Has anyone put a rear-mounted bike rack on a 2011+ Focus estate?

I need to put one on but every website I look at says that it isn’t possible because of the spoiler, which is tiny.

We want to be able to take the family out further afield, loading all 5 bikes onto the car and fit the dogs in the back and venture out. I already have two roof mounted ones but my wife hates using them and has nearly dented the car once putting the bikes on, and a towbar is not an option as we plan to change cars in a year or so.

If the spoiler is held on like it is on the C-max then IIRC it just clips off as they have a habit of leaking. Not entirely sure what sort of holes you’re left with though once it’s off.

The only way it could work would be a rack slightly taller than the boot, and take the straps to a roof bar so they don’t rest on the spoiler.

DIY fitting a towbar wasn’t difficult on my C-max, and only cost £80 or so (about 10 screws and 4 bolts off, 8 bolts to get it on and screws to re-fit trim IIRC). The electrics took longer though, a couple of hours of swearing and lots of tea!

cheers, I did wonder about fitting a towbar. Did you have parking sensors?

Where did you get the kit from?

A towbar rack is approx. one million times better. If you do go for a strapped rack, a Saris Bones just cleared the spoiler on my C-max.

Nope – you can’t do it. Mine go on the roof.
It’s probably as much to do with the fact that most of the back end of that car seems to be made from plastic!

The only way I think you’ll get 5 bikes on without a towbar is to bodge, the roof of the car is quite narrow so the 135mm thule bars don’t fit on the feet, there’s 180cm between mirrors so you can go longer but you’ll need to make some kind of box section extension. I’d thought about doing something like that for taking 5 bikes or 2 canoes but never got round to it.

Thanks guys

nickdavies, where did you get the info on it not being possible, doesn’t surprise me though 🙁

5 on the roof is not possible, I’ve got the factory (ford) bars that are too narrow – schoolboy error number 1, should have gone for the Thule bars as I always have before.

Will have to consider two more roof mounted racks or a towbar.

What’s the weight limit on that Focus’s roofrack? Used to be 50kg, I can’t find it with a quick google but I think it’s in the owner’s manual.

Weight limit is 75kg IIRC – I know for definite it’s not more than that as I remember 4x20kg kayaks goes over the weight limit a bit.

OP, you’ve found it yourself – none of the roof box/rack co’s will supply them as they aren’t suitable and don’t pass the tests required.

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-specific-accessories/it_s_not_possible_to_fit_a_rear_door_fitting_bike_carrier_to_this_vehicle/Qx%40w%2C6M4%2CME%7D%40nkCu5P5zqBAFA7Y2TGGTAMRWIwrn4nOp%7D.G%60WI3y6H%60j%7Bhz9n55sk%60AddE%2Ch7%7BoHRo

I don’t think it’s specifically the spoiler, more the tailgate strength in general when I first asked when I bought it.

I looked at the towbar option also – it’s 3 years ago now but IIRC it wasn’t a goer on mine as it’s the 1.6 TDCI Eco engine, these aren’t rated for towing so I think it was missing parts required for a simple towbar install, bumper off, metalwork added to frame, cuts in bumper etc – i’m sure it was something like £300 before fitting, and then it was something you shouldn’t use. Obviously may not apply to you.

Food for thought if you’re happy with an angle grinder? 🙂
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?31857-Wide-Roof-Bars-to-Fit-Over-Thule-Standard-Bars

cheers, I did wonder about fitting a towbar. Did you have parking sensors?

Where did you get the kit from?

I got mine from towequipe.co.uk, checked the invoice and towbar was a generic own brand one for £77, wiring kit was £28, + £5 for some proper connectors as the supplied scotchblocks are, well scotchblocks.

Their website’s changed and they no longer list a flanged version for the C-max, no idea why, but they weren’t the cheapest by much so there’ll be other options. When it arrived it was actually a witter towbar! So either very poor stock control or they just sell the witter at 2x the price to milk the premium market.

As for fitting, you remove the plastic bumper and the metal rail underneath it, slide two plates into the chassis rails and bolt them I then the towbar fits back across under the bumper (the swan neck/flanged bit is only a small part that sticks out). I know the small engine isn’t rated for towing (I’ve no idea why? My 1.6 petrol is and the diesel definitely has more grunt), but that doesn’t stop you fitting a towbar and a bike rack. I’d be surprised if the back is different between engine models.

How was doing the wiring connections on the C-max? I’m happy about the spannering side of fitting the bar but the electrical side might be beyond me (my local garage has backed off fitting it because of the electrical side and the parking sensors).

How was doing the wiring connections on the C-max? I’m happy about the spannering side of fitting the bar but the electrical side might be beyond me (my local garage has backed off fitting it because of the electrical side and the parking sensors).

I had mine professionally fitted. For simplicity and lower cost, I told the fitter to ignore the parking sensor, so I just put up with the beep when reversing. No big deal. The lighting wiring looks fairly straightforward.

How was doing the wiring connections on the C-max? I’m happy about the spannering side of fitting the bar but the electrical side might be beyond me (my local garage has backed off fitting it because of the electrical side and the parking sensors).

Remove the trim behind the lights, follow the wires back from each bulb and connect the appropriate wire from the relay. Repeat for all the bulbs. IIRC you can do it further foreword and all the wires are in one place, but I didn’t have a wiring diagram to hand so connected indicators on each side of the car and doubled up the brake/tail lights and ran the indicator wire under the spare wheel. If doing it again I’d do it on the drivers side not the passenger side as that’s where the 12V cable is and have one less wire under the boot.