I ended up buying a Yakima Fullback 2 (trunk lid rack) for the Model 3. Works pretty well. A coupe of issues though. It's heavy at 22lbs, or basically the weight of one bike. I also had to remove my rear license plate grab handle, which I hoped I would not have to do. But it tended to rock with that on. It's adjustable, and clears the rear lid with no problem. My old ones did not. Top bumpers hit the lower rear window glass, and the bottom bumpers rest on either side of the license plate. It's black with red lettering, and looks good on my black car. I found it for $200:
The top straps are used as anchors, not hooks, so you feed them through the lid opening, close the trunk, then cinch them to the rack.
Attach the rack.
Top bumpers sit on the window glass.
And bottom just above the bumper.
Mount the bike and you are ready to go.
The rack is very secure. You can't open the trunk after mounting, so don't forget anything in the trunk like I did. You have to unmount the rack to get back in (or go in from the back seat). It will set off the ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper, so you will have to mute the alarm.
Yes I know, especially with some of the stress cracks we have seen in the roof glass. But, almost every bike rack for hatchbacks rests on the rear window glass, and the glass is well supported underneath. Most of the weight is on the lower part of the lid, which is also a concern because the metal seems flexible and may dent. If anything happens I'll be sure to report back.
While out for a bike ride on Sunday, I noticed heavy rain was closing in fast. I made it back to the car, loaded the bike just as it started raining. It was a fairly heavy downpour. I waited a while before driving home. I parked the car and left the bike rack on until last night. Needing the trunk today, I removed the rack and discovered quite I bit of water on the trunk mat. I keep a moving blanket in the trunk in case I have to more anything where I want to protect the seats or the item. It was quite wet. Fortunately, the Tesla trunk mat has a high rim all the way around, and no water got underneath.
The anchor straps securing the rack from the top do interfere with the weather seal. it's something that could be a concern if you are transporting a bike in the rain. It's also likely that any bike rack so secured would allow water to leak into the trunk. Most of us are also familiar with how rain water cascades off the rear window and into the trunk if it's open, so it may also be a combination of the trunk design and the anchor attachment method used by Yakima.
The rack itself is rock steady. I've not noticed any other undesirable results, other than the rear sensors thinking you are about to hit something when the bike is loaded. We need a "bike rack (or trailer) mode".
I have a few more observations after my first road trip to the Jersey shore with this bike rack.
First of all, it is rock solid. It did not move, and the bike was held steady with minimal rocking. This was with one bike on, as my sister's bike would not fit without the optional cross bar. It can be awkward to install, but you get better at it the after a few times. Once on the road, there was an issue with an on-screen warning and chime that flashed so briefly that I could not read it. I engaged autopilot and watched the screen and finally was able to read that the trunk was not closed. You also have to make sure it is closed after placing the top anchors, as the weight of the bike/rack combo will make it look closed, and not trip the trunk lid sensor until you hit a bump.
Finally, there is a significant impact on range. The increased drag of the rack/bike combo reduced range by 25-33% (95% SoC, tire pressure at 42psi, ave speed 70mph, aero covers on). I arrived with 20 miles remaining on a 200 mile trip. On the return trip I made serval side trips, and ended up supercharging about 40 miles from home for 15 minutes or so (to 50% Soc, arrived home with 80 miles).
And another observation: after using this rack many times over the past year, I noticed that the paint on the trunk lid where the bottom support bumpers rest is showing signs of wear. The finish has noticeably dulled. I now use small pieces of duct tape to protect the finish.
This would occur with any rack on any vehicle. My old Accord had similar marks from a different rack, but I really didn’t care about it in that case.
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