Our Yakima/Thule Truck/RV Bike Storage -- What We Like and HATE About It :O
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I use a camper shell/truck cap and store my bike inside (cost used was $1k, new they're $1600). It takes up 50% of the width of the bed laying down, but if I remove the front tire it can stand upright and only use about 30% of the bed width. For quick access I leave it laying down with the tires attached. To prevent bike damage I have a carpet remnant that the bike lays on. I can easily slide the bike in and out without damage to the truck or bike. Since the bike is stored inside it is protected from weather and since it's not visible to would-be thieves, hopefully less of a chance it gets stolen. (It is cable locked to a truck tie-down and obviously the truck cap locks too.) I still have use of 50% of the bed for other things. The downside is less visibility in the rear view mirror, but once you get used to towing a trailer and using only side mirrors, even when disconnected you still mainly use only the side mirrors out of habit. I do have the option of mounting the bike on a rack on the back of the trailer with a built in hitch receiver, but did not like how exposed the bike was to weather and thieves.
We have pulled a travel trailer all over the country for over 30 years with various pickups equipped with caps (some aluminum and now a fiberglass one) and found it a great solution for us. With some DYI anchor points mounted in the cap I can strap the bikes in securely without removing wheels or accessories and can get bikes in and out even with the trailer attached easily and quickly. Provides secure protection from weather, sun and thieves as well as lots of space for all sorts of extra gear. A rack on the top of the cap carries a canoe or our kayaks. So whether by land or by sea, our toys are with us and readily accessible.
We carry our bikes inside the Airstream. We installed four threaded inserts where we attach the fork mounts. Front tire off, tighten the forks into the mounts secure between slide and door with cargo strap. We didn’t want bikes on front, couldn’t mount on back, carried in truck bed until the idea came to me that they would easily fit in Airstream. Has worked great for 18 months. The fork mounts unscrew from floor when not in use and threaded inserts are flush with floor and positioned under ottoman.
I started with a Yakima roof mount single bike rack that attached to my Equinox roof rack. It worked very well for my bike, but, and it was a huge but, lol, I’m a goddamed absent minded moron and I ran it into low over hangs until finally, I gave up on it and went with the Yakima trailer hitch mount. That has saved me the lifting up to the roof and saved my bike from damage. It works because it’s on our toad, so not exactly like pulling a fifth wheel or trailer. My only complaint, they don’t make a one or two bike model, only a four bike version so it sticks out fairly far.
We bought a high rise Century truck cap and built a homemade device to slide the Ebikes front tires right in so we don’t even have to take of the front tire off. The perfect solution as we can lock up the cap to prevent theft also lockup things inside the truck box such as generator. Because of the airflow over the cap we get a noticeable increase when towing our trailer as a side benefit
Sorry that’s a noticeable increase in fuel economy
We had the Yakima rack system that attached to the factory roof rack on your Chevy Avalanche, worked great for 16 years, never loosened, never a problem. We bought a Tundra and went with the Yakima system that clamps directly to the roof/door frame. It scratched the paint off the truck where it latched. The towers would loosen constantly causing the bike rack to come completely off and rest on the roof. We’ve called Yakima on and off for 2 years. The first rep was irritated that we called so close to closing, the second rep was irritated that we did not know the parts by there proper name and hung up while I was still talking the third was trying to be helpful but everything he told us to try we already tried multiple times. I asked for a refund or partial refund with no response. We are so grateful for your video because we were thinking of your setup but now back to the drawing board
That is so much better then our solution. We put our INSIDE our Grand Caravan! The dog does not like them. While we have to take the front tires off, at least they are protected from the weather. When we had a Tent Trailer, I installed 4 bike racks on the top, and they had a diagonal brace that allowed the wheels to stay on and secured them.
I fork mount in the bed of the truck. Pros - pretty secure, easy access, dirt cheap to do. Cost me about $20 for the mount. Cons- kills a lot of space in the truck bed, can't use the tornie cover, so everything in the bed is exposed to the elements. Got some water proof bins which help. Luckily I store most everything else in the trailer. RV rear bumper mount wouldn't work and didn't want to do a tongue mount for the same reasons you mentioned. Thanks for the good honest videos.
Sean...We have a Airstream Flying Cloud [Vinnie is our service guy!] and I went through the same quandary. How to store bikes? We ended up with an ARE canopy and a Decked storage system. I’m able to store the generator on the top of the Decked system, the bikes fit under the canopy and are somewhat easy to remove. I like the canopy because it keeps the bikes and other gear out of the weather and a little harder to access by wandering hands. NOTHING is perfect. Just compromises I’m willing to deal with. Your setup was my second choice. Both choices are about the same in cost. Thanks for your video. Safe travels.
