Travel trailer, bikes in truck for short bed

[larosche]

OK this has to have been covered someplace. I just replaced my standard bed (6.5') extended cab with a nice new 4 door truck.
I got the short bed which is about 1' shorter than my old truck.

Here is my question: How do I handle the bikes (2) without dropping the tailgate completely? I am pulling a 21' travel trailer. On the old truck the tailgate would contact the front crank on the trailer if it was all the way down. From some simple measurements I don't see how the tailgate can only be partially dropped.

I know, measure first then spend $42K.............
RAD DAD

 

[sparkysakitas]

what about taking tail gate off and getting one of the bed extenders like on the 4 door ford f 150's?

 

[150rguy]

The same thing happened with our but my dad but the trailer, added more metal, then welded it on.

 

[FruDaddy]

Once I saw a bike loaded into a bed that had a full width tool box. The guy obviously had to put the bike in at an angle, but he also turned the wheel as close to parallel with the rear window as it would go. The gate did close behind it. You might be able to get two in if they are really close together.

I also once saw a metal bar that was designed to hold the gate near a 45 degree angle.

My current truck has a 6' bed, and I have never needed to carry more than 1 full size bike.

 

[76GMC1500]

Any time I have more than 1 bike my tailgate goes down on my short bed. No way around it. Hey, you could always remove the tail gate if the rear wheel doesn't hang over the end of the bed. It shouldn't take more than 30 seconds to remove a tailgate.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

I have loaded two bikes in a short bed with the tailgate up and the rear wheels sitting on top of the tailgate. You have to first tie them down, then have one person lift the back of both bikes (one hand on each swingarm) while someone else closes the tailgate. You then have to re-tighten the tie-downs because, by raising the rear, you have lowered the front and loosened the straps.

Any chance you could relocate or replace the jack/crank with one that wouldn't hit the tailgate? Even if it clears the crank, wouldn't a down tailgate hit the trailer when turning sharp?

 

[Kevin003]

We went from northern Illinois to Oklahoma in a s10 short bed with a toolbox using the strategy described above. Just make sure when you lift the tires on the tailgate you pull your front tie downs again cause there will be slack in them. Also make sure you tie down the rear.

Another method is park both of the bikes really close on one side and angle the back of the bikes really far. You might be able to shut the gate using that method. But from the sounds of it your going to have to put the rear tires on top of the tailgate.

 

[mideastrider]

Had similar situation one time with a trailer full of bikes and needing to put two bikes in the bed of the truck it also had a tool box across the front. We made two straps about 8” long that would hold the tail gate at about ¾ closed it worked out well. We did have a machine shop at our disposal so I just took a piece of metal ¼” thick by 1” wide cut a key hole shape on one end and welded a pin on the other just like the pin on the truck. Hang the keyhole end of the strap on the pin on the truck pick the gate up and latch the pin on the strap into the latch on the gate. This was F-350 pickup you would have to design to fit whatever make you have.

 

[2-Strokes 4-ever]

Not meaning to take stabs here but........why have a short bed truck? Long bed: fit more stuff, close tailgate w/ bike, longer wheelbase = smoother ride, easier re-sale....?

 

[oilspot]

Here's a cheap, ghetto solution. Take the tailgate off and cut a piece of plywood so that it's longer than the bed to lay in the back. When your not out pulling the trailer around put the tailgate back on.

 

[FruDaddy]

Not meaning to take stabs here but........why have a short bed truck? Long bed: fit more stuff, close tailgate w/ bike, longer wheelbase = smoother ride, easier re-sale....?

Short bed=shorter wheelbase=tighter turn radius, especially helpful in parking lots. Also, the shorter length results in a lighter truck (2 feet of truck that isn't there) which generates better fuel economy and acceleration. This will typically allow for a better tow rating as well. Plus, not all trucks are available with the long bed.

PS some trucks just look stupid with a long box. I will not cite examples, but I have seem them on the road.

 

[XRpredator]

Here is my question: How do I handle the bikes (2) without dropping the tailgate completely? I am pulling a 21' travel trailer. On the old truck the tailgate would contact the front crank on the trailer if it was all the way down. From some simple measurements I don't see how the tailgate can only be partially dropped.

Not sure how it works with the short-short box, but I've always hauled 2-3 bikes in my regular-short box pickups. With the bikes in straight, I raise the tailgate partially and use a couple tie-downs to hold it in that position. I built some D-rings to hook the tie-downs to, both on the tailgate and further up in the bed, but you can also hook the tie-down to the tailgate latch and bike footpeg. Works pretty slick.

Now, with that short-short box, maybe you could nose the front wheel into the front corner of the box, then crank the bike down and do the same thing with the tailgate. Should raise it up slightly more.

Hope it works out. That short-short box is what kept me from buying a 1/2 ton crew-cab or an Avalanche.

 

[Kevin003]

Not meaning to take stabs here but........why have a short bed truck? Long bed: fit more stuff, close tailgate w/ bike, longer wheelbase = smoother ride, easier re-sale....?

I got the short bed truck because it was 200$ and gets 20mpg. It beats driving the 1ton Chevy with the long bed and the 40gallon tank. Ive fit some stuff in my short bed that a select few couldn't fit in their long bed. And the way the market is going now a short bed would make for a easier resale, seeing as everyone wants a crew cab short bed.