Bike Rack for 2005 Toyota Sienna

We have a 2004 Sienna. We looked at all of our options and ended up having a hitch installed so we could put the rack on. I don't remember the brand of the rack we ended up with though.
We do have trouble getting some of the smaller bikes on there though. It's supposed to be for 4 bikes. We end up with overflow in the truck with the third row down.
All the reviews we read and heard about racks that don't use the hitch were all negative. We decided it was worth the extra expense to get the hitch.
Next car we're getting the hitch from the beginning instead of having it installed after the fact.

I have had mini vans and got the six point mount, where there are six straps that attach the rack. Everyone one of them beat my car up in some form or another.

I couldn't take it anymore so I had the hitch installed. It isn't that expensive, around 150 to 200, trust me, body damage is more expensive. It does not need to have the electricity ran to it for bikes.

We got this one though it was only 250 four years ago. Still it is exactly the same as the Thule and Yakima versions. I had a friend who had the dangle Yakima hitch rack and she tossed it and ordered one. The platform ones can take a 14 inch bike up to, well my husband is 6'2 and he has a big bike!

http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Racks-HR1400-Platform-Rec...

I have taken bikes with me for 30 years, this set up works the best. Oh and the platform racks are so much easier to put the bikes on and off of.

We have a Sienna Van. 2006.
We can put about 3 bikes in the back of it.
By removing one of the back seats.

4 bikes is a lot to hold on a rack???
Or a roof rack?

Anyway, here's some links:
http://www.etrailer.com/partlist/Toyota/Sienna/Bike%20Rack
http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Racks-F4-Heavy-4-Bike/dp/...
http://www.autoanything.com/bike-racks/Toyota/Sienna/110A...
http://www.orsracksdirect.com/toyota-sienna-roof-rack.html
http://www.etrailer.com/partlist.aspx?vMake=Minivan&p...

Off the top of my head, Thule and Yakima are good brands.

My friend had a Swagman. Her hubby and a van load of BMX'ers were heading to a race in the Tulsa area when they came upon some construction on the highway. It went from a 70mph to 35mph very quickly.

They slowed down but the pickup a bit behind them didn't. Her hubby realized the pickup wasn't slowing down so he sped up a bit, couldn't go fast enough though.

The pickup rear ended them speeding a lot.

When all was said and done the 4 or so bikes, I really though they were carrying more than 4 but I'm not sure, on the rack were toast. The bike rack was shaped like an "L" at the bottom instead of going straight up from the hitch. The back of her van was V shaped where the bike rack had indented the back door and roof. Her roof was pushed forward over the windshield about a half inch. I think it has dented the door, vertically, about 6 inches. Had that steel bar not been there attached to the tow bar who knows how bad the damage would have been.

The pickup had to be towed away and was totaled.

Basically the back seat of the van would have been gone had the bike rack not been there to absorb the hit. They drove the van to the moto and then back home again.

Here's the link to Swagman. If I were buying a bike rack for any vehicle I'd pick theirs. That rack saved my friends family and friends lives.

http://www.swagman.net/