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Interest In Custom AV Bed Rack?

crott

Full Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2002
Messages
36
Location
South-Central Kansas
I just bought a 2500 Av (not for hauling 20 lb bicycles), and would like to know if anyone has figured out a simple way to haul bikes on the bed covers (seems like a natural).
 
crott said:
I just bought a 2500 Av (not for hauling 20 lb bicycles), and would like to know if anyone has figured out a simple way to haul bikes on the bed covers (seems like a natural).


Hey Crott,

Welcome Aboard...

Actually I have done this several times not as much as I want to ride my bike,

I have tried several ways to do it. With one of the panels out, I think that works the best.

Now of course I have a Bike Carrier from GM...

Maybe someone else might have a better idea..

this is just my 02 cents


 
i know a guy who drilled through his fiberglass tonneau cover and has never had any problems. we both have Cannondale mountain bikes. i have a F2000 that i upgraded and now weighs about 21-23lbs. ??? he has a F900 i think that weighs a bit more. never heard him complain. the AV's panels are sturdier than a tonneau cover. i can not remember the last time i walked across a tonneau cover, not. the only thing i would be concerned with is drilling the hard panel, mounting a fork lock device, and still be able to put it in the storage bag. you could mod the bag to fit too. just a thought. hope this helps. :B:
 
I was using the one panel method stated previously during the summer and it was fine for a temporary fix...but I later purchased a hitch carrier for permanent use... :B:
 
Hitch mount rack here, wouldn't trust my bikes being on any other way than a proper rack.

I do know that someone fabricated mounts that go around and under the hard panes and a crossbar setup that would accept bikes. It looked like a pretty nice setup. I would do a search for rack or carrier possibly.

E
 
I appreciate all the feedback. I'm currently using a hitch rack, but when pulling a trailer, I would prefer not to use the extensions available to make room for the hith-mounted racks. I want to avoid roof-mounted racks - it seems it's just a matter of time before clipping a bike. I had been considering the idea of mounting fork holders in the first panel, but wasn't sure it would hold up for cyclic sideways loading (from crosswinds). Thought about reinforcing top & bottom around mounts. Anyhow, regarding the fabricated mounts referenced by NJAV - do you have a photo (searches haven't turned up anything yet for racks built just for the Av)?
By the way, an idea waiting for someone to make for Av owners may be the expandable pickup bed racks (using turnbuckle type arrangement) that have ends made to go in the "window" of the aero bars. I may end up modifying one of those if I decide that's the most logical AND if I don't find a simpler setup.
Thanks again for the replies.
 
I personally have not done this but I did see an Avalanche in Modesto, California over the summer that had Thule fork attachments hard mounted to the number one cargo panel. I would guess because of the narrow front aspect of the bike, shielding from the cab, and the overall strength of the panels that torque forces aren't an issue. The fork mounts were not complex of very noticable. HOWEVER if you do that keep in mind you can't buy just one panel - you have to buy all three and they are very expensive. So doing this install is probably a one way ticket!
 
I've been tinkering with ideas about how to mount a bike up there for a while now. Mounting fork clamps through the #1 panel was my original idea. I think the panel would hold ok especially if you put a 2"x4" or so metal plate on both sides, but it would be pretty hard to reach the fork locks from the ground when loading or unloading the bikes.

Currently I'm trying to figure out a way of making a metal plate that will mount to the back corners of the truck by removing the hand grab, insert the plate below it, then replace the hand-grab with the Torx screws going right through the new plate. That plate would then have a small vertical section that sticks up inside the hand grab that would allow you to mount a standard expanding "shower curtain" type mounting rod there (I think same as the expandable pickup bed rod mentioned above). Bolt a couple Fork locks to that rod and you're all set.

For the back tire I'm going to first see if it will just sit in the area between the flying buttresses without jumping back and forth too much. If that doesn't work I'll try to figure out a way to attach a bunji to each sail panel and pass it through the back tires of however many bikes are up there. Would still be a little hard to reach though.

Thoughts?

EDIT: I'm currently planning on using something like one of these Save-A-Load cargo bracing bars with the bike carrier attachments on it and brace it between two brackets similar to those on the back of SpyderB's truck in the other thread. A friend of mine has one so I'm going to take a close look at it before I go ahead with that though. Also I plan on making the rear bracket larger so that it is secured by more than one bolt under the hand grab and I won't need to drill back there.


 
I LIKE spyderb's installation - but just too permanent for me. However, I sure picked up a couple ideas for mounting something a little more low profile. Great job, spyderb!
I have just about convinced myself that I will bolt a Traps triple track to the #1 cover (Nashbar carries them for ~ $70), but after reading the posts, I'm going to kick around an adaptation of spyderb & TXAVy style. One nice thing about the Traps track is that the fork mounts can be easily and quickly removed (and since it's an Avalanche, there's a handy storage bin for them when not in use). The Traps track hopefully will not interfere with the operation of the front cover, and should look good as well, since it comes in black. That said, an appealing feature of mounting the forks on the back is that the rear wheels on the bike can't go too far, even if they come "un-bungeed".
Thanks for the ideas!
 
crott said:
That said, an appealing feature of mounting the forks on the back is that the rear wheels on the bike can't go too far, even if they come "un-bungeed".
Hmm... just thought of a "gotcha" to my reverse mounted bikes idea as I was reading your post. The sail panels should keep the bike's back tire from sliding sideways off the top of the bed covers, but what's to stop the bike from flipping over completely? Granted, that may take a huge gust, but driving at 70 with the wind blasting the underside of the bike seat I wouldn't rule it out completely (another good reason to remove the seat before mounting this way). Depending on how long your bike is the back tire MIGHT actually be under the top of the sail panel and not able to flip up, but that's worth checking ahead of time. Better to be safe than to have a bike flip over and plant it's handle-bars firmly in the back of my tailgate.

On another note, operating fasteners of some type near the back window won't be as hard as I first thought. Instead of trying to reach them while standing beside the AV and reaching through the sail panels, I'll just hop into the back seat and momentarily remove back window! ;D
 
Good thought in the bike flipping over. Have to admit, that thought fleeting through, but didn't "stick". Probably because we have hauled bikes backwards in a pickup (lots less air over the bike, now that I think about it). Good point about the back window - what a vehicle! I was actually liking the idea of mounting the forks @ the rear - just roll the back tire forward and mount the fork from the ground. As for the rear tire snugging up under the sail panel, it will work one bike at a time, but different frame sizes and types of bikes will sure mess that up. Have to noodle that one for a while. For the "Traps bar" method, one could lower the tailgate, set the bike on the covers, step on the covers, remove the front tire, mount bike on fork mount, then mount front tire on tire mount (Traps makes them for their rack). Looks like maybe four bikes will fit (may have to angle the forks to get road bike bars to fit that close together).

Keep me posted on your thoughts/progress. When I settle on a solution, I'll snap a couple pics & post.
 
Have any links to take a look at the Traps Bar you mentioned? I did a quick Google search but didn't find anything.

EDIT: Aha! Found it. Here is a link to the Traps Triple Track 35 (35" long). And here's a pic with 4 fork clamps on it. I like how they're rotated on an angle. Should make mounting multiple bikes side-by-side a lot easier than trying to figure out a way to stagger the forward/backward position of the bikes.
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Still tinkering with ideas. I'm going to try to get a look at a regular expandable pickup load bar today. Any idea who sells those? I could only find the hydraulic one called Save-A-Load.
 
Also in the Nashbar.com link you have, there is a section for Truck/SUV bike racks. ?I'm having difficulty getting the link to work, but go to nashbar.com, click on category "car racks" (left side of page), then click "Truck/SUV Racