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Favorite Truck Transport??


horncpa
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Just got myself a new pickup (GMC Sierra).  I was curious what the thoughts were on this various methods of hauling your bike around.  I am only considering methods where I am not having to reattach the wheel.

The two main ones I am looking at are:  

1)  The "blanket" that goes over the tailgate and you throw the front wheel over the tailgate.

2)  The bike rack that holds at the tires and goes into a trailer hitch attachment.

Pros/Cons of each?   Hoping to make a good long term decision.

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14 minutes ago, ahornsfan said:

Just got myself a new pickup (GMC Sierra).  I was curious what the thoughts were on this various methods of hauling your bike around.  I am only considering methods where I am not having to reattach the wheel.

The two main ones I am looking at are:  

1)  The "blanket" that goes over the tailgate and you throw the front wheel over the tailgate.

2)  The bike rack that holds at the tires and goes into a trailer hitch attachment.

Pros/Cons of each?   Hoping to make a good long term decision.

Is it one of the new Sierra's with the 132 function tailgate? 

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I vowed to never run a hitch rack again after I was rear ended and had to fight Allstate to replace my $500 kuat rack as well as my $3,000 Trek Cronus Pro. 

Been running this since I bought the truck May 2017. Recently replaced the 2x4 sections, but that was after 2+ years of weather abuse. Pull the front wheel and toss it in the back seat. The Rocky Mount on the driver side locks the axel, but I also attach frames to corner hooks in the bed via cables when I think security is an issue. 

I plan to revisit this soon to add another mount. 
 

 

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CA005D7B-4E45-49B5-9FF4-0A5A30ED5D78.jpeg

Edited by bestbike85
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39 minutes ago, ahornsfan said:

Just got myself a new pickup (GMC Sierra).  I was curious what the thoughts were on this various methods of hauling your bike around.  I am only considering methods where I am not having to reattach the wheel.

The two main ones I am looking at are:  

1)  The "blanket" that goes over the tailgate and you throw the front wheel over the tailgate.

2)  The bike rack that holds at the tires and goes into a trailer hitch attachment.

Pros/Cons of each?   Hoping to make a good long term decision.

If you never plan on buying a shell, go with the tailgate mat or a rack for inside the bed. Trucks are bad enough to maneuver in parking lots without having a bike hanging off the bumper on a platform rack.

 

Ive used all three options at some point

 

This option was the worst (even though wife approves)

IMG_20170512_180406.jpg

 

Best option for long trips as I can secure all of my stuff and don't have to drag the bikes into a hotel at 8pm

IMG_20171219_184145379 (1).jpg

 

Still use this rack for in town trips when i dont want to unload all the sh*t i carry in the truckbed for work.

IMG_20181125_151847643_HDR.jpg

Edited by ATXZJ
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Not much help for your application, though I had the same preference toward not removing the wheel.

I sold my pickup and bought a van. :classic_biggrin: Problem solved.

bikestowlr-jpg.127798

.... the fact that it is rated for over 2 tons carrying capacity, has lockable enclosed storage, and gets about the same mpg as the pickup I sold helped make it an easy Tundra to Transit transition for the Transition (Covert 29).

Edited by Ridenfool
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So two trucks on MoPac today carrying mtn bikes via tailgate pad, and one with the pad but no bikes.  This seems like a very easy and inexpensive solution.  

Ditto on van; have a Toyota Sienna and love being able to roll the bikes into back and close the hatch.  

Yeah, we don't have kids so all he back seats have been removed and stored. 

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I use the tailgate pad method. And by pad, I use an old southwestern print wool blanket. Cheap, can hold 7 bikes at a time, looks right, feels pure. Never had any problems with high speed interstate travel. 

As a bonus, you can throw down the blanket and change your shoes or pass out on after a hard ride.

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I use one of these if transporting one bike.  Picked up it used on ebay. - https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/bike-rack/truck-bed-bike-racks/thule-insta-gater-_-18344

That lets me keep both wheels on and is super simple to take out if I need to.   I throw a moving blanket over the tailgate if I have to have multiple bikes in.   I'd probably just get a hitch rack, but I use a trailer often and I don't want to have to swap out the rack every time.

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20 hours ago, June Bug said:

So two trucks on MoPac today carrying mtn bikes via tailgate pad, and one with the pad but no bikes.  This seems like a very easy and inexpensive solution.  

Ditto on van; have a Toyota Sienna and love being able to roll the bikes into back and close the hatch.  

Yeah, we don't have kids so all he back seats have been removed and stored. 

