Tailgate bike pad

What is your guys take on tailgate pads? Are they worth using over a rack? I have had a cheap Allen hitch style for years but looking to use a tailgate pad because of ease of use. Thoughts?

 

Personally, no, I don't like the idea of them. I like that my hitch rack it locked to the receiver and then the bikes locked to the rack because our mountain bikes are expensive. What if you run into the grocery store after a ride, or wanna run to dinner with the wife/GF/SO? You're gunna leave your nice bikes unsecured hanging over the tailgate? While not guaranteed, they could disappear mighty fast if someone wanted one.

That said, having the rack hanging off the back of a full-size truck is also annoying. It makes a very long vehicle even longer. Especially if you are running a 3 or 4 position rack

My personal solution is a 6.5' bed with a Leer topper. Then the bikes are stored inside of the topper, out of the elements, locked, hard to see, etc. Even if someone broke the glass on the topper they still couldnt pull the bikes out because they are too big. They would have to get the tailgate unlocked too. This is especially nice when I fat bike in the winter and there is road salt on the road. My fat bikes have been absolutely coated in salt the couple of times I put them on a rack.

My 1UP bike rack is almost always on my Lexus GX unless I go camping, then it rides on the bumper of the trailer until we get there. 9/10 times I use my GX for the local stuff unless I specifically need the truck for something.

 

Love the convenience. I do not ever leave them unattended though. Around here unattended bikes on any type of system are at risk these days. The bikes go to the trailhead and back into the garage if I need to drive them to the trailhead. If they are on my tray rack or on the tailgate they'd be locked with the same cable and padlock so I don't see much security difference personally.

 

The pad will scratch the hell out of the tail gate over time. I’ve paid for protection to be put on the tail gate which was expensive. I also found a used tail gate I modified. This is on my 2.5 gen.

My 2 cents, with the lip on the newer tailgates it is set just perfect to rub the stanchions on the fork and cause damage. I was lucky enough to find a used tailgate and cut the lip off under the pad.

 

If you don't mind the extra step of removing the front tire, I think it also helps for security sake (nobody wants to steal a bike with a missing tire) I recommend a mount that works with the OEM rail system if you have it. I take my front tire off with the quick release throw it in the back seat and off I go. It has a separate lock and key so I can go in the store or leave it in my truck over the weekend for multiple rides. I use the rocky mount below:

RockyMounts LoBall Track quick release bike rack pick up truck

https://www.amazon.com/RockyMounts-...t=&hvlocphy=1022549&hvtargid=pla-514299181677

 

Definitely not good for the paint. I've found the paint on my 3rd Gen to be especially scratch prone in comparison to my 2.5 Gen. I think I'm going to have it clear wrapped for that reason after correcting the damage I've already done.

 

It comes out about the same. 500.00 clear wrap, 200.00 pad. That’s about what’s racks are now day. I personally love the pad and will always have 1

 

Here's my solution to 4x MTB transportation.
I often tow a boat and have bikes with us, so no other solution really works as well as this.

At the end of the season the "bike rack" comes off, and my 2nd set of cross bars with 2 pairs of ski racks gets mounted back up for winter.
-99

 

I'm constantly taking my Tonneau cover on and off to fit a couple dirt bikes so I didn't go with a permanent hard mount for the mountain bikes. I do like the convenience of the tail gate pad. Does its job. Takes just a couple minutes to install the tail gate pad when needed. I run a bike lock cable through the pad, and bikes when left unattended. Hasn't failed me yet. No scratches either.




Permanent hard mount for mountain bikes makes it tough when loading Dirt Bikes. Tail gate pad was a great solution for me.

 

Tbh, I've always just used a moving blanket folded over. But I also only ever put it in the truck if I'm dropping it off at the shop

 

...anything taller than the cross bars! LoL
I know the pain of taking these off when I have no other way to transport anything bigger than can fit with this on.
I even dislike the hard tonneau cover as it limit access to the bed even further, than my soft roll-up did on my 2017 Tundra.
My 2022 came with the hard cover, so it's kinda hard to trash it just to go out and buy a soft cover again.
Still - if (like you) any one needs access to bed in full capacity constantly then what I did isn't practical.

I camp a lot, with bikes and boat in tow; this way I can load all of our crap in the back, bikes on top, boat behind, and off we go...
-99

 

I am going to scratch the tailgate pad idea, I like the easy concept even with the lock but having my bikes secure is a priority. I do have the rail system in the bed, going to order one of those locks and put the wheel inside for now. I am going to ask what the cost of a tailgate 3m wrap will be, I plan on getting the trucks front end wrapped anyway. Anyone have experience with oneups bike rack that attaches to the tundras quick rail system?

