Yakima  EXO SwingBase

Recently finished a 1900 mile trip with the swing base carrying the gear locker on the bottom and gear warrior basket on the top shelf. The swing-out feature is handy so we could open the trunk of our SUV. However, there are some additional steps I took to secure things: 1) the hitch bar had some vertical play inside the receiver. I could imagine how badly it would clunk on bouncy roads (esp. in four corners area where I would drive through). The solution: a $30 hitch clamp from etrailer kept that hitch carrier clamped down tight, no wiggle. Well worth the investment. 2) while the hitch bar has an SKS lock, the swingbase piece mounts on via 2 bolts that anyone with a 24 mm (or crescent) wrench could undo (the Yakima engineers clear weren’t thinking through the security aspect very well). The solution: a 5/8 inch locking hitch pin fits perfectly in lieu of one of the bolts. I placed the hitch pin in the hole closest to the vehicle and used the bolt in the other hole where most of the load is carried. 3) I accidentally ground the back of the arms going through a deep parking ditch. I stuck a couple of adhesive furniture slides underneath to give me a buffer in case I make that mistake again. 4) Added reflective tape to side of swingbase and gear locker for visibility at night. 5) Keep in mind that this doesn’t come with a support stand for when the load is swung out. For some reason Yakima only includes that with the top shelf. —>See my other reviews on the top shelf and gear warrior basket for more tips.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Once is instaled is estable. The tools needed are not simple tools and it requieres two people to pick it up, it is very heavy! Loosening the bar to swing it's a positive feature. The locks idea is great, but having too many attachements is not a realistic idea. The strap for the lock needs to be half inch longer and inside the cap a grip is needed to stay on place. Good product but it needs some improvements!

The Yakima Exo System is exactly what I need for camping gear and mountain bikes due to having a roof top tent, and 2 dog kennels in my 4Runner cargo area. I have the swing base, the second tower, the gear box, and the bike rack. And I love it! The only thing that I wish was different was that the swing base and second tower weren’t so heavy. It doesn’t leave much weight of cargo available to avoid going over hitch weight. It also makes the rear suspension drop significantly. All in all, the product is AMAZING, just be aware of the weight.

I installed it on my camper van. Sometimes when I camp I need a place to store equipment like tents & sleeping bags, and sometimes I need to bring bicycles for my grandkids — I’m so glad to now have a carrier that can do both. I also love that I can swing the carrier away, even when it’s loaded, to access the back doors of my van. Installation was quick and easy, and I was able to install it by myself even though the swingbase is a bit heavy (I’m a 64 year old woman.) The instructions were clear, and Yakima includes all the tools you need. Yakima also has a good installation video on YouTube that I watched before getting started.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Setting it up on the Tesla took a few extra steps and I'll advise at least two adults who can carry the heavy piece. Initially we thought that the EXO wasn't compatible with the Tesla. After carefully reading the instructions, we realized the frame is adaptable. We just had to switch the direction of the screw holder (not the technical term). So I advise, read the instructions carefully and slowly. Overall, it it a very solid base and with the variety of accessories available it's a great piece for those who love outdoor activities that require lots of equipment. I'm very impressed by how sturdy it is an encouraged that it will be durable and stable. The base is also the foundation is compatible with multiple add-ons such as for bikes, camping, skiing and more. So the capacity and variety makes this base very essential.

This is a great modular system but you need to have a good idea of what you're going to use for this. vehicle hitches have a towing capacity and tongue weight capacity. they are not the same. The amount of stuff you can put on your hitch rack is determined by your tongue weight capacity, not towing capacity. Tongue weight capacity is determined by the car chassis NOT the hitch. The outback tongue capacity is 200-220 depending on year and car model. The EXO Base is 64 lbs. So now you have 136 lbs to mess around with. The Bike carrier is 37 lbs. Top Shelf is 37. Gearlocker is 28. So you now have 166 lbs on your hitch and you haven't even filled up with gear. It's a great system but PLEASE be aware that this is the limitation of the vehicle

I love the product unfortunately I can’t install it because parts are missing, can the missing parts please be delivered

We've had the Exo SwingBase with gear locker for about 6 months now and it's been awesome. Our Subaru Outback Wilderness has been the perfect companion. The back hatch opens with the locker in place, and the swingbase moves things nicely out of the way when we need to load our 85lb truffle dog and his crate. It's an excellent way to free up interior space in the the Outback when we're traveling, and allows us to have a more economical vehicle for all those times we don't need the extra space. All the lock can be keyed the same, which is a huge convenience. We constantly hear folks say, "maybe we should get one of those."

Makes life so much easier and my favorite rack. This bad boy does it all and absolutely love this product.

I purchased this along with a exo gear locker for my promaster van. Unfortunately the doors contact the swing base. Additionally, the pin that locks the base into the open/extended position prevented the passenger door from opening all the way. After loading down the gear box and removing the pin there is just a tiny bit of contact at the center of the swing base. I’ll likely just have to slightly lower my hitch receiver. I do like the swing base and the exo box, but the compatibility issues I faced are annoying.