieces of angle iron welded to the 2" sq. tube in a "cross" shape. The angle-iron is only about half to 2/3 the total rack width, because that was all that was needed for strength on the cantilevered rack. The 2" steel tube sticks out about 2' behind the U-channel, for tie-downs. The receiver has flanges with holes for tie-downs on that side. When choosing the 2" tube, I stuck a 6' length into the receiver on my SUV, and jumped on it up and down on it. I wanted the rack to use the lightest materials but still be plenty strong. I would only be using 4 feet, max. (I'm about 200 lbs.) The piece I grabbed felt to light as I carried it around, but dang! It was plenty strong for me jumping on it! It wasn't even CLOSE to bending. My bike weighs about 80 pounds more than I do, but it would not be hanging off nearly as far, maybe 1/4 to 1/3 the distance. I'm not sure now, though, if it was 1/16th (.062") wall, or a little thicker, but it was plenty strong. The loading ramp is an equal length of the same U-channel aluminum as the fixed track. When not in use, the ramp stores on the carrier, right beside the main track, held against the inner edge of the fixed channel with two permanently mounted 1/4" bolts, and I just use wing nuts to keep them there. Easy peazy. Oh - stainless steel bolts there. I hate rust, love stainless hardware. To keep the ramp in position while loading and unloading, I just use a single bolt threaded into the middle of the lip fairly near the end of it. To use it, the bolt end slips into a hole drilled in the main track, doing the job of a loose pin, and doesn't need to be fastened. If you want to get all fancy, you can tap the hole in the tongue lip piece and thread the bolt though that, so the lip will rest flat on the track. Otherwise, just use a nut on the underside; either way works. The nut is not so thick it makes it problematic. To make the overlapping lip piece on the ramp channel, cut off about 1-2" of the U-channel sides so you have a full width of the bottom of the channel about 1-2" long. Then, file the lip smooth. Bend the lip down a little to match the angle between the ramp and rack. Be gentle bending, so the aluminum doesn't crack. If it does, cut it off flush and make another lip. The ramp doesn't HAVE to be the same length as the fixed track. Now put the ramp in position, and drill the receiver hole in the fixed track. The taillights I used are rectangular shaped auto-parts-store trailer lights, the kind that mount flat to a vertical surface. I chose ones that fit nicely inside a piece of U-channel. They are mounted underneath the fixed track to short sections of U-channel that is rotated "back" 90 degrees CW (when looking at the rack from the driver's side) so one side can bolt under the fixed rack channel, and the light can be mounted inside the "U." That protects the lights from damage, whether while driving or just storing it in the garage. Works great! I also beveled the corners of the taillight shroud channel pieces, and any other leg-rippers. Ergonomics, baby! Route the wires to a 4-prong flat connector, and anchor them about every 6-10 inches with plastic P-shaped fasteners screwed to the underside of the rack. If you can, drill small blind holes in the edge of the aluminum channel, so the depth leaves the hole blind. For the steel tube, punch through, it is hidden. If you want to be fancy, you can drill holes to route them inside, but... why? That would mean getting grommets for the holes, and it is a really short run to the vehicle lights plug. I think my total cost was about $130 or so, which included hiring a welder for the angle-iron because I didn't have a welder.

[@tcardinal95]

wow! Thanks for this! Planning on doing something about it on mine and this sounds perfect!

[@alexanderbelov4604]

Посмотрел видео, ..мысль..."надо что-то делать!" , встал с дивана, голова закружилась, сел oбратно

[@shankarbn]

I honestly did not expect you to overbuild to that level. Wow.

[@ajr5195]

Very cool! Excellent job accomplishing your goal in a safe and effective manor!

[@adamskinner5868]

Well done, impressive solution

[@stevenm.njogu2014]

Do you know Paul that you're a genius,you are really blessed and a hard worker continue with the good job.

[@danrapsz5569]

Awesome! I have a 99 nisan sentra and uhaul and harbor freight said there's no hitches that fit

[@jamesdepaul3410]

Good job. I'll do a similar thing for mine to eliminate wobble and strengthen it.

[@victorbarajas4705]

This is beautifully done!!!!!! By any chance do you remember what vehicle this class 5 was originally from?

[@motardsquid]

Talent. Skill. Well done.

[@freddieb4268]

Great video. I'm getting some ideas on what to do to mine from watching your videos.

