Do you carry your e-bikes in the trunk of your truck? (Pictures if possible)

[rajron]

Do you use truck tailgate blankets? (Pictures)
Or is there a better way? (Pictures)
Expected many long trips, towing a travel trailer and carrying two bikes, Gazelle T-10+ and a Specialized Como both with fenders.
Reluctant to use a trailer hitch in back of the trailer, but might have to.
F-150 4X4 short bed.

 

[Anton4]

I used a padded moving blanket from HFT.

 

[rajron]

I used a padded moving blanket from HFT.

View attachment 131371

The bikes look secure, same truck as mine, but the bike tires a smaller in diameter than the ones I have, that is a a ford?, wonder if it will be an issue. A movers blanket is all you use? Oh, is see the strap now.

 

[Anton4]

The truck is a Ford Maverick. It has a 4 1/2‘ bed. I just put them in and used a strap to keep them upright.

 

[pxpaulx]

The truck is a Ford Maverick. It has a 4 1/2‘ bed. I just put them in and used a strap to keep them upright.

Maverick owners unite! You're good here, pick up a tailgate pad and you'll be set, or just stick with the blankets.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Another Maverick owner here, except I use a heavy-duty bike rack.

 

[rajron]

I put my bike over the tailgate with a temporary pad it was snug in place but it doesn’t seem like a good thing to do. The gate is 51/2 inches to 7 inches wide, middle is the thickest, so when the Gazelle is placed over the gate interference is between the down tube (battery holder) and one of the front shock tubes. Too much pressure on areas of the bike that wasn’t designed to have pressure. I need another way to carry the bikes.
I’m thinking wheel chocks and tie downs instead.
Anyone do that?
I wanted a Maverick, but, there weren’t any around and the towing capacity doesn’t meet my needs still they are very cool trucks, smart looking and economical to drive.

 

[Elkman]

All my vehicles have had a cargo space large enough to hold our road bikes with the front wheel left on. This included my 2022 F-150 with a 6.5' x 4' bed that replaced my 2018 Chevy Traverse with its 4x6 cargo area and that in turn replaced a 2011 GM 2500 with its 6.5 x 4 foot bed. It took a lot of research to find a vehicle in 2018 that would hold our bikes inside. Only the Chevy Traverse and the Subaru Outback had a large enough cargo area. The Outback only has two rows of seats and that makes the cargo area larger than much larger SUV's with their 3 rows of seating (designed to take the place of a mini van).

I went to many car lots with a tape measure and checked many SUV's to see if the bikes would fit before deciding on which one to buy. Same with my new truck where I knew a 6.5' bed was needed even though most dealers order trucks with the 5.5' bed.

 

[Nvreloader]

All my trucks DON'T have a trunk, just a bed........LOL
Just JJOYC = "Just jerkin on your chain."
Don

 

[Avg_Joe]

Never thought to take a picture, but I carry mine in the 5 ft bed of my Tacoma doublecab diagonally across the bed, and upright; secure with at least 2 NRS straps I had laying around (I do not use ratchet straps). Works fine.

 

[chunk]

I tie them in upright, inside the bed, just like a motorcycle, using tie down straps.

 

[Anton4]

I tie them in upright, inside the bed, just like a motorcycle, using tie down straps.

That’s how I brought this home. I’ve since built a chock for the front wheel.

 

[ruffruff]

I took a yakima 1 bike add-on and attached boards to it. Works great but I have a 6.5' bed.
I really helps loading. I rest the boards on the tailgate and slide it in.

I tried to find a picture of it but don't have one. Here is what gave me the idea, I just threw my yakima 2-bike rack into the bed to see how it fit.

 

[6zfshdb]

If you have the bed space, you're better off putting the bikes completely inside. That way, there is less chance of damage from road debris or vandalism.

My brother and I used to carry our conventional Trek MTB's over the tailgate using an old movers blanket. On long trips, I found the front end of the bikes would get covered with dirt & road spray which eventually fouled the control cables. The clincher came a few years ago when we were having lunch at a McDonalds. We watched through the window in disbelief as a punk with a switchblade slashed both our front tires as he casually walked by the back of the truck! He was long gone by the time we got out there.

A rare occurrence to be sure but it still prompted me to make a rack for the bikes that would slide completely into the bed. I'll admit that age and lifting ability had a bit to do with it as well:

A design like this may not fit in a Ford F150 short bed though without a tailgate extender which may interfere with your trailer.

 

[tomjasz]

You sir should get the EBR forum innovation award. Wow!