We have two e-bikes and two kayaks and pull an Airstream. We use a tall bed topper with the bike forks fastened to a bed slide inside the topper. The bed slide allows us to access items in the truck without having to take out the bikes and climb up into the bed. The kayaks are on Thule racks on top of the bed topper. We have to use a step ladder to put them up there and get them down. It’s not ideal, but it works. You are so right, that the more trouble it is to access your toys, the less you use them. We are always looking for a better setup.
I use a mtn bike style tail gate pad with Velcro loops to secure to the down tubes. The front wheels sit flat on the back side of the tail gate. Then I run cable lock through the bike frames to one of the tie down loops in the bed. It's not that elegant, but has worked for the 2-3 times a year we go for a trailer trip. If we want to bring our kayak or surfboards, we install two piece Yakima lumber rack and strap to the top of that. Security isn't very good, so we avoid leaving unattended in city centers.
Lol loved the fan with hundreds of bikes on the roof!
I use a Highland Sportswing carrier in a front 2" hitch receiver. The Sportswing has a 160lb capacity and space for 4 bikes, you can also leave the front piece off and fit 2 bikes. Even with a bike large enough for myself at 6'3" the tires do not interfere with the headlights. As far as bugs, we've done about 7,500 miles with it on the front and haven't noticed an issue. It's also a heck of a lot easier to lift the bikes to an arms neutral position than overhead!
*edit*
Oh, and hitch plus rack was $300, I ended up paying another $100 to have the hitch installed after struggling for a few hours, so all in it was a $400 solution.
The Thule cargo box on the top of our van holds a massive amount of items that make full timing in a van much nicer. We try not to clutter up the inside of our van. Cluttering up the outside we don't mind so much. There are excellent bike seat covers that go on in just a few seconds after using the bikes. We use the Xerocover Journey for our seats. They look pretty worn after 3 years of being in the elements 24/7 but still work great. We use a fork mount and a wheel loop mount Yakima for our two electric mountain bikes. We have to use two different types to keep the bikes from conflicting with each other. We tie a stabilizing strap around each rear tire to keep the bikes stabilized. It's better to have continuous pressure in one direction (to the side) rather than the bikes wiggling back and forth. Prevents metal fatigue. We broke one Yakima rack before learning this lesson.
You've done a good job of adapting to the Air Stream's weakness, storage. We keep our ebike wheels in place and put the ebikes on a Hollywood rack on the back of our Honda CRV, which is our toad behind the motor-home. This can be an issue with weather, like you explained, but it's easy to load and unload. I avoid driving in rain or snow as much as possible and hunker down at a campground when weather comes through. A cover for the ebikes gets installed in those scenarios, only when stationary. It's not a perfect solution, but it mitigates the weather damage that can occur from exposure. It's all about timing. Ebikes are heavier to handle at 50 and 60lbs, but oh man, are they a pleasure to ride when touring the country. So much fun.
Boy you are so right on with your comments on hauling ebikes in general and with respect to RV's. We are in our mid 60's and retired and we live in Michigan and have 2 ebikes with 4" fat tires that weigh 66 lbs each. We have tried a couple ways (one was fork mount) that didn't work out very good for us for reasons you addressed, beating up the front forks and becoming loose and bouncing around. We now are hauling them with a Hollywood Sport Rider SE2 ebike fat tire rack (the wheels stay on) that will haul two 80 lb each ebikes. We purchased the rack from etrailer it fits a 2 inch receiver. We do have to add a bar from the seat to the handlebars for clamping them down. We had a heavy duty 2 inch receiver welded up and added to the rear of our 5th wheel. The rack isn't really rated for the back of trailers but its working out fine, its pretty heavy duty. The whole setup is solid and not moving around and tows nice and the bikes don't loosen up. We have a backup camera on the 5th wheel and my wife checks on them on and off when towing. Also in the winter we haul the bikes on the back of our SUV to our place in Florida. So the 2 inch receiver setup works good all the way around for us. But it was a big pain to come up with something that holds all the weight and will take fat tires on the bikes and hold them solidly in place. Plus it has to be easy to load. BTW we do remove the batteries and we do cover our bikes and use bungees to hold the covers in place and so far our electronics are holding up well. The bikes are expensive, but then throw in all the hoops to jump through to haul them. It all starts to get expensive. But we do try to get out and ride 5-10 miles 3 or 4 times a week. If we didn't have them we would be just sitting in our lawn chairs So I guess its got a good side too.
We use "Cling" wrap to wrap the area where the batteries go...and we also wrap the speed control area on the handlebar. This keeps out the water and saves your problem. We take the batteries off during transport..again for a reason of safety and to keep the batteries out of the cold.