[@jfisch01]

Very nice. I haul my XT250 with my Rav4. I'm concerned about the 8 inch clearance but haven't had an issue with it yet.

[@KarpsKornerHANDYFISH]

Solid stuff man!! Nice video editing as well!!

[@LabCoatPaul]

Thank you! If you have an old RAV4, check out my other videos. I have 20 RAV4 videos now.

[@murphyc944]

Yeah, awesome work! Mounting something similar (personalized) on a mini bus so we can haul our dual sport.

[@sigma_799]

i hope when you use the rack you attached extra lights and plates on it just in case they are covered by your bike. not sure if you will get a ticket for not having them but here in australia it’s very strict

[@mabecka]

Good job!

[@john21031]

Man, that is some awesome skill you have there. Nice bike too.

[@chrislopez8919]

Awesome job

[@natashasvedka3451]

Man, you are phenomenal I love you

[@2010aurnob]

A great series (RAV4)! What's your background? What's the best way to feel comfortable to do these on your own?

[@LabCoatPaul]

I have a lot of experience working on cars. You can get there too by just doing it. Start with the easier stuff.

[@natashasvedka3451]

​@@LabCoatPaul so rad I wish I could meet you haha hope you had fun riding

[@backwoods6050]

Very nicely done! Kudos

[@Chris-1962]

Well done, you got some awesome skills. How is the rack holding up, please if possible can do a follow up on it and how is the unloading of the bike? Thanks and cheers.

[@LabCoatPaul]

Thanks for watching! I'm still very happy about the dirt bike rack. The hitch is definitely the strongest part of my car, and I always put the jack on the hitch when I lift my car. The tilting rack is easy to load, and I can add a strap to the spare tire to make the motorcycle more secure.

[@Chris-1962]

@@LabCoatPaul Hi just assembled my tilt carrier and noticed it has a substantial play on the aluminum sleeve that slips on the steel arm. Did you encounter the same problem and if yes how did you solve it?

[@shadowdance4666]

Nice bike

[@ibrockin4u]

Awesome work, Which bike carrier is that?

[@LabCoatPaul]

www.discountramps.com/tilting_motorcycle_rack/p/ACR-MOTORCYCLE-CARRIER/

[@danielguerrerorealestatebu6616]

Hi Paul great job Willing to buy new AND stronger truts for my Rav4 hear 1999 Can you share the Inés you putted on yours. Thanks Man

[@ttinnovations3310]

NICE!!! I need to do this to my van, great video and info

[@crissgen]

Nice video thanks

[@charlescs2915]

Good work.... I love the fitting!

[@1966johnnywayne]

Have you carried the CRF300l on this rack? I'll be grabbing a new CRF next year...hopefully, based on availability...but it is a PIG compared to the KTM.

[@LabCoatPaul]

Yes, I used the RAV4 to pick up the CRF300L from the dealer. My rack sits a lot higher than normal so it was hard to push the heavy bike up there. My class 5 hitch is rated at 1,500 pounds tongue weight when bolted to a Ford F250 super duty. Welded to the RAV4 I don't know the limit, but I'm sure it's a lot. I think the normal 2" hitch that bolts on to the RAV4 is rated at 400 pounds tongue weight, so you would be very close to the limit with the rack and the CRF300L on it. I'm planning on selling my CRF300L soon. I'm kind of over motorcycle road trips and I would rather have an electric dirt bike for off road use.

[@1966johnnywayne]

@@LabCoatPaul By the time that the 300 becomes available again in my area I may be "over it"...nearly forty years of riding and i bought my first ever scooter this year, a 2022 Yamaha ZUMA125...and I'm loving it for scooting around the city. Thanks for the reply, and thanks for the channel.

[@Toyotaetc]

Have you replaced the distributor cap on your rav?

[@LabCoatPaul]

Yes, in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5vUZ2Vsrd1psK8

[@mikehernandez8043]

what type of hitch you gpt ther on rhis e door rav4

[@potaylo]

I see a plate holder on your bike so I am wondering what bike it is and if it can be street legal?

[@LabCoatPaul]

That is the 2017 KTM 350 exc-f. Yes, it is street legal. It's a good bike, but I had to remove the entire emissions system to make it run right.

[@danielguerrerorealestatebu6616]

Hello Love your videos Getting my 1999 two doors Rav4 on Mondays Question Do you think that 215/85/16 can Fit Ando if it does, with lidt kid should I buy? Thank

[@LabCoatPaul]

You might be able to fit those tires, but I would definitely recommend the Old Man Emu 3" lift kit first.

