ASSEMBLY WENT WILL. FITMENT WITH THE BIKES WAS GREAT.
The Outfitr 4118 has quickly become my preferred hitch rack, moving beyond basic bike hauling to offering a truly user-friendly experience. After several trips, (both short local hauls) I can confidently say this rack delivers on its promise of convenience and security.
Ease of Assembly: Up and Running Quickly
One of the first things that impressed me was the ease of assembly. Straight out of the box, the process was straightforward and intuitive. The instructions were clear, and the major components were pre-assembled, requiring only minimal tool use to secure the main arm and the rack trays to the hitch mount. I had the entire unit assembled and mounted to my vehicle in under 30 minutes, which is a major win when you’re eager to get on the road.
A Game-Changer: The Loading Ramp
The included loading ramp is, without a doubt, a game-changer, especially for anyone hauling heavier bikes or electric bikes (e-bikes). It removes the awkward, back-straining lift completely. You simply attach the ramp to the connection point, roll the bike into the tray, and secure it. This feature alone drastically reduces the effort and potential for scratches or drops during the loading process, making the 4118 a top choice for accessibility.
Security and Accessibility Features;
The core locking mechanisms are robust and reliable:
Top Mount Clamp: The ratcheting top mount clamp secures the bike frame quickly and firmly without damaging the carbon or painted surfaces. It holds the bike vertically in place almost instantly, allowing you to move on to securing the wheels with confidence.
Tilt Lockout Mechanism: The tilt lockout is an essential feature for hatch or trunk access. It allows you to quickly tilt the rack (even when loaded) away from the vehicle to access the rear cargo area without having to unload the bikes entirely. The mechanism feels solid, locking securely into both the vertical and tilted positions, eliminating any worry about accidental movement while driving.
Enhanced Safety with Integrated Lights
The integrated lights are a significant safety upgrade. Unlike racks that obstruct your vehicle’s taillights, the 4118 connects directly to the trailer wiring harness to provide fully functional brake, running, and turn signals. This dramatically increases visibility and ensures that you remain compliant and safe on the highway, especially in poor weather or at night.
Pro Tip: Adding Extra Stability
While the rack is incredibly secure, I highly recommend adding a separate stability strap (like a basic cam buckle strap) around the wheels and the wheel tray. The included wheel cradles and straps are excellent, but for maximum peace of mind on long, bumpy stretches of road, this extra strap takes only seconds to secure and virtually eliminates any lateral movement or 'jiggle' from the bike.
Unbeatable Value
Speaking of investment, the price point of the Outfitr 4118 is one of its most compelling attributes. Given the robust feature set—integrated ramp, secure clamps, and lights—this rack punches significantly above its weight class. It genuinely makes you question why you would pay a premium for more established, expensive brands when the 4118 delivers equal, if not superior, functionality and build quality at a more accessible cost. It's truly unmatched value.
Final Verdict
The Outfitr 4118 is a premium rack that justifies its price tag through thoughtful design, robust security, and unparalleled convenience, thanks to the loading ramp. It's a rock-solid investment for serious cyclists.
My concern with buying this is whether it would work with my wife’s step-through bike. It works perfectly! So easy to load both bikes and they are rock solid. The rack is strong, well built metal but easy to maneuver and quick to load/unload bikes. Plus I can access my SUV hatch when I carry one bike (outside) or when it’s folded and low profile for driving around town. It’s possible to tilt the rack back with two bikes on it but they don’t recommend it and it’s so quick to pull the inside bike off anyway I don’t worry about it.
Product is good. But lock not shipped as was purchased. No way to call which is it good. Four days later after emailing twice no response. Not happy
This rack is very well made. It fits my bike perfectly along with a friend's. The straps keep it secure. The hitch bolt is kind of a pain as it has to screw in versus pushed through. Lining it up can be tricky. Also, it doesn't have any side stability, so when you go down a gravel, bumpy road, it oscillates A LOT. But I like how you can drop it down to load and push it up to take off. Good engineering.
Its fit and look good
This worked out perfectly for toting around my nearly 100lb E-bike. I highly recommend it to everybody looking for a lightweight inexpensive bike rack.
I ordered this rack from Outfitr because of an advertised 200 lb. weight capacity. Our bikes are large and heavy, I think in the neighborhood of 90 lbs. The photo shows the size. I remove the batteries for travel simply to lighten the load on this rack. It has done very well to date. I can think of no instance that I would 'tilt' this rack down with this weight on it but the ability to fold up the rack and leave it on the truck is a bonus when I'm not towing.
I’ve had the rack now for two days and honestly, it’s really sturdy and durable which I’m surprised because it’s $250. 0 to 48 mph you will hear a wooshing sound, But honestly, it’s not that bad once you hit like 65 to 70. The bolts are really sturdy and the C clamps are actually good quality.
