I was sold the moment Rich pulled out the table.
It was the summer of 2020. The temperature was above 100 degrees and we were outside standing around an RV that had become Rich’s (our Yakima sales rep) office. We were all wearing masks and Rich was showing us a prototype rack. At the time, racks were impossible to get so the idea of one that was meant to be modular and sold that way, wasn’t very appealing, but then there was that table. Plus, the ability to put different storage options and have bike transport. The Yakima Exo was intriguing.
The Yakima Exo is a modular rack system that consists of a base, possible upper deck and a slew of accessories that can be attached to those two layers. The rack can be used with just the base or with both. The base swings out to allow for access to the back of the car and the upper deck rotates to allow access to the base. It’s the transformer of racks. It might be a bit niche, but I fall into this category, as it becomes a killer storage and transport solution for folks whose roof is already occupied by a rooftop tent.
Space Needed
At the time, Mama Bear and I were still roaming this desolate earth in the Subaru with a Tepui RTT secured to the roof. With three dogs occupying the cargo space at the back of the wagon, the rest of our gear was somehow shoehorned into the backseats. This often meant that, despite being in a car, we were camping with backpacking gear. Small stoves, very little water, chairs were iffy and we were left making decisions based more on space than on need. The cargo area was full of dogs, the roof rack had the tent and the bikes were taking up the rear rack.
Obviously, there have been plenty of racks that can solve one of these problems. A bike rack carries your bikes great but does not allow for cargo. You can get a cargo box for your 2″ receiver but then you need a place for your bikes. And that place is occupied by our tent.
The Exo solves the problem by creating a double-decker rack. The cargo box goes on the bottom and the bikes on the upper deck. This clicked several boxes for us, but the kicker was the table.
The rack, as I mentioned, is a bit of a transformer. The base swings away from the back of the car allowing access to your vehicle’s cargo space and in our case, to let the dogs in and out. In addition to this vital function, it opens the rack allowing for the top deck to swing around allowing the cargo box to open without being removed from the rack. This is awesome not only because you can get in and out of the box, but you can pull the table that nicely fits inside the cargo box out and put it on top of that flipped upper deck for an amazing camp kitchen area.
In addition to the module pieces I’ve described, Yakima has plenty of other options if you need to carry snowboards, a shower, a camp kitchen, etc. These can be seen here. I think there is an option that could be intriguing for just about anyone.
Long Term Tested
While I was sold on the idea of the Exo, there is always the question of durability. I’m not known for being easy on things. I tend to use and abuse them pushing things past their intended purpose or using them more than the designers thought they would.
Out of the box I had a couple of concerns. The cargo box just felt chincy, like it was bound to fail. The upper deck gave me concern as well as it had a descent amount of play and the instructions even point out that you need a minimum amount of space between bike handlebars on the upper deck and the back of your car (I can’t remember the exact amount and I’m too lazy to look it up). Other than those two items, the whole system felt similar to most other Yakima products.
My concerns about the box proved to be legit. Within the first month, the hinge broke. Yakima was willing to replace and eventually did, but this was at the height of the pandemic and it took a few months. The broken one continued to function well enough to work. The replacement was clearly redesigned. The hinges are much sturdier looking albeit they are now plastic. The actuation of the lid feels secure and confidence-inspiring and I have had zero issues with said box since and I have certainly put it through the wringer using it almost weekly.
The upper deck moves, kind of a lot. With that in mind, I have to say it has held up. There are no signs of wear or possible failure despite rallying the rack fully loaded with bikes up top down countless dirt roads. The upper deck seems solid. The bike rack itself functions well, better, I would say than the standard Holdup. The bikes sit where the handlebars and seats do not catch and I have zero wear issues from anything rubbing.
The lower deck has been absolutely abused. I’ve drug it through more washes and ditches than I should admit. Despite the abuse, I’m happy to say, outside of the scratches that I have given it, it sits solid.
The table is holding its own. However, the carrying bag is thin canvas and holes have worn through. The table itself is still fucntioning fine, but the wood has begun to split. Not enough to even consider a warranty claim, but I do feel like it should be mentioned. I plan to add some reinforcement to the bag and will continue to monitor the table, but feel confident it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Functionality
This rack works. There are steps to get it to transform from one module to another, but those are expected. If you want things to be crazy convenient, stay home and use Door Dash.
The Cargo Box fits a bunch of stuff and with the added totes loading and unloading it are a breeze. Having the table tuck in under your cargo means it is always there, but also creates one of the many processes to using the full functionality of the Exo.
To use the table:
- Swing the base rack out to 90 degrees
- Remove bikes and bike rack
- Unlock, unscrew and flip the upper deck 180 degrees to give access to the cargo box
- Open the cargo box and empty its contents
- Pull out the table
- Place table on top and tighten
- Place cargo back in box
As I said, it works, I can’t think of a way to have the same functionality without having so many steps to access everything, but it can seem like a chore after a long ride and all you want to do is drink your beer and gaze at the campfire.
One piece I initially thought was going to be a pain in the ass but ended up being quite convenient was storing the rack itself. Most bike racks are designed to fold up meaning if you leave them on the car you are constantly moving them up or down to access your trunk/cargo area. With the Exo, the bike rack itself is easily removed, is much lighter than a traditional rack and can be stored flat against a wall with a couple of $3 hooks. Once the bike rack is removed, the base rack’s two arms fold into the rack. This leaves the base hanging out about 6″ but there is nothing to move to get in and out of your car and the bulk of the rack can stay permanently attached.
The Bottomline
Would I recommend this rack to a friend? For friends in the same situation that I am in, yes. It provides extra storage, has the ability to create a nice camp kitchen and the bike rack functions well. If space isn’t an issue, you drive a van, camp once a year instead of a few times a month, a normal bike rack might be a better choice.
Would I buy an Exo again having used it for almost 2 years? Yes.
