Hopefully these pics work, it's my first time to try to add pics.
I wanted the bikes above the bed rails so I could put coolers, firewood, chairs etc in the bed. I had a popup at the time, so cargo space was needed.
I took the fork mounts like others have used, and bolted them to 2 pieces of angle iron I bought at Home Depot. I have 2 bars going across, the fork mounts are on one, and the back tire on the other. On the ends of the angle iron I put a 6" piece of the angle perpendicular to the long piece, and I put some stick on rubber pads underneath it to protect the truck. I bought some truck box mounting hardware the grabs the underside of the bed rail, and clamps down the rack. I use small bungees to keep the back wheels from bouncing around.
In the pictures, I lowered the cross bars down into the lumber slots in the bed so that my kayaks would fit on top. I've got to make some extensions for the kayak racks to make the bikes fit better.
I'll try to get some better pics of the racks this week.
I wanted the bikes above the bed rails so I could put coolers, firewood, chairs etc in the bed. I had a popup at the time, so cargo space was needed.
I took the fork mounts like others have used, and bolted them to 2 pieces of angle iron I bought at Home Depot. I have 2 bars going across, the fork mounts are on one, and the back tire on the other. On the ends of the angle iron I put a 6" piece of the angle perpendicular to the long piece, and I put some stick on rubber pads underneath it to protect the truck. I bought some truck box mounting hardware the grabs the underside of the bed rail, and clamps down the rack. I use small bungees to keep the back wheels from bouncing around.
In the pictures, I lowered the cross bars down into the lumber slots in the bed so that my kayaks would fit on top. I've got to make some extensions for the kayak racks to make the bikes fit better.
I'll try to get some better pics of the racks this week.
I utilize a rack on a front mounted hitch receiver and a stand I picked up for $7 at Goodwill in the bed of the truck. I used to have carefully load and unload the bikes in and out of the camper which took a good 15-20 minutes. With this system I can do it in under half the amount of time.
I made a rack for the truck bed. Since the topper is too low, I replace the front wheel with a steel lawn mower wheel. With this rack, I can minimize the space that the bikes occupy.
I carry 3 bikes over the dining table. The Sunlite fork mount brackets were $16 ea. The front wheels store under the table.
It's important to me to keep the bikes out of the road grime when towing in bad weather. Also, the bikes weight is almost over the axles.
At the campsite, they get put away in this portable shed.
It's important to me to keep the bikes out of the road grime when towing in bad weather. Also, the bikes weight is almost over the axles.
At the campsite, they get put away in this portable shed.
mrbreeze az wrote:
These are some great ideas. I am leaning toward the pvc rack (if I can still fit the generator, grill, etc). My truck bed is only 5.5 feet long.
My Silverado's bed was 5.5' long as well, an ideal length as that tensioned the tailgate when closed against the bike tires. That DIY plywood bike rack I illustrated earlier was the original version which I later cut in half in terms of width and modified to hold 3 bikes and still use today where it hangs on my garage wall to hold empty Aquatainers between camping trips.
At the time I was using the original version for hauling 4 bikes I also used it at the campsite to hold the bikes and back at home to store them in the garage.
So many uses, my only "cost" being some sweat equity to build it. 🙂
mrbreeze az wrote:
I am looking for an inexpensive practical way to transport our bikes (3 of them).
A great solution for anyone wanting to transport bikes while towing a travel trailer or 5th are the Arvika Bike Rack Systems which mount at the front of the trailer, keep the weight where it belongs forward of the axles, and where bikes can be seen from the tow vehicle ... but it not inexpensive.
My much cheaper solution was my own bike rack built with scrap plywood in my workshop that allowed me to carry 4 bikes in the back of our Silverado along with anything else - water containers, firewood, under awning ground mat, etc. "Cheap" for sure and the bikes didn't move in the slightest. :B
When we later switched the Silverado for an Avalanche I could just as easily carry a couple of adult bikes in the trailer by simply leaning them against the queen bed ... again, never shifted in the slightest.