 

[rajron]

If you have the bed space, you're better off putting the bikes completely inside. That way, there is less chance of damage from road debris or vandalism.

My brother and I used to carry our conventional Trek MTB's over the tailgate using an old movers blanket. On long trips, I found the front end of the bikes would get covered with dirt & road spray which eventually fouled the control cables. The clincher came a few years ago when we were having lunch at a McDonalds. We watched through the window in disbelief as a punk with a switchblade slashed both our front tires as he casually walked by the back of the truck! He was long gone by the time we got out there.

A rare occurrence to be sure but it still prompted me to make a rack for the bikes that would slide completely into the bed. I'll admit that age and lifting ability had a bit to do with it as well:

View attachment 131753 View attachment 131754 View attachment 131755

A design like this may not fit in a Ford F150 short bed though without a tailgate extender which may interfere with your trailer.

I have seen your set-up in other posts didn’t realize the castor legs swiveled up when in the truck bed, ingenious but it would be hard for me to do having the FX4 package, it raises the rear of the truck significantly, and with a tonneau cover space would be very limited on the short bed.
So, I was over ruled by the boss and I ended up getting a Thule easy fold, haven’t received it yet so I can’t make much comment. On the road with the trailer, I may just end up tying down the bikes in the travel trailer for security and piece of mind instead of using the carrier behind the trailer – when everything is finalize I will post a picture.

 

[6zfshdb]

I have seen your set-up in other posts didn’t realize the castor legs swiveled up when in the truck bed, ingenious but it would be hard for me to do having the FX4 package, it raises the rear of the truck significantly, and with a tonneau cover space would be very limited on the short bed.
So, I was over ruled by the boss and I ended up getting a Thule easy fold, haven’t received it yet so I can’t make much comment. On the road with the trailer, I may just end up tying down the bikes in the travel trailer for security and piece of mind instead of using the carrier behind the trailer – when everything is finalize I will post a picture.

Another possibility is a front receiver hitch:

https://www.etrailer.com/vehicle-finder.aspx?HHCat=fmr&HHMake=Ford&HHModel=F-150&gclid=CjwKCAjw9NeXBhAMEiwAbaY4lmZiPknNm9g27yH3gGAeAiQu0sCREip0hD0A6lpHFhuaUpZl88HZsRoCg_wQAvD_BwE

I've seen several of these on pickups in campgrounds I've passed. I've never used one but I imagine it would take some getting used to.

 

[rajron]

Front Hitch Mount looks interesting – I will look into that.
As for getting used to it, the whole business of Travel Trailer and Truck is a getting used to event to for me. Nineteen years driving my Mini Cooper S to a F-150 and the largest trailer I used was to tow Vespa Scooters behind my wife's Explore, which was effortless.

 

[rajron]

Started this conversation because we picked up a travel trailer and was wondering how to carry the e-bikes. Using the bed of the truck took up too much, much needed space, then thought I could carry the bikes in the travel trailer.
Ended up deciding not to carry the e-bikes in the trailer because there is no way to secure the bikes in the trailer. Everything in the trailer is light weight so attachments for tie downs cannot be secured.
Bought a Thule Easy Fold bike rack to carry the bikes on the truck/trailer, the trailer has a 1000 lbs. hitch. Today I set up the rack so I can carry our bikes, at first it didn’t seem promising because of the odd sizes and angles of e-bikes. Realized I didn’t need to have the rack attached to the truck/trailer and I could set up the bikes onto the rack right on the ground and it ended up the bikes fit and are secure. So, I loaded the bikes onto the rack attached to the truck to see how it would be. The bikes were secure and now I feel confidant when loaded at the back the travel trailer the bikes will be there secure and safe.
Here are a couple of pics of the bikes on the rack, on the truck, in a month or so I will be taking a trip pulling the trailer but it will be just me with one bike, I will show pictures then.

Oh, I highly recommend the Thule Easy Fold bike rack for safe secure e-bike transportation. The rack has many not so obvious features, for instance an adjustable wedge system that snugs the rack into a receiver, no wiggles and carries bikes which weigh in at over 106 lbs., without batteries, the only problem is lifting the bikes up onto the rack with a high rear end of the truck. There is a “ramp” which comes with the rack and attaches in the rack securely when not in use, but the ramp is on the short side and with a high rear on the truck the ramp was nearly vertical, it still helped especially with the wife’s heavier bike (white one.) See the last picture you can see how high the rear is.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

This was in the back of my Acadia so I could drop it off at the shop and ride home.

This is the back of a Mercedes Sprinter.

This is the back of a Ford Transit

In the vans I use velco straps around the headrests to keep it upright.