Fellow MVP (Mini Van Pilot)!

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3 hours ago, fontarin said:

I use one of these if transporting one bike.  Picked up it used on ebay. - https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/bike-rack/truck-bed-bike-racks/thule-insta-gater-_-18344

That lets me keep both wheels on and is super simple to take out if I need to.   I throw a moving blanket over the tailgate if I have to have multiple bikes in.   I'd probably just get a hitch rack, but I use a trailer often and I don't want to have to swap out the rack every time.

i would assume you need a long bed to use the insta-gater?

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I have the aluminum channels around the top of the bed in my Nissan.  I have Rockymounts Driveshaft holders bolted to the front channel.   Most of the time, I don't use the rack to elevate the rear of the bikes, but it is nice for camping to free up more space in the bed.  With the rear end of the bikes down in the bed, I can drive right into the garage with the bikes in the back.  

trktrlr1.jpg

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having to take the front wheel off when you have a truck seems to defeat the purpose of having a truck to haul bikes. I would use the blanket over tailgate method, a hitch rack, or my preferred method which is a bed extender with foam over the tubing. I like this method because I like the bed extender and I dont need to carry anything extra like a tailgate pad.

 

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On 10/17/2019 at 9:27 PM, kpomtb said:

I have the aluminum channels around the top of the bed in my Nissan.  I have Rockymounts Driveshaft holders bolted to the front channel.   Most of the time, I don't use the rack to elevate the rear of the bikes, but it is nice for camping to free up more space in the bed.  With the rear end of the bikes down in the bed, I can drive right into the garage with the bikes in the back.  

trktrlr1.jpg

That T@G camper is the shite! Nice setup😎

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On 10/17/2019 at 9:27 PM, kpomtb said:

I have the aluminum channels around the top of the bed in my Nissan.  I have Rockymounts Driveshaft holders bolted to the front channel.   Most of the time, I don't use the rack to elevate the rear of the bikes, but it is nice for camping to free up more space in the bed.  With the rear end of the bikes down in the bed, I can drive right into the garage with the bikes in the back.  

trktrlr1.jpg

Tear-droppers, unite! 
 

 

 

25F9CAF1-B403-4FA3-B67A-B523E7D4EA23.jpeg

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I have several options set up.
For just days when I drive to the trails and don't plan on leaving my truck with my bike in it. I just double duty the doggy blanket as a tailgate protection.

Then on days I want something a little more secure and want to haul my kayak at the same time, I made this mount assembly for the bed cover.

I can also just lock it under the bed cover (again using the doggy blanket).

Plus there's always inside the cab, but some disassembly/assembly is required.de43661dc5dc43619170f1fdc41872eb.jpg27fddaf3c2822b8e826836a221cf8cf6.jpg79bb4f267c3a809a506c6c9ed31921c7.jpga1edbcd82de159afa052a8c48c9103f2.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

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  • 2 weeks later...

If it's just me, my favorite is to just throw the bike in the bed.  Latest truck I bought had a 80" bed so I don't need to pull of a wheel or anything.  I have to open up the tonneau if I leave the wheels on since my bars is pretty wide.  I can fit the kids bikes in the bed and close up the tonneau, and then toss a hitch rack on the back too, and do like having the option to load up with gear in the bed, and hang a few bikes off the back if I need to.  

 

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On 10/19/2019 at 12:05 PM, Yosmithy said:

I have several options set up.
For just days when I drive to the trails and don't plan on leaving my truck with my bike in it. I just double duty the doggy blanket as a tailgate protection.

Then on days I want something a little more secure and want to haul my kayak at the same time, I made this mount assembly for the bed cover.

I can also just lock it under the bed cover (again using the doggy blanket).

Plus there's always inside the cab, but some disassembly/assembly is required.79bb4f267c3a809a506c6c9ed31921c7.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 

Does the tonneau cover still fold up with the mount attached to it like that?

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On 10/16/2019 at 4:12 PM, ahornsfan said:

Just got myself a new pickup (GMC Sierra).  I was curious what the thoughts were on this various methods of hauling your bike around.  I am only considering methods where I am not having to reattach the wheel.

The two main ones I am looking at are:  

1)  The "blanket" that goes over the tailgate and you throw the front wheel over the tailgate.

2)  The bike rack that holds at the tires and goes into a trailer hitch attachment.

Pros/Cons of each?   Hoping to make a good long term decision.

If you do anything more than a yoga mat/blanket with the front wheel draped over the back, you are wasting your time and money.

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