Hauling bikes in utes with hard lids

Goudgey

Likes Dirt
I’ve recently got myself a Colorado Ute and am considering options for bike transport using the tray in conjunction with a secure locking tonneau cover and am keen to know what solutions others are using.

I need a secure tonneau so a soft cover won’t do, but also want to put bikes in the tray, most likely using a tailgate pad. The issue with this is the standard hard tonneau lids won’t allow bikes to be loaded using the tailgate pad.

Roller covers appear to be a good option but the canister that the lid retracts into are large and will impede the rear wheel of the bike, so no good there.

Tri-fold hard covers look like they’d be the best solution as they’ll not impede the bike when fully up, but will completely cover the rear window, so not really ideal.

How have you Ute owners got yours set up?
 

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
My ute came with a solid fibreglass lid on struts.
I couldn't unbolt it quick enough. Straight onto Gumtree. I hate those things.

I put bikes over the tailgate. It's so quick & easy. I made a board outta ply to raise them up....with the pad permanently strapped to it.
 

cammas

Seamstress
My mate has a pretty neat set up with a roller lid and the racks over the top, from what I can see the roller lid doesn’t take up that much space and yes his he loves Instagram :rolleyes:
358259
 

Milpool

Have knuckles, will drag
When you drive a ute, you get to STRUT into Bunnings. There's literally no other practical application for having a ute.

Sent from my G8441 using Tapatalk
When I had a ute everybody thought helping them move was a practical application.

Tip runs were. God I miss tip runs. I have so much shit at my house now that I can't just do tip runs at whim.
 

cammas

Seamstress
I don't see the point of a ute with a setup like that. Might as well be a sedan.
It usually doesn’t have the tray/basket thing on there so the bike racks are either side of the tub.
But like most people these days that drive utes, I don’t think the tub doesn’t get much of work out except for his helmet and shoes
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
How many bikes? From memory @Minlak has two 'roof rack' bike carriers on his hardlid. You could do three I guess. More than that sell the ute and buy a Kenworth.
 

Goudgey

Likes Dirt
How isn't having a highly overpowered ute not practical? It's the only way.
Absolutely

Cheers for the suggestions guys. It’s typically for 1 bike but occasionally for shuttling 3 or 4. Ideally don’t want to install carriers on the lid because that’ll prevent me from loading in the garage due to height.

For anyone with roller/retractable lids, how much does the canister impede on the tub?
 

Sethius

Crashed out somewhere
Just get a tray back much more practical but if you need security for work ,a rack on towbar???.
I found my tray back was a pain the arse, always doing down. And I've had softlids numerous times, constantly had people going through it. Nowra was shocking for this... Never going there again. The locks on the hard lids have to be replaced too. Good thing about hard lid was that it was good for camping under too.
 

caad9

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I’ve seen rollback lids with regular roof racks and bike racks over the top.
Can still put things in the (full) tray and lock them, but carry bikes on the back also.

Having said that, I use a Thule 3 bike towball mounted rack and it’s so easy to get on/off and also load.
It also lifts up and down so you can get in and out of the canopy (in my case) if need be.

The fact that a large portion of the Australian population drives 4wd utes is for nothing but tax reasons.
 
Top