Fits and looks great. Easy assembly.
This has to be the best bike rack for heavy e-bikes! It was delivered in a relatively short time and put right to work. It is secure and easy to load and unload. It's already made a voyage from CA to CO and back!!! Can't say enough about the stability of both bikes on the rack. Every time we stopped, we were asked, "Where did you get the bike rack?"
We responded with....OUTFITR! Best rack we've owned so far!
Very steady! Bike fits great! I hauled 2 Rambo bikes and they were rock solid. Great bike hauler. Highly recommend!
Once I got rack setup, it worked fine. Set up was a bit of a challenge. Directions were all pictures. The directions were mislabeled, having two sets of step 4 and no step 2, but eventually figured it out. Tools listed that were required were incorrect. Only 1/2 were of the right size. Plus, the 24mm, would highly recommend a socket. It took forever to install into the threaded receiver.
So far, we didn’t have no issues whatsoever putting it together was a breeze instructions were easy to understand. Unloading and loading our e-bikes with no issues with the ramp that came with it made things easy. The rack is very strong and sturdy for the price. You won’t be disappointed!
I bought this rack primarily for the ramp, since it was very hard for me to lift my 72-pound bike into my old hitch rack. The ramp works very well; however, it seems to me that this rack is much heavier than I expected. Also, the vertical support arms stick out to the sides, when the rack is folded up, and are a bit wider than my Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Easy to assemble. I can load the bikes by myself. I've got heavy bikes! Fair price.
Amazing shipping amazing product amazing performance amazing customer service.
You don’t need to spend $800 on a E-bike rack OUTFITR is A proof of that.
$229 can do the job just as good.
I purchased the Outfiter 2 bike hitch e-bike rack and couldn’t be happier!!! It’s so easy to use. It’s easy to put your bike up there. The ramps are very sturdy and helpful. You can secure your bikes with ease with this bike rack. I like that it is very sturdy and doesn’t rattle and the bikes don’t move when you travel.
The only reason I deducted a star is because the camo wrap is cheap and looks sun faded right out the box. The wrap or dip material they used is low quality and poorly installed; as well as some scratches in the paint job. However, the rack itself is absolutely phenomenal! I’ve had 4-5 tow hitch bike racks over the years and this one is hands down my favorite one! Such a simple & perfect design. The ramp to assist in loading and off-loading is hilarious but so useful. My dad cracked up when he saw it and said “don’t let anyone see you use that!” Haha so funny. I also love how the ramp mounts to the rack itself. The entire design has a ton of thought put into it.
This carrier holds my Gazelle Ultimate C380 (~ 60 lbs) very securely. Steel and aluminum construction is light weight yet very rugged. The included loading ramp is much appreciated. Packing was rugged and delivery was reasonable (5 days to VT).
After reading all the reviews I have a few comments to make: 1) It amazes me how some people are able to assemble it wrong. 2) There's a lot of complaining about the screw in hitch pin. To them I say this type pin makes the attachment more secure and less prone to rattle. 3) There's also a lot of complaining about the hitch pin not being lockable. To them I say search around online and you will find lockable antirattle hitchpins of this type for about $30. 4) There's a lot of complaining about the assembly instructions. This is warranted. Hanging in there, do some head scratching and eventually the pictograph directions will begin to make sense. For the non-mm types like myself the socket/wrench size for the hitch pin is 15/16". I also remember using 1/2" & 3/4" wrenches for other bolts. 5) There is some hilarious Chinamerinese instructions accompanying the step for installing the swiveling seat post clamp arm. Translated into English: Assemble the 2 soft washers and the steel doohicky with the slots in the order shown. Ditch the torque wrench and just tighten the bolt until it won't turn any more. This provides enough friction so the arm won't flop over and bonk you in the head.
In summary, this is a simple, rugged and totally satisfactory carrier for an E bike at a price point that is far less than some others (I'm looking at you T***e)
I'm extremely happy with this purchase.
Sturdy rack at a reasonable price and excellent customer service. Holds both of our e-bikes well!!!!
We had some shipping damage and customer service took care of us!
This bike rack worked out perfectly for us. We used it behind our motorhome and had to use a different hitch so the rack would clear the back of the motorhome. Other than that everything worked fine. I would definitely recommend this rack.
I give this rack a five star rating. However, there are two items that could be improved. The first is the instructions are pretty minimal on how to put the rack together. The second, is the ramp attachment. This attaches with two bent hooks into the rack. They often will rotate when the bike comes off the rack if it doesn’t come off perfectly straight. I suggest using a pin attachment of some sort to for more firmly, attach the ramp to the rack.
This rack tilts very easily and locks and unlocks with a little pull on the lever. The other brand I had tore my hands up pulling pins and spring clips to operate it. This one is excellent for old hands!
