Thule

Elite Van XT

Love it

I saw some reviews complaining about the lack of written directions but after installing it myself on my 2022 Ram Promaster, the complaints were unfounded. I had no problem following the picture diagrams and the install came out perfect. My wife and I loaded the bikes on and took them locally for a ride to test it out. The Thule rack is everything it said it was. We love how secure the bikes are in the rack. No movement and with the ingenious locking ability, we feel they will be secure from theft also. I would recommend this bike rack 100%.

Sprinter Bike Rack

We have been using our new bike rack for the last few weeks and WOW! We love it! It fits the van very well. I love how adjustable it is!

Didn't stay attached

One key reason I bought this rack was to carry two bicycles on a trip of a life time to Alaska. After arriving home after three months and 12,000 miles I found the rack had started to detach. The adhesive was showing. I removed the rack and found most of the adhesive was still sticking to the my van, but was no longer sticking to the rack. My wife and I have spent over 3 hours just on the lower mount to remove the adhesive only to find the rack put lines in the van finish. Looks like I'm going to have to have the door refinished too! What a mess. I wouldn't feel comfortable ever re-installing this rack on my van.

Great rack but shame about the silicone.

Very recently installed this rack on our van. Very happy with the design and how it works. Would have been good to know sooner that an uncommon adhesive is required and not supplied. Would still buy this rack but there is no indication that an adhesive available in Europe or supposedly at an RV parts suppplier is required. Kind of jams up my last minute get it done before the trip style. All good I the end thanks to about an hour on the internet and another two hours at a couple of hardware stores in my small town. Thule, would be nice if you could suggest more North American and common solutions.

Elite van xt mb sprinter rack

I bought this product because I was in need of space in my van. Easy to use, the bike or really stabile, they don't move. I need to use a stool to lock down because of the height of the van.

Solid Rack but not Convenient to Use

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

I'm quite happy with the delivery from Backcountry as it was timely and everything in good order. Assembly is not difficult but pictorial instructions are not done well. The rack is solid and bikes are held firm. The biggest issue I have is the rack is so high on my Sprinter van that I need a ladder or platform to get the bikes up and to secure the braces to the frames. The key locks are very difficult to reach. I bought a rear step mounted in the trailer hitch so I have something to step on, but it is still difficult. Also, with the bikes off and the rack folded up, the lower bike rail is perfectly located to mash the back of my head when I close the back door while standing on the ground. Even though I know this, I have still forgotten a couple time and smashed my head. There is no way my wife could get the bikes on or off due to the height. This is with the rack at the lowest location of the three positions shown in the installation manual. It seems Thule could have provided a lower mounting position and I expect better from Thule.

Good Value

I have this product on my Thor/Dodge RV Van. It's well built, but I can't figure out how to change the position of top bar, for my different style bikes, ie road, mountain and gravel. directions don't help and no videos to show you how to adjust. I have had to take top bar off and reinstall each different bike. Dumb. .Other than that you get your money's worth.

Works quite well but the are things I would change

The rack itself is quite nice and holds bikes securely. It is very adjustable and I think it would work for any bike of any size. I'm quite happy with the way the rack holds the bike in place. I am six feet tall and can barely reach the top arms that hold the top of the frame so that is something to consider. My wife is 5'6" and has no chance of reaching them without a stool but it can be done. I am using it to hold two 29" mountain bikes and the tires are are barely resting on the end of the rails. If bikes get any longer this rack may not work. I wish the rails were even 4 inches longer. The directions however, are hands down the worst I've ever seen. There are confusing pictures, no descriptions at all and no part numbers. The directions caused the project to take 3 times as long as it should have. I could have done it faster without them. They are bad enough to cost this quite nice bike rack a star on the review. Another thing to note is that the rack is supposed to be glued to the vehicle. I did not glue it and it appears to be doing fine after about 1000 miles on all types of roads. The box also arrived completely broken open. The box was held together with 4 pieces of light packing tape and all of it was broken on arrival. I hate to have to add the negative comments about the packaging and directions but those things can easily be fixed by the manufacturer. I am still happy with the product and glad that I purchased it.