[@calebrodriguez3748]

Youre a legend man!

[@ytntoto]

My car is 1996 2door I want to carry the wr250r with a hitch carrier. I would like to purchase and install the curt13524 sold by Rock Auto. Should I cut and process mufflers like you?

[@LarryRichelli]

Can someone please post a link for that tilting carrier. Thanks

[@LabCoatPaul]

www.discountramps.com/tilting_motorcycle_rack/p/ACR-MOTORCYCLE-CARRIER/

[@tincho1979]

Excelente trabajo amigo. Realmente muchas horas de esfuerzo, pero quedo muy bien. Felicitaciones. Yo quiero fabricar algo similar, pero tengo muchas dudas sobre la reglamentación en mi país. Saludos desde argentina 🇦🇷

[@bernadinemarcelo7157]

Paul pls..tell me which is the best LED for my Rav4 1999..is it 9006 LED by Auxido and Is it possible to turn front signal light to LED fog Light /signal light.Thank you for your reply.

[@welcome2myworld1.o89]

Wow.... so.... how much do you want to do the same thing to my 99 4 door awd RAV4?

[@LabCoatPaul]

I don't have enough free time to take on fabrication projects for people, but if I did, I would say around $600. I think it was about 15 hours of labor to fabricate the hitch and install it.

[@ToFightTheGoodFight]

I can't find the app on android store. I'll subscribe bro.

[@thargor6750]

I gotta learn to weld

[@Chris-1962]

Hi just assembled my tilt carrier and noticed it has a substantial play on the aluminum sleeve that slips on the steel arm. Did you encounter the same problem and if yes how did you solve it?

[@DavidGarcia-bl7pd]

¡ Que dedicación ! un like y me suscribo.

[@lalovisco4417]

Outstanding!!

[@TaskSwitcherify]

Impressive :)

[@cubul32]

How did you fix the suspension? Did you do something adjustable like air suspension or permanent? If permanent, how is this affecting normal driving with no bike? I wanna do the same on a Prius 2012.

[@LabCoatPaul]

I installed the Old Man Emu lift kit on my RAV4. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWLKmmyepKije6s The kit includes 4 new springs and new shocks. The springs are stiff, but compared to the 22 year old springs that are dead and bottom out all the time, the ride quality is quite good. You can get a 30mm spacer kit for your Prius on Amazon. This will lift the car but keep the same stock springs and struts, so your ride quality will be the same. amzn.to/2Hc8HTY

[@ajwalou-nack2343]

If you did this in the United Kingdom your car wouldn't be insured unless you told them of your modification. I had one on the back of my Datsun 720 pickup and a driver behind me hit it with his car and damaged the ramp and trailer board. His insurance asked my insurance company was it a proper manufactured part for my vehicle. It wasn't as I made it . If you weld something to your vehicle that's not approved you could be in trouble with the DVLA under alterations to the body structure. Lucky I was a farmer and farmers can do alot of stuff like convert stuff they needed for the farm without approval. This was in 1984 so it's much worse now .

[@LabCoatPaul]

It's not fun at all when the government takes away your freedom to work on your own vehicle. I understand the need for safety inspections to make sure your car isn't a hazard on the road, but when government gets involved, it's guaranteed to be applied in the worst way. In the United States, vehicle safety inspections and emissions testing is done differently in every state, and each county gets to decide how much testing is needed. In Utah, they recently stopped doing safety inspections, so now people can crash into you with bald tires in the winter. More freedom is better though and I'm glad we don't have the safety inspection. I live in Salt Lake City, which is a valley with mountains on both sides, and it contains all the pollution we create. Because of that, every vehicle has to pass an emissions test. But, thanks to bureaucracy and and overall government incompetence, they don't actually test the exhaust coming out of the car, and instead just make sure the check engine light is off and all emissions components are present. My RAV4 is currently not registered and doesn't pass emissions because I installed the factory exhaust system from a 1998 RAV4 on my 1997 RAV4. They're all Toyota parts, and my car runs perfectly. I have a fresh cylinder head and a new catalytic converter, and the car would definitely pass if they measured the exhaust gasses coming out of the pipe. But.... my RAV4 originally had 2 catalytic converters and the newer exhaust has 1. Therefore I tampered with the emissions components and it fails the inspection. Ironically, before I fixed my car, when it had a blown head gasket and a plugged catalytic converter, it passed the emissions test. My car literally had white smoke coming out of the pipe and got bad gas mileage. PASS. Now that it runs perfectly, FAIL. I have to register my car to avoid getting a ticket, so I have a few options: 1. go get an exhaust manifold / catalytic converter from a 1997, which is definitely clogged, and make my car run horrible and burn way more gas to pass the inspection, or perhaps knock out the cat so it's there but doesn't do anything. 2. get a different emissions sticker for the hood that says the car takes 1 cat. 3. go to a mechanic who will pass my car 4. register the car in a different state I won't be modifying my car, since it works perfectly and adding a second catalytic converter will only take away power and reduce gas mileage. I'll do one of the other options and probably make a video about it.

