Kuat Huk Half Tailgate Bike Pad for Trucks - 2 Bikes - 25" Wide

Video Transcript for Kuat Huk Half Tailgate Bike Pad Review - 2019 Ford F-150

Howdy there neighbors, Ian with etrailer. Today we're gonna be taking a look at the Kuat HUK on our 2019 Ford F-150. Let's get into it. Major difference between the Kuat full tailgate cover and the half pad here is that it does give you access to your rear view camera and this handle, you won't be able to drop it with the bike up there, but you don't have any flap like you would with the full size. This makes it a little more convenient if you're concerned about the camera being covered up while you're traveling with your bikes. So with this being a two-bike carrier, it's gonna have a couple different options as far as where you can put these retention straps.

That way if you wanna put a little distance between the two bikes, you've got the option to do so. But these straps here that hold the bike on are just little flip tabs and you can just ratchet those down, put some pressure to that tab, and that'll keep that bike in place while you're headed down the road. And for removing the bike, it's gonna be as simple as just unclasping that strap, picking up the tail end of the bike, up over the tailgate, and dropping down on the ground and you're ready to ride. One thing I wanted to mention as far as this pad and the height of the vehicle, it's gonna be something you'll want to look at because if you're not very tall, or maybe you just don't feel like lifting the bike over the edge every time, you may wanna look at our website for some of the options for hitch-mounted bike racks there. So, always an option if you're not happy with having to lift it out.

I think one of the greatest features about the HUK is gonna be, number one, the styling of it. It just looks very clean for a pad. Normally they're not contoured very well, and so they're kind of gonna have strange wobbles and just extra space behind them. This contours really well to the shape of the truck. Also, the large pads on it are a huge plus.

This is about as padded as it gets. So you're gonna have good protection, not just for the tailgate, but for your bike at the same time. And if you've got both of 'em on there, it's probably gonna be a concern. I'm going over the installation of this HUK half-pad here. It's pretty easy.

And I found, especially with the clearances on the F-150, really does a good job at just making it simple for you. There's a set of buckles and then these straps are just gonna fall down back behind the tailgate. And then once you've got them dropped through, (tailgate slams) as I mentioned, there's quite a bit of room to be able to reach back, grab this strap and then the hook is just gonna go right into the loops. So this particular model doesn't have the step within the tailgate itself. What we've ran into with a couple other test fits that this will block that step. So, anytime you'd want to use that, say you've got the bikes out, you're ready to grab a couple things, cooler or whatever out of the bed, you would have to remove the pad. So that's gonna be another good thing to keep in mind. So in conclusion, the HUK half-pad is gonna be a great option if you don't feel like having the full pad cover up the rest of the tailgate. But that'll be our look at the 2019 Ford F-150 and this Kuat HUK half-pad. My name's Ian, thanks for watching.