Truck Bed Bike Rack for a 2014 Ram 3500 with Factory Puck System and B&W Companion Hitch Installed

Question:

I have a 2014 ram 3500 and run the bandw puck fifth wheel hitch. I also have a soft, rillup tonneau cover. Looking for bike mount to use in the bed without taking the bandw hitch out. I would like to run two of these Thule instagaters it not sure if they will fit with the bandw in there? Concerned about the rear two pucks distance from the bed as well as distance to the bed gate. Thanks for any info you can provide.

asked by: Shaun

Helpful Expert Reply:

In the 2014 Ram 3500 with the factory puck system there isn't a lot of space between the hitch and the wheel well humps with B&W hitch # BWRVK3600. If they were road bikes with skinny tires then it would not be a problem to use 2 of the Thule Insta-Gater Pro # TH93VR. But on regular or wide tires they would likely have to set partially on the hitch. It wouldn't hut anything but there would be contact. If your truck is a short bed then the pedals become a concern although I am confident they could be positioned in such a way as to not interfere with the hitch or wheel well humps.

Another option is to use a tailgate pad such as # SR26457 which will allow you to mount the bikes with the front wheels over the tailgate (the pad protects the tailgate) and secure the bikes with the built-in straps on the pad. This design will allow for more space in the truck bed since the front wheels would be hanging over the tailgate. I have linked a video of this pad for you.

expert reply by: Michael H