[@ajwalou-nack2343]

@@LabCoatPaul 👍

[@zachadsitt8045]

I have a question as I really would like a receiver on my 96 4 door model. Do you notice any kind of sway from the weight of the bike while driving? I originally was going to get a roof rack and cage but I hear these cars are kinda top heavy and don't wanna risk putting too much weight on top if I can get away with running a hitch setup instead

[@LabCoatPaul]

My RAV4 felt just fine on the highway with a bike on the back. I've only done short trips. less than 20 miles. You might notice some extra turbulence behind the car on longer trips. Roof racks are popular for the old RAV4's, but personally, I don't like putting anything on the roof. If you get a normal 2 inch receiver hitch installed on your RAV4, you can carry you gear behind the car. You CAN'T carry a motorcycle though. RAV4 hitches are rated at 350 pounds tongue weight and they're not very strong. Thus all the welding in this video. My hitch is far from a normal RAV4 hitch.

[@zachadsitt8045]

Thanks for the input. I have seen lots of guys installing racks and cages, but I doubt they actually utilize them as I want to. I live for the outdoors and I want to bring enough gear along for me and my family to be able to make it 3-5 days. I'll look for a class 3 or 4 hitch set up and make it permanent. Plus a custom basket for the back too

[@CarlosContreras-gk9gp]

❤

[@LabCoatPaul]

Thank you!

[@Gopherdave1]

Nice mod.

[@flavionevarez5167]

Nice job, can you send me a copy of your template for the hitch build?

[@XMmikeLVII]

why not put the bike in a trailer and tow it?

[@LabCoatPaul]

The trailer is definitely easier, and you can carry more than 1 dirt bike. Not having a trailer makes the car easier to drive. I usually do things the hard way, because I lack common sense.

[@danrapsz5569]

I would mess my car up if I tryed this though 😔

[@indianatone218]

Nice project just got a 3door rav I need to make a towbar cos I'm tight lol .your vids are good but too fast for us to obsorbing the details try slowing it down please I've subscribed really neat work by the way 👌

[@christhompsonphotography6783]

Dirt Bike Loading App.

[@cb400fhonda6]

Case of tunnel vision

[@guillermohenriquez6866]

Churches

[@ИльдарМаликов-я5г]

На прицепе проще...

[@pamsimonson5500]

Why you buy a Jeep Wrangler. You doing it the hard way

[@LabCoatPaul]

Jeeps have a lot more aftermarket accessories available for them than the RAV4. It would be easier, but less interesting. :)

[@lawrence7065]

well done! Know it's time to unload that piece of crap Rav4

[@LabCoatPaul]

I definitely think that sometimes! I would save a lot of time and work if I just bought a similar vehicle that is much newer. I haven't found anything like the first generation RAV4. Nobody makes a tiny, 4wd, manual transmission, lightweight SUV these days.

[@JDOG1337]

@@LabCoatPaul you had me at "manual transmission"

[@calebrouse9435]

Paul Shpakov have you considered a Suzuki Jimny? Great little cars, even the new ones

[@DonHavjuan]

That is not very secure. When you do this properly, the rack does not move independently of the car AT ALL. Try again. Search some other videos for demo of this fact.

[@LabCoatPaul]

I disagree. Every rack I've seen that goes into a receiver style hitch wobbles a bit side to side. This is because it mounts in one point and even 1 mm of play at the hitch turns into over an inch on the ends. I could reduce wobble slightly by using a hitch tightener or anti - wobble hardware. I've used this setup several times and it's always good. I also strap the bike to the spare tire, just in case.