You have several options for carrying bikes on a pickup truck. Trucks are great utility vehicles, and chances are good that you are using your truck for more than carrying bikes.
The best solution for you depends a lot on how you use your truck.
Learn more about these four main types of bike racks:
Hitch-mounted - these racks attach to a hitch at the back of your truck
Roof-mounted - these attach to a roof rack system that has crossbars
Bed-mounted - these racks install on the floor or sides of your truck's bed
Tailgate protectors - these pads protect your tailgate so that you can lay bikes over it
Hitch-mounted racks are a good solution for hauling bikes if you need to maintain the use of your truck's bed. However, a hitch-mounted rack can interfere with opening
your truck's tailgate. Racks that fold or swing away will help you access your truck while the rack is installed. These racks either tilt down or swing out on hinges away from your
vehicle. Hitch-mounted racks are easy to use. Just slide them in or out of your truck's hitch, and secure them with a pin or lock. Bikes are
easy to load, too, on a hitch-mounted rack. You don't have to lift them very high off the ground or remove any wheels. To find racks that are the
easiest to mount, look for lighter models. Hitch-mounted racks don't make contact with any painted surfaces of your truck, so they won't damage the finish.
Your vehicle must have a hitch if you want to use one of these racks. Many trucks have a hitch, but if yours doesn't, consider installing one. Most hitches can be installed with
basic handtools, and most of them don't require drilling. See our
fitguide to find a custom-fit hitch for your truck.
A roof-mounted bike rack can be a good choice for carrying a bike on your truck because
it frees up your hitch and bed for other uses. However, the length of a standard-size truck cab is usually too
short for crossbars to be practical. But trucks with longer cabs like extended, king, and crew cab models usually can be fitted with crossbars. Or you may be able to install
crossbars on a campershell or cap if your truck has one. See our fitguide to find a custom-fit
rack for your truck.
Like bike racks that attach to a hitch, roof-mounted bike racks don't make contact with your vehicle. This helps prevent damage to your truck's
paint. To mount a bike on one of these racks, you have to lift it to the top of your vehicle's roof. This can be difficult to do on a tall truck. A step stool might be helpful for
loading and unloading bikes if your truck's roof is a long reach for you.
Truck bed bike racks either bolt on or clamp into the bed or sides of your pickup truck. They allow you to carry 1 or more bikes in the back of your truck. Truck bed bike racks are a good
choice if you don't have a campershell or cap and you don't need much space for other cargo in the back of your truck. The bolt on types are usually small so that
they don't take up much space when you aren't using them. The clamp in style can be removed so that they take up no space when you want to use your truck bed for
something else.
Truck tailgate bike pads lay over your truck's tailgate and provide cushioning to prevent scratches and dents when you set bikes on them. They usually include straps that secure the pad to
the tailgate and the bikes to the pad.
The differences between the Yakima HoldUp #Y02443-2 and the HoldUp EVO #Y02479-2 include an integrated SpeedKnob to take out movement of the bike rack, an easier system for tilting the bike rack, and the ability to add fat bike tires (up to 5"…
For your 2017 Honda Civic with a naked roof the roof rack I recommend is the Rhino Rack part numbers #RRVA126B-2, #RRRLKVA, and #DK453. The reason I recommend this rack is because it's just as easy to install and has higher quality like the more…
In order to replace the bike lock cable on the Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack like part #Y02443 you will need to use the Replacement Cable Lock Assembly part #Y8890284. There would be no way to unlock the core you have now if the face was damaged but this…
I have a solution for you but the style of roll up cover you have uses the interior rails, but yours has an angled edge to give the cover a raised lip on the sides. This makes it incompatible with the Thule TracRac TracONE Ladder Rack item…
The Thule TracRac SR Sliding Ladder Racks that fit your 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 will install directly in the stake pockets of your truck. All you need to do is appropriately line up the base rails with the stake pockets. Your 2018 Silverado does…
For your 2015 Ford F-150 XLT, I recommend the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class IV - 2" #C14016. This will give you a 2 inch receiver for the most variety of accessories and choices for ball mounts. It has an extremely strong…
I have a couple of solutions for you to choose from so that you can safely tow your new boat trailer with your 2015 Ford F-150. The first thing that you can do is install another hitch that is rated for higher towing capacities. The Curt Trailer…
You should be able to use the swing-out option on the RockyMounts BackStage 2 Bike Platform Rack - 2" Hitches - Swinging #RKY10002 when mounted on your truck's hitch receiver when your truck has a truck-bed camper installed. You will just…
A great style of bike rack for front hitches is the platform style. This will increase visibility when driving. A great bike rack for this is the Thule T2 Classic 2 Bike Platform Rack #TH9045, its is a great fit with your trailer hitch #65003. Most…
Installing a bike rack in the front hitch of a vehicle is definitely possible. It's not as common of an application as the rear hitch setup but it's done pretty frequently. Things to keep in mind though are you may be blocking air flow to the…
No, I can't recommend you use a bike rack cover like the #S24FR on a bike rack that is installed on a front hitch. You really can only use covers like this behind a very large vehicle where the air flow is basically blocked. Reason is the…
There may be a solution for you but the Roadmaster dual receiver you mentioned is designed for flat towing only and should not be used for towing a camper. The only real option is the Malone 2" Dual Purpose Hitch Receiver #MPG544 which measures…
"I like the easy of navigation through the site. It only took me a couple of minutes to place my order. Thank You I will shop this sight again in the future."
Steve J.
2/13/2023
Do the pads hurt the tailgate paint?