I haven't posted here in a while, so I thought I would share a DIY Bike Rack I recently built for the bed of my truck.I have a diesel transfer tank in the back which unfortunately takes up bed space, leaving limited room for bikes. In the photos below you will see how I remedied this problem.The rack does a very good job at keeping the bikes stable. I also have storage under the bikes due to the back wheels sitting on the tailgate.For additional safety I use a rope to tie the back of the bikes to the truck.The 2"x4" were cut 31" long and assembled with wood screws.

lclevel wrote:I haven't posted here in a while, so I thought I would share a DIY Bike Rack I recently built for the bed of my truck.I have a diesel transfer tank in the back which unfortunately takes up bed space, leaving limited room for bikes.For those with a truck box or a transfer tank as you have this is a great solution. :B One question though - once the bikes are in place how do you manage to raise the tailgate to close it? :@ I built my own similar DIY version years ago but because I didn't have to accommodate a truck box the bikes fit easily within the cargo compartment with the tailgate fully closed so I didn't have to deal with this issue. Just curious how you manage it.

SoundGuy,Fortunately, as I lift the tailgate, the back wheels begin to roll and lift the bikes at the same time. I just have to make sure the brakes at the pedals are not applied. Surprisingly, it doesn't take much effort to lift the tailgate. I do have to loosen the handle bars on two bikes and rotate them forward to have enough clearance between the bike handles. If it were only 3 bikes you probably wouldn't have to loosen it.

My DIY Bike Rack | Good Sam Community

Lynnmor
Explorer
Feb 18, 2018
lclevel wrote:
Thanks everyone for the kind reply's.
I put Pipe Insulation Wrap on the bikes for protection. I didn't even think about putting carpet or fabric on the 2x4's. Good idea!

You might want to continue the use of pipe wrap. The paint rubbing against dusty carpet might still cause some wear. Your current setup has the point of movement between the insulation and the upright.
lclevel
Explorer
Feb 18, 2018
Thanks everyone for the kind reply's.
I put Pipe Insulation Wrap on the bikes for protection. I didn't even think about putting carpet or fabric on the 2x4's. Good idea!
toedtoes
Explorer III
Feb 18, 2018
BarneyS wrote:
Nice thinking! I am wondering one thing however. Will the uprights rub on the paint of the bikes as they wiggle while traveling? Might want to figure a way to put some carpet or something around the frames or on the sides of the uprights if there is room.
Barney

Good point. Maybe some vinyl fabric - you can get remnants from any fabric store and it would be thinner than the carpet.
BarneyS
Explorer III
Feb 18, 2018
Nice thinking! I am wondering one thing however. Will the uprights rub on the paint of the bikes as they wiggle while traveling? Might want to figure a way to put some carpet or something around the frames or on the sides of the uprights if there is room.
Barney
SoundGuy
Explorer
Feb 18, 2018
lclevel wrote:
SoundGuy,
Fortunately, as I lift the tailgate, the back wheels begin to roll and lift the bikes at the same time. I just have to make sure the brakes at the pedals are not applied. Surprisingly, it doesn't take much effort to lift the tailgate.

Interesting. I'll have to keep this in mind as last season my wife asked if we couldn't take a couple of bikes along once again for her & I but that would be difficult since I now have a tonneau cover on the truck bed that even when folded open still occupies that front area of the bed and would interfere with bikes. Your solution may solve this - thanks! :)
tinstartrvlr
Explorer
Feb 17, 2018
Simplicity at its finest. Nice job.
lclevel
Explorer
Feb 17, 2018
SoundGuy,
Fortunately, as I lift the tailgate, the back wheels begin to roll and lift the bikes at the same time. I just have to make sure the brakes at the pedals are not applied. Surprisingly, it doesn't take much effort to lift the tailgate. I do have to loosen the handle bars on two bikes and rotate them forward to have enough clearance between the bike handles. If it were only 3 bikes you probably wouldn't have to loosen it.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Feb 17, 2018
lclevel wrote:
I haven't posted here in a while, so I thought I would share a DIY Bike Rack I recently built for the bed of my truck.
I have a diesel transfer tank in the back which unfortunately takes up bed space, leaving limited room for bikes.

For those with a truck box or a transfer tank as you have this is a great solution. :B One question though - once the bikes are in place how do you manage to raise the tailgate to close it? :@ I built my own similar DIY version years ago but because I didn't have to accommodate a truck box the bikes fit easily within the cargo compartment with the tailgate fully closed so I didn't have to deal with this issue. Just curious how you manage it.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Feb 17, 2018
Clever and well done!
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Feb 17, 2018
Like!

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