 

Your bike is only as secure as how long it takes to defeat any and ALL "security" measures.
Thule/etc locks are a joke. Good cables slow them down a bit (it's usually faster to defeat the locks on the cables rather than the cable itself).
By all means, take the best measures you can (without driving yourself insane) but know that if they want your bike, they'll take it.
I certainly don't go to the mall with $7k+ strapped/"locked" to the bed of my truck.

Good luck to one and all in your rack/security endeavors.........and see you on the trails.
-99

 

OK, your Fox pad looks to fit nicely. I have a large Yakima GateKeeper and it fits like doo doo. I can't get it to lay flat no matter how I adjust it. It is the 2018-2021 model. There is a newer model but the dimensions are the same, so I doubt it would make any difference. I would love to see more pictures of pads on 3rd gens.

 

I have the new Race Face pad. Works great. Camera opening is large and top has strap for wider tailgate tops.

 

Been using tailgate pads for years, some work better than others. As far as damage to tailgates, make sure keep them clean, dirt and debris can build up under them. As long as your careful I have never had one damage my tailgate.

 

hey, which tonneau cover is that? Thanks

 

Honestly its kind of nice to have both kinds of racks - the hitch rack and the tailgate pad. That said, I end up using the pad FAR more than the rack.

The rack is great for anti-theft security and preserving bed space, but takes a long time to set up, reduces departure angles significantly, and makes parking in any real lot a challenge (total length longer than a space).

The tailgate pad can be thrown on in 2 minutes for a quick ride. Also this is by far the cheapest 6-bike rack available for anyone with kids or a lot of friends to shuttle around. The other 6 bike solutions run close to $1,000.

 

Dakine didn’t work at all. Not only did it block the backup camera but it also has straps that I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out how they were intended to tighten on the bike frame. Ended up with Yakima Gatekeeper and it works fine for my bikes.

 

I run two of these up front. Only put the hitch rack on when necessary. I hate dealing with the hitch rack and the tailgate. I have a fox pad, but like others don't use it due to a) no lock B) bikes and tailgate get rubbed weird.

https://rockymounts.com/products/droptop.html

 

Has anyone had success with a tonneau cover/ tail pad combo that allows the tonneau to close?

 

We still have our 1up rack but we mostly only use it on my wives SUV. We bough the 6.5 bed specifically to be able to do this for when we travel or if we wanted to go into a restaurant after a ride.

 

I did the bike racks a little different.

I wanted to be able to carry the kayaks and the bikes at the same time. I just added some little arms to the sides of the my Uptop molle.

The tent came with cross bars so I can put both kayaks on and still mount the bikes.

The racks are also at the right height so I can just walk up and stick the bike into the holder.

 

My Thule pad never scratched my gate on my 2012....10 years of being on there every spring/summer/fall. Only came off in the winter. 2 years into my 2022 and zero issues with the same pad. Person can always 3m the gate then that problem is eliminated for life, but as for scratching the hell out of it.......I have never seen it on my vehicles in 12 years.

On a side note, I also run an Apple AirTag and have it in a holder off Amazon that is tucked up under the saddle , basically the bike has the be upside down to see it. Rip off my stuff, I will find you

 

The new raceface tailgate pad is designed to work with tonneau covers:

https://www.raceface.com/products/t3-tailgate-pad?variant=40720988962898

I have a cap to be able to throw a bike in the back and not worry about it getting stolen. Would I leave a bike in there all weekend parked on the street? Nope. But it’s easier than throwing a bunch of locks on to grab a beer. Similar setup to above:

 

Pads are waste of money IMO, if you plan to use your truck for anything just use a rack with a swingout, KUAT racks will fit but the tailgate will hit/rub on most racks when the tailgate is down, therefore a swingout is def a game changer.

 

FOX tailgate pad used constantly. Absolutely no issues, scratching of the bed and efficient.

 

Another in the topper guy for long hauls and/or weather.
Daily rides it’s on the 1up hitch mount.

 

Where did you get those little arms? I would like to do the same

 

@andersab Do you mean these little arms?



The little offset arms that bolt to the molle are just 1" x 1" aluminum 1/8" wall welded to an aluminum angle. My buddy welded them to work with my older Yakima front wheel loader. Now I have the 1Up bike racks and they work great with these little arms. I copied ones I saw that were being sold by UpTop racks but I am sure the other rack suppliers have a part to bolt to your rack.