Thule HangOn 4 bike tow ball carrier no. 9708

The HangOn 9708, is a four bike carrier which is supplied pre-assembled and fits both to 'bolt on' and 'swan neck' tow balls without adjustment - you just tighten it on with a spanner (supplied).

There's a rudimentary tilt mechanism which requires two handwheels to be loosened, one on either side of the carrier, but using this should be a two person job; one person needs to stand behind the bikes and take the weight. There's no tilt stop, so be careful that bikes are not damaged when the whole assembly reaches the ground.

Bikes need to be mounted to this carrier at their point of balance, as horizontally as possible; if your bikes don't have near horizontal cross bars you ought to buy artificial cross bars (see below), or else trade up to a MaxxRaxx carrier.

The bike frame is held in place by rubber straps, a system which is OK if the straps are fitted properly and are in good condition. We will supply a safety strap - one strap per carrier! - which we ask you to feed through all the bike frames and around the carrier, every time, providing peace of mind for you as well as for us. We've reduced the price of the carrier by 10p to allow for this.

Bear in mind that this carrier fits over the top of the tow ball, so it's not possible to tow and carry bikes at the same time.

Technical and miscellaneous:

• Load capacity = 60kg
• Weight = 10kg
• Use lock 957 to lock the carrier to the car (listed below)
• The bikes can be locked to the carrier with a cable lock (Thule 538 listed below)

Summary: Although not as robust as the Pendle 'hang on' carriers, or as robust and functional as the MaxxRaxx, the 9708 looks like good value for money.

Technical specifications at a glance:

Max number of bikes: 4

Fits bolt on tow ball: yes

Fits swan neck / detachable tow ball: yes

Dimensions: 64cm (height) x 47cm (depth)

Weight: 10kg

Max load capacity: 60kg

Max weight per bike: 15kg

Tilting: yes

Integral lighting board: no (available separately; shown below)

Bike carrier to tow ball lock: available (adapter 957; shown below)

Bike carrier to bike lock: no (you can use a cable lock)

Possible to tow when in use: no

Fits with a spare wheel: no

Guarantee: 5 years

Useful information:

The maximum permitted load you can carry is also determined by your nose weight; you will need to check you don’t exceed this before using any tow ball mounted bike carrier.

Delivery charges and arrangements:

We charge a contribution towards delivery costs, depending on what you order, where you live, and how quickly you want the goods.

These are our standard charges; there are usually surcharges for all offshore destinations and some remote postcodes - for details please see our delivery information page.

Delivery of other items

Delivery times

Delivery times are calculated in working days (Monday to Friday, excluding Bank holidays).

Cut-off times for Express Delivery orders
Express Delivery orders placed before before the cut-off times shown below will usually be desptached on the date of order. Express Delivery orders placed after these cut-off times will be despatched the next working day.

Delivery FAQs

When will my order arrive?
There are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays, except for postable items where Royal Mail has a Saturday delivery. Express Delivery orders placed on a Friday (before 1pm) should be delivered on the Monday or Tuesday, Express Delivery orders placed on a Saturday or Sunday should be delivered on the Tuesday or Wednesday. The arrangements for Very Heavy Items are different and are shown above.

What about Next Working Day delivery?
Most Express delivery orders will arrive on the next working day, if the order is placed before the cut-off time (see above). Some will arrive on the second working day if there has been a "split-delivery". So-called “split deliveries” happen when the couriers do not have enough trailer space for everything that should be moved around the UK, so they will load what they can and leave the rest for the next trailer.

Is my delivery day guaranteed?
No retailer or courier company can ever "guarantee" a Next Working Day delivery. As well as split deliveries, all courier companies occasionally have the same transport problems as can happen to everyone else, including snow blocked roads, closed roads, traffic jams, mechanical breakdown, an inability to find the delivery address, or to gain access to it if, for example, it's in a block of flats. We work with some of the best couriers in the business, and overall they provide an outstanding service.

Do I need to be at home?
We are very flexible with our deliveries and will aim to deliver to an address which suits you – this does not need to be your home address. Goods can usually be left without signature - we prefer this with roof boxes. There's a "Special Delivery Instructions" box in the checkout area where we'll ask you to choose a typical instruction and then amend it to suit your particular requirements.

Payment options:

We take the following cards, and also PayPal. Please note that the entry on your card statement will be from "The Roof Box Company".

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