Thanks, I hope my LCD display can be salvaged. Good idea to wrap those areas in plastic.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST PROGRAMS YOU’VE DONE, IT INCLUDES OUR/YOU VIEWERS PARTICIPATION, MY BRAIN WAS SEARCHING THE WHOLE TIME,,,,, GREAT JOB
You guys review things in the most unbiased manner possible. Love it.
Thanks! It's a nice system! ... but it ain't perfect. ;)
Easiest solution is to buy the bike rack that does not require removal of front wheel. We have the Yakima rack that straps down front wheel with ratchet system, no need to remove wheels. Works great on our F150.
Unfortunately that style of Yakima rack does not work with our bikes. We even took them to the store we purchased from and tried it. We really wanted to make that style work, but it just wouldn't. It would have been much easier, for sure!
We carry the bikes on the back of the trailer. We carry as many as three sea kayaks on the rack above the bed and roof of the truck. It can be interesting. A little practice and loading/unloading problems go away. We have a friend in the Airstream club that has a shell on the back of the truck with kayaks on top. In the shell he has a lot of gear that rolls out in a big frame/drawer so generator, grill, etc are accessible. Don't remember if they have bicycles in there. Everybody configures their rig to meet their needs.
Had a 2005 F250. Added a front, 2" receiver hitch for 2 bike rack. Thousands of miles. Bugs never became a big issue. Easy to clean off, if they were. Met y'all back when we tailgated with Ty and Emily on Campus Drive some years back. RTR
Totally agree that easy access means you will use it more. I have the same issue with my inflatable kayak and my folding e-bike. Once I get them out I have a blast with them though. I have a 19 ft Airstream, so I’m very familiar with not a lot of storage. I put a mid-height cap on the back of my truck. That has given me way more storage and a place to put my bike. The cap keeps everything dry inside. However, because of the openings in the bottom of the truck bed, it is not dust proof. Keeping things covered helps, but every now and then I need to sweep out the bed with all of the accumulation. I resisted this idea because I like the look of the truck, but resistance is futile when practicality rules. Just another idea for you.
Nice video. We don't bike often, only occasionally on a short camping trip. Our solution is a cheap in truck bed rack that can keep 4 bikes upright. It indefinitely not for off-road, but I think the way I tie them down can handle a little bit bumpy road. Online review was mixed, so I was a little extra careful and added strap downs to keep the bikes firmly on the truck bed. The rack really just keep the bikes upright. I also uses a tension bar to keep the bikes bouncing. So far the few trips we took are great.
Downside is we lost most of storage in the truck bed. We can still put small thinks or long poles, but any large boxes can't fit.
The other potential issue is if the strap down is too tight, it could deform the wheels in the rack. I have noticed any and try not to make it too tight. It worked for us because most of the drive was on highways.
On nice thing is that when not using in the truck, we use it in the garage as a normal bike rack.
Got my “Lectric XP” e-bike last month that folds in half and it was a great solution for carrying in my small teardrop. Makes all the difference for me
I used to put the kids' bikes on the roof of my Excursion Tow Vehicle. That was a major under taking! I had a receiver welded to the rear of our travel trailer and that made things easier. The only draw back was not being able to see the bikes while we were traveling and the constant wonder if we lost them....I really like your set up. Safe Travels!
I purchased a receiver hitch extension that also has 2 receiver holes. One hole on top, one hole on bottom. I slide the receiver ball mount for the trailer in the bottom hole and then use a hitch receiver 2 bicycle rack in the top hole. Works great.
What I like about your videos, is you admit your mistakes and let us decide your victories on your long long honeymoon. Been watching you two for a while, and as a traveler part time I know the pit falls and fun of enjoying what you two are showing us. Bikes or no bikes been there done that. Keep on the road. God bless you both. I think you are an inspiration to many. We bike and walk. it is a crap shoot. But we store our bikes inside our rig when we use them and leave them locked outside when we park. Got rid of the Yakima. When traveling you have to compromise on most things.
I just came across your video. As usual it was excellent! We store our two folding electric bikes behind the front seats in our 2017 F-150 super cab. With the back seats folded up they fit well and there's no need to remove the front wheels. After we throw a couple of jackets over them they are nearly invisible. We use an old blanket underneath so they slide in better. The bikes have 20" wheels. They stay dry and secure and can remain in the truck when charging. We have a folding cover on our pickup bed like you do and with the bikes in the passenger compartment we have full access to the back. The system works well for us and the price was right. John Hart - 19' Airstream.
For seniors who can no longer balance well at all, a FOLDING RECUMBENT TRIKE is the ticket.
A large heavy duty carpet bag like a large bowling ball bag works well to put the folding trike into and move it into and out of a RV while in transit.
