Mountain bike tailgate cover/pad

[Jrel209]

has anyone used a variation on this?
(picture is linked to manufacturer)

I have a travel trailer, and the rear bumper is such that mounting bikes to that is a no no. (IE a 4 bike rack can start to bend it per the manufacturer) which means soon I will need to put 3-4 bikes in the bed of the truck. 2 adult and 2 kid sizes. I have a lined bed not worried about scratches, just stacking it all in securely.

What is that….

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[mtbikernate]

has anyone used a variation on this?
(picture is linked to manufacturer)

I have a travel trailer, and the rear bumper is such that mounting bikes to that is a no no. (IE a 4 bike rack can start to bend it per the manufacturer) which means soon I will need to put 3-4 bikes in the bed of the truck. 2 adult and 2 kid sizes. I have a lined bed not worried about scratches, just stacking it all in securely.

I use fork mounts attached to a piece of wood when I need to tow. I have been tweaking my wood mount to be simpler, so I don't have good pics of it. But the new one slots right in, and closing the tailgate secures it in place so it won't go anywhere. I'm also angling the fork mounts such that the bikes cannot be removed without opening the tailgate as my "sleeper security" method.

Modern mountain bikes are pretty long, though, and pretty much anything larger than my wife's bike (hers is an XS) has to sit at an angle in the short bed, which puts limits on how many bikes I can squeeze in.

I also have an Exodux MultiTaskR rack that puts bikes into the same position as a tailgate pad, but without touching the tailgate of the truck. This rack can fit 4 bikes on it, but the tires poke out enough that they hit the tongue jack on my camper.

I also use the fork mounts and wood option when I need to transport road bikes. The Exodux rack doesn't play nice with road bikes.

 

[YaBoiNewton]

has anyone used a variation on this?
(picture is linked to manufacturer)

I have a travel trailer, and the rear bumper is such that mounting bikes to that is a no no. (IE a 4 bike rack can start to bend it per the manufacturer) which means soon I will need to put 3-4 bikes in the bed of the truck. 2 adult and 2 kid sizes. I have a lined bed not worried about scratches, just stacking it all in securely.

I have a custom made version of this made of aluminum extrusion and a thru-axle mounted via t-slot fasteners. Pics can be seen on my vehicle showcase. It looks good and I like having my expensive bike shielded from fender benders in the bed. Only downside is the short bed can be prohibitive. I could probably fit 4 bikes if I remove pedals and turn the handle bars.

I have a medium size trail bike and have to deflate the rear tire if I want it to sit straight with the tail gate closed. An enduro or larger frame bike would not sit straight and clear the tailgate - definitely can't fit two enduros. Not a problem if you have the 6ft bed.

 

[Ranger X]

has anyone used a variation on this?
(picture is linked to manufacturer)

I have a travel trailer, and the rear bumper is such that mounting bikes to that is a no no. (IE a 4 bike rack can start to bend it per the manufacturer) which means soon I will need to put 3-4 bikes in the bed of the truck. 2 adult and 2 kid sizes. I have a lined bed not worried about scratches, just stacking it all in securely.

has anyone used a variation on this?
(picture is linked to manufacturer)

I have a travel trailer, and the rear bumper is such that mounting bikes to that is a no no. (IE a 4 bike rack can start to bend it per the manufacturer) which means soon I will need to put 3-4 bikes in the bed of the truck. 2 adult and 2 kid sizes. I have a lined bed not worried about scratches, just stacking it all in securely.

I’m using it and I love it (Swagman adjustable mount)

I have been using it for 2 years, holds mine and my wife’s mountain bikes very well and it installs effortlessly

 

[that408guy]

Love my latch-it rack. Takes less than a minute to hook up. Plus it has a lock on it that give you a slight peace of mind when you're running into a store.

 

[Jrel209]

Love my latch-it rack. Takes less than a minute to hook up. Plus it has a lock on it that give you a slight peace of mind when you're running into a store.

Ohhhh thats gnarly, I actually like that, how much does a setup like that cost

 

[Danager]

BillieBars with Woopy XL tire trays and Thule fork mounts. Room to move the adult bikes outward and put a couple kid bikes between. The Bak Revolver X4S rolls up under the cross bars. Yes, I’m $1,100CAD in. But it is rock solid, can be used to hold different things (thinking of a narrow cargo basket or platform to go in the middle), leaves the truck bed available, and I can use the hitch for a trailer.

 

[that408guy]

Ohhhh thats gnarly, I actually like that, how much does a setup like that cost

I believe it was like 350-400$. Wasnt cheap but how easily it is to use, store, and keep your bike "safe" makes it worth the purchase IMO. You can find it here. Looks sold out at the moment. I gave them a call and was able to get 10% off when I did purchase.

it also will lock into place into your tailgate if you have power locks. if you are using a key it might take a couple more seconds to install.

 

[that408guy]

Ohhhh thats gnarly, I actually like that, how much does a setup like that cost

also, it has play in it when you're driving, the rack moves and your bike frame takes no real dings from rubbing on anything.

 

[mtbikernate]

yikes. I don't think I'd be okay with stuff moving.

 

[BettaRanga]

I have the Dakine half pad. It does the job to protect against one bike, but I believe it could do two if needed.

It can be pushed to the side enough to allow use of the backup camera - that would likely be harder to do with 2 bikes though.

Reverse sets off all the alarms.

 

[YaBoiNewton]

Ohhhh thats gnarly, I actually like that, how much does a setup like that cost

Just a fair warning, this thing may be $400 but it is cheap. The concept is great but the execution is poor and the hardware does not hold up to regular use.

I've done a few cross country trips with mine and most of the parts are fine, but the supporting components that snap in to your tailgate latch are flimsy at best - and this is the "beefy" upgraded part Latchit rack sent me. I could see it kind of start to fatigue and then it actually failed while carrying a single bike. I had a max of three bikes on it maybe a handful of times and the rest just carrying my bike. Got maybe a 1.5 years of use out of it.

 

[Jrel209]

Just a fair warning, this thing may be $400 but it is cheap. The concept is great but the execution is poor and the hardware does not hold up to regular use.

I've done a few cross country trips with mine and most of the parts are fine, but the supporting components that snap in to your tailgate latch are flimsy at best - and this is the "beefy" upgraded part Latchit rack sent me. I could see it kind of start to fatigue and then it actually failed while carrying a single bike. I had a max of three bikes on it maybe a handful of times and the rest just carrying my bike. Got maybe a 1.5 years of use out of it.

thanks for the warning.

 

[mtbikernate]

Reverse sets off all the alarms.

I love the little button that turns all those off when I've got bikes over the tailgate.

 

[EJH]

I love the little button that turns all those off when I've got bikes over the tailgate.

I don't turn it off. I just live with beeping when reversing with my hitch rack. Unfortunately, the front and rear bumper sensors are both connected to the same switch. If you turn off the rear, then you lose front proximity sensors too.

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