Well installed grab handles on the end of the bag help a lot too.
We are newbies, just this year. After much research came to same exact conclusion you did, then was completely sold after watching your first video on your solution.
We don't carry ebikes, but two road bikes and a kayak. Works great for us. We are glad you recommended the whole solution. Nothing hanging off anywhere, and full use of truck bed. Our only drawback is we are both short, so the on/off is a bit challenging.
We have tried various bike covers, but nothing has worked, so we just live with the weather.
Thanks guys!!!
Cool! Glad to hear this solution is working well for you. Like I said, I haven't seen anything better. It makes sense to use that empty space above the bed.
Really good advice. We have a campervan and our solution to carrying our RAD fat tire mini e-bikes was a Wilco swing hitch and a Hollywood rack. We can easily move the bikes out of the way to get into the back doors. But like your solution, very pricey!
We have the same issue of where or how to store our electric bikes with our airstream too. Last summer we bought a canopy for our truck, so your setup for us would not work, since we needed the extra space for storage. So far our best option was to get 2 stands for our bikes, and store the bikes inside the trailer while we travel. The handle bars would have to be swung parallel to the bike frame, but both bikes fit fairly well inside the trailer, as far back as we could place them.The bike pedals could also be removed if necessary. A heavy blanket could be placed over the bikes to prevent the bikes leaning against the counters or bathroom doors and causing scuff marks. It's relatively easy to take the bikes out when we park or camp. At night we just chain the bikes to the trailer and cover them with a tarp. So far this woks for us. We have given some thought to storing the bikes inside the canopy, but it would require us to take the front wheels off, and make the handle bars as well. And then the bikes could still be supported by the bike stand inside the canopy. There is just enough height inside the canopy to do this. But then you lose some storage space for other stuff. No perfect solution, that's for sure.
We have an Airstream as well and I’ve struggled to find a truck bed cover/ bike carrier solution that I like. Your solution with the Retrax cover, bike carriers and Thule box is the best I’ve seen. Thanks so much for this review it’s really helped with my decision.
I agree. Select the best of several bad options. We pull with an old van, but we found a space for our Rad Mini folding E-bike (68 pounds) and a much lighter mountain bike by pulling out the middle passenger side seat. With big side doors, both bikes fit and get secured by a couple of motorcycle straps attached to bolts in the seat floor plate. Very secure, out of the weather, away from sticky fingers, and relatively easy to access.
Excellent video. I have a shell on my truck and I made a bike rack out of a 2x6 and fork brackets I got form REI. It keeps 2 bikes very secure. I traveled 6K miles this year and never had a problem. I still have plenty of room for our champion generator, bike front wheels and other stuff I carry while towing a Lance trailer. Every thing is locked up and out of the weather. I know a lot of people do not like to have a shell on their truck because of the way it looks, but I find the convenience out way the looks.
Although I don’t own an RV (yet), I am an avid biker and appreciate this well thought out video. Your numerous excursions with your bikes in tow lend a LOT of real world credibility to those who are not familiar with your channel. For us in the Loloho nation, we know your passion and admire your integrity when it comes to your product reviews.
I have a DYI setup for Clarke, I bought a Backflip retractable tonneau off of Craigslist, I have 1" aluminum tubing reinforced with 1"angle aluminum for bed rails and crossbars from Home Depot, and last but not least, Yakima Raptor Aeros. When on the road, we run a 17' dog runner cable through everything and secure it in the bed with the Master Snake Locks. My bike is an Electra Townie and it sits pretty damn high, so I add a tie down for stability. I also put stuff that's infrequently used up front under the tonneau and frequently used items in the rear for less curse words while accessing the bed. I've thought of every way possible to secure my stuff from thieves, but in the end, I've concluded that.....it is what is. Something that I didn't hear mentioned that I REALLY like about this setup, is that, your bikes are on the truck and it adds functionality, instead of being dependent on a RV bike rack BACK at the RV. This setup is awesome in my book, I'll take the trade offs for the function any day. Great video as always!
We have almost the same setup, but have three bike rails from etrailer that attach to the crossbars that do not require the removal of the front tires. Love the Yakima crossbars and the ease of removal.
I have a jack it bike rack. It mounts using the same bolts that mount the electric jack and the bikes sit above the jack and propane tanks. It doesn’t interfere with the tailgate and works very well. Easy to load and unload. My 2 bikes are much lighter than your ebikes though.
Hi, love your videos. Most important thing! The harder to get to your bikes the less you will use them. As I am a bike guy I make easy to mount and unmount my bikes so not to discourage me from using them. Sometimes fast and easy is best. Happy Travels.
Sigh, you address a real problem of taking all the "toys" we love with us when RV'ing. I've come to the conclusion personally to "keep it simple stupid" and either leave stuff at home, rent it, or do without. You made a great point that the more steps required to use something, the less likely it will be used. I couldn't agree more.
I have a similar setup. Elected for the trays with the clips for wheels and arms to lock onto frame on the crossbars, over my tonneau cover. No taking off tires and kids bikes didn't have the fork option. Found the whole setup on Craigslist for $300. I agree with getting them on and off. With 4 bikes I have to use a stool and tailgate combo. Great video.
We have a F350, DRW, 8' bed, Crew Cab. Since we tow a fifth wheel, I put mine on a Yakima rack over the truck's cab. It's a carbon road bike and is light enough.
I do my 3 over the tailgate. Try using a towel first to see if it works for you. Set the folded towel low enough that the front tire hanging out the back of the tailgate doesn’t scratch and the rest over the top of the tailgate to not scratch your bike. I can hold 6-8 across the back and have been from Arkansas to Colorado several times with this method. I run a cheap cable through the frames and lock it to the truck. No disassembly required. I also have a TT not an airstream but looks like you have more clearance between truck and trailer then I do. Wish I knew how to post a pic here so I could show you. I actually use an restaurant floor mat for mine
Best system I've seen was on the road through Washington State and it was home-made. He ha the same trip-fold tonneau over I have. He made up the basic contractor bed rack, but made up bike carriers on the two sides of it. Mainly a mid bar to cable to and a c-channel for the tires. He had 2 kayaks above on the crossbars and the bikes on the sides. Nice, the tonneau still opens!
That was a predictable accident, but most are. As soon as I saw the method of attachment, I decided it wasn't for me. Then you showed the damage; ugh. We upgraded our AS TT and the one we bought has the rack put on at Jackson. We haven't used it yet. It is for two bikes, but probably only one eBike. I will put one foldable bike in the AS. Our 28' FC has a lot of tongue weight, so a bike on the back is helpful. I will load for 12% tongue wt., and the bikes will be a tool to help with that. Thanks for the video. 16 more days at work and then I am retired!
Sean. You look pretty buff lifting those ebikes onto your truck. That could be an everyday workout in itself. Pretty informative and helpful video. I’d never thought much about the weather exposure up top. Hopefully your bike parts will be okay.
Sean, thanks for the video. We have an airstream and just purchased an Arvika bike rack from Canada. You’re right, there are no perfect choices. We haven’t used it yet, I’m hoping it works out. We have E-bikes @ 55 lbs each. What’s worse, I have had more damage to bikes during transport than using them!. The rear bumper of the camper seems the most logical choice for many people but actually due to the distance from the rear axle there is a lot of jostling there ( not so good for a rack and the bikes). Look forward to every video.
We use a front mounted hitch and standard bike carrier. Catches wind and bugs but was best option. I'd probably consider camper shell next go-round.
Thanks for the honest review!
Thank you for this video; it's very informative. We're trying the folding Lectric eBike, which we will store in the truck bed under our bed cover.
Also look at the new Biria e folder fat bike. Really cool. Our shop sells them. Fun to ride and you can charge your phone with it
Test ride some quality folding RECUMBENT TADPOLE TRIKES like the HP Velotechnik SCORPION PLUS.
They are really the bomb.
They also come with electric pedal assist.
Most trikes like the Catrike of Orlando, Florida use a BOSCH electric motor if you elect to go that route.
I thought my folding e bike would fit in the bed of my truck with my tonneau cover. That was a no go until I got a cap.
Shan you should ust two ratchet straps to secure each bink. But you would have to install a set of tiedown hooks as well. Secure truck to bikes ans bike to bike. That should do it.
Wrapping some heavy bungees around the bike's top tube and then hooking them under the tire groove rails will stabilize your bikes from jumping around and absorb vibration, etc.
So many solutions, great video. I have a TT , tow veh is Dodge turbo diesel with a shell. Perfect for me. The bed can hold SO much including my bike.
There are bike racks that will allow you to not remove the wheels. The Yakima HighRoad or FrontLoader are fantastic! I'm surprised the Yakima dealer did not recommend those. Mahalo!
We actually took our bikes with us to test the racks. We tried multiple options, including the ones you mentioned. They didn't work with our bikes. 🤷🏼♀️
A couple of thoughts for you to consider:
1. As others have mentioned, both Thule and Yakima (and others) make bike racks that don't require you to remove the front wheel. Food for thought. But as you mentioned, to many folks removing the front wheel is Standard Operating Procedure and not a big deal. The Yakima skewer mount you are using, although clever, does seem to require some awkward maneuvering to attached the Yakima skewer to the bike. "Most" skewer mounts (at least until the most recent generations) didn't have such a skewer that drops into a customer clamp on the rack.
2. I would be worried about the broken fork drop out. Considering the beating that the front forks taken when a bike is being ridden, with a 100-250 lb rider on board, there is no way on god's green earth that that fork tip should have broken simply because the bike was mounted in a skewer rack on a truck. I would want to know more about the geneaology of the forks on those bikes ... there's no way that drop out should have broken like that.
3. We use something called an "ATOC Topper" rack which we've used on roof mounted racks to carry around our tandem, which weighs around 35lbs. The salient feature of the ATOC style rack is that you only have to lift one end of the bike at one time. You start out with the bike perpendicular to the length of the car/truck, then lift the front end up and slip it into the skewer mount (which is pivoted), and secure the skewer. Then you use the pivoting skewer mount to then lift the back end and swing it around until the rear wheel is in the wheel tray. Much easier to see it in practice than to describe it. The point is that there are bike mount systems out there that don't require you to lift the bike potentially over your head. Yakima makes something similar in concept, and I think Thule does as well.
Thanks for your video. Very interesting. We are expecting a RetraxPro XR tonneous cover to arrive tomorrow. One question for you: Does the latch handle for the tonneau fit underneath the Yakima bars when you're opening/closing the cover?
The Mighty Cass checking in to give you encouragement and appreciation.
Thank you! 🤙🏻
I went with the Fiamma Airstream bike rack and it works for us. We do not carry E bikes, just regular mountain bikes that are under weight 77 lb maximum. I also slide a blue boy between the bike rake and trailer and run cable through them to lock them in place. I store my black tank hose in the hose holder provided by Airstream. I Keep 90 degree clear angle hose adapter to hook up to sewer drain in side storage bin, so I don't need to access the storage bin in rear bumper. I also have rear window emergence exit , so worse case scenario we will need to crawl over the bikes or break out the window if it is the way. The up side, it it easy to take the bikes on and off and uses them easily. That said, some times wonder why we bother to bring them, as we don't need them or care to use them.
Yes, it really bugs me to go to all the trouble of loading up the bikes and carrying them on trips, and then find that we rarely use them. After this past season I'm questioning whether we will bring them out on the road again.
@@LongLongHoneymoon Maybe We both should try a trip without them, and then decide if we really need or want them. We are planning next year to travel to Traverse City Michigan, Mt Rushmore and the Bad Lands , Rocky Mountain National Park and Steamboat springs before traveling back to Fort Myers, Fl
When we get our rig-however it may look like, I want our bikes inside the rig. We have regular bikes and they get hung from a hitch rack...exposed to the elements & being cheap I want them to last & still look good.
I get the cover thing, I haven’t found one style that actually is designed for use on a hanging bike rack or won’t flap & rip while driving. Or even while covered in our backyard during a storm!
Thanks for this vid. I also have an Airstream and have been looking for good options to carry my mountain bike. Your post is very relevant to me at this point.
You could get a small strap and ratchet over the bike top bar and the cross bar. Tighten down the ratchet and that would take out any movement .
Have you considered a truck cap? You can put everything in the back securely. Some like contractors have additional storage compartments on the side. Two cents
Our dealer installed a 2” hitch receiver on the rear of the trailer, which we use in conjunction with a Hollywood bike rack rated for 200lb. Our eBikes weigh 50 lb each with batteries removed. This system has worked well for us since we began towing, six months ago. Should we be concerned about the extra 100-120 lb of extra WEIGHT on the back of our AirStream? You did not mention this as a reason why you rejected this option.
Thank you Sean & Kristi. We’re more confident streamers because of you two😘
Maybe you have seen this cover I saw on Wander Dano channel. He has two bikes, 1 reg and 1 ebike. he found a cover that totally covers the bikes. attached to the cover is a strap that wraps around the cover reducing flapping in the wind. It looks very secure and he gave a positive testimony on its use. Hope this info helps. Loloho! 🤘
I feel for ya. I have spent thousands on racks for my toys, partly because I had to face the inconvenience factor. I don't think I could go full time without a toy-hauler. Trying to find acceptable ways to travel with my recumbent trike and kayak is hard enough when I travel alone, but with Hubby, we will need two rigs.
Folding Lectric XP is our answer.
Great info. Like having that kind of detail on a product so a good choice is made when comparing products. Thanks for all the work. Really great editing!
Thanks! Overall it's a nice system, but as mentioned in the video they all have their downsides.
Your complexity discussion applies to most RV add-ons: grills, dutch ovens, screen rooms, bikes, canoes, kayaks, etc. Unless the item is a primary reason for your trip, think hard about cost, storage requirements and general complexity. So far, we travel fairly fast to see new things and don't carry extra activities. I love my bikes, boats and grills but haven't found it worthwhile to haul them. Also, the racks and storage boxes are often found on craigslist/marketplace as they are storage nightmares once you no longer need them.
Yes, after all these years I'm still trying to hone our packing process. I want to bring everything we WILL ACTUALLY USE and leave behind the stuff that just takes up space.
Good to know! Thanks for your honest opinions.
I open my camper door and put them inside the door. My bed is just inside the door and lean them against that with bungies hooked to eye hooks I have put in. Front wheels stays on, no bug guts and outta site. the cost is minimal.
You have a very good setup. The only thing better would be having a toy hauler. My own solution for stabilizing the bikes on the rack is to use bungee cords to limit movement as much as possible. For additional strength, perhaps ratcheting cargo straps would make it almost impossible for the bikes to ever come loose. As for protecting the bikes from wind on the highway, you may want to consider a wind deflector on the roof of your truck (although that would be more expensive hardware to get). Safe travels!
Like others have said folding ebikes under the tonneau solves the weather and road damage issue. Still requires some setup but no additional locks. The new model by "Camp" looks interesting but I have no 1st hand knowledge.
Great video! I look forward to your posts!
I think your solution is the best for your rig. The only other option would be a 'topper' rather than a tonneau. Grandpa looks, but more inside storage.
Kristy, The fourth reason to not use the Airstream bike rack is it's so ugly! Plus, people don't realize how much that area goes up and down bouncing on the road!
We had the EXACT same set up as you and it worked really well except....we have really nice road bikes and we couldn't keep them covered on the back on the truck. We are full timers and having them exposed to the weather all the time was not ideal. We ended up moving them to the back of the rv and we have a great protective cover over them. The downside is our bikes are not with us with the truck if we want to ride somewhere and don't have the rv attached. Pros and cons...Like you said you hold your nose and pick the best option that will work for you! Great video by the way! We had the Retrax on our old truck but just upgraded to a newer F-150. We loved the Retrax but unfortunately it did not fit on the new truck so we're going with a canopy this time. Thought it was hilarious about people telling you you had the cargo pod on backwards LOL! We also had a pod and heard the same comment!!
I had a full topper on my pickup. I had to remove the front wheels on the bikes (I could carry three), and the seats & posts assemblies. The outer bikes faced forward and the center bike faced rearward. Some re-assembly required, but not a major issue. Being inside the topper, the bikes were out of the weather. My set-up was similar to yours, but lower profile. Outside of weather exposure, you have a nice set-up.
Thank you so much for taking the time to post this important information! Saved me a lot of research.
This was a great breakdown! I had come up with the same solution for our setup. Retrax MX tonneau, and Yakima racks. Only difference is that I'll be doing a cargo rack on the bars instead of a Thule or Yakima cargo box. Anyway the Retrax arrived yesterday and I'm installing this weekend. I'm excited to be able to bring our bikes along on trips.
I’m using the tongue mount system. It’s a workable solution for two bikes and is very stable.
Do you have e-bikes? They are much heavier than regular bikes.
Nice video. Really appreciate the information. There were a few points on the video that there was a small echo effect, but it was not a big distraction. Cheers and happy camping.
Another great and informative video; thanks, guys! Inspired by you, we got that exact tonneau cover awhile ago and love it. I have to tell you, if your other Pacific Northwest fans haven’t already: “Yakima” is pronounced YACK-ih-mah. Primary stress on “YACK”; secondary stress on “mah.” Trust me; I’m a professional (literally: I am a pronunciation researcher for the audiobook industry). That’s why DH and I are a great team: he operates all the dangerous equipment, and I make sure he pronounces things safely.
We are probably going to get that same YACK-ih-mah rack for our bikes, but it’s good to hear about your experiences with it first. Thanks again!
love your overall set up and the Thule, don't like the bike rack. i use a Yakima bike rack similar to yours which does not require removing the front wheel.
went on a 7000 mile ramble with it, never a problem.
We have rocky mount bike racks . They attach to Yakima cross bars . The tires stay on . No issues so far .
Thank you Thank you Thank you. We have two Aerial Ebikes on order (different colors than yours) and may have to rethink it. To be honest, we got tired of looking at our fellow campers with all of their "Toys" and thought we'd do something to join the club. Maybe this isn't the right step. It's so rare to see a review after using a product for a year. Most reviews suffer from the euphoria we all have immediately following the purchase.
So after much deliberation we have just purchased two Qualisports Dolphin folding ebikes. These weigh about the same as the Ariels but fold down to only 14.5 inches thick. I figure we can keep them under the Tonneau cover and they will be better protected. If on a long trip we can keep them in the trailer (for more truck bed storage). Thanks again for this video! Ariel cancelled our order and refunded the money immediately. Oh, and these bikes saved us over $1000 not even including the bike mount gear we would've had to buy.
Might I suggest using some small racket straps to also help secure the bikes. This will I think help in the movement of the bikes and maybe prevent the stress on the front forks, just my 2 cents worth.
Nice video. I suspect a couple of bungees or tie-down straps added to the setup could reduce some of the sway of the bikes, as well as being a 'belt-and-suspenders' approach to discourage your bikes taking flight during transport.
We tried bungees and they didn't help. 🤷🏼♀️
@@kristymichael Then try tie-down straps with or without ratchets. I have kept unlikely loads secure on motorcycles for years...
This is an excellent video. Thank you
Thanks for the vid. This is an issue I have been pondering in my Towable/MH considerations.
We have a Chevy Avalanche. It has a similar bed situation. I keep a 4.5 foot long pole with a hook on one end. When we need to reach something at the front of the bed, we just "Hook it" and pull it to the back. Just a thought.
Have the same thing with my F150 5.5' bed.
Foldable e bike fits in the basement storage of my class A. Was afraid of leaving it out in the weather for damage you found.
Great review. Sorry about your luck with the broken dropout. I swear every company comes up with ways to sell to suit a particular need...WITHOUT, making you aware of its shortcomings under some circumstances. Bikes aren't designed to take forces without their wheels...sorry, it's one of my pet peeves in the industry.
Aside from that, a newer product (Billie Bars) may be of interest. You can get standard height or 8" riser to make access of the bed easier; might be able to leave it on. Now back to my dilemma...12' kayak and a teardrop trailer, lol.
Nice video, we don't bike as I am still dealing with my knee and the use of it. One thing I do for stuff in my truck bed under the cover that makes for me easier get to stuff is, I got a long dowel and drilled a hole at one end and put a screw in hook on it so I can reach in to pull things out from the end of my tail gate. Now it would not pull my generator but then again I don't put my generator that far in. Something to think about and it under $10 to make.
I have a 5th wheel and use a Hollywood brand rack at the rear that fits a 2" receiver. But, as some of the comments have suggested. I've considered switching to a travel trailer allowing me to put a bed topper or shell with enough inside space for bikes and side access. Probably would have had less or nearly same money into it that you have in your set up and only 1 key. I also have put a 2" receiver on the front of our 06 F350 that allows me to use the same Hollywood bike rack on the front if I choose. Which we do sometimes when we tow our pontoon behind the 5th wheel. Also, we have a 10K electric winch that I store in the toolbox in case we should get ourselves in a bad spot or need to pull someone out of a bad spot. Loved the video nice job. Let us know when your through Kansas love to meet you guys. We have a space museum and an underground salt mine that are fun to visit here in Hutchinson.
Once you test ride a good recumbent trike with the X-seam properly adjusted for your pedal reach, you will be hooked.
Storage considerations are different, but can be done.
This is the main reason I decided to get a toy hauler, I use the garage area for: bikes, motorcycle and a kayak. But I do like how you set your system up and would have done the same if I didn't have a toy hauler. There always compromises and there is no perfect solution.
I have the same evoke you two have and use a Kuat receiver-mounted rack on the back of my van. The wheels stay on. Less than ideal because 1) it makes the backup camera alarm go off. And 2) it blocks the back doors from opening. The latter problem may be fixed by using a slightly longer male extension, which would hold the bike out just an inch further, allowing the doors to open.
I haven’t seen any damage from being out in the weather, but I wish I had room for the bike inside. It can be put inside, but I need the space for other storables. Grrr
Use some type of bungee strap to assist with reducing movement. The less the bikes wiggle and vibrate, will slow down the attachment pins from loosening.
I am a bit surprised at the issues with the bikes becoming loose. We used our Yakima rack mounted on top of our minivan to carry bikes including a tandem bike which is about the same weight as your e-bike. On top of the minivan they see a lot more force from the wind. Over more that 20 years, I don't ever recall an issue with the fork mount becoming loose like you described. Although I can think of a few instances with myself and friends with similar racks where the fork was not correctly mounted in the first place. In those cases the bike became loose pretty quickly even with light racing bikes. I don't think you would have that problem with your setup since you have a very clear and convenient access to the fork mount. I just wonder if you are using enough force to clamp the fork to the skewer. Another possibility is the way the skewer mounts to the rack. My racks had the skewer fixed to the rack and you guide the fork onto the skewer.
Have you considered a canopy for the back of the truck? It would allow for storage of the bikes without disassembling and would protect them from the elements.
Thanks for the video. If you wait long enough the question want to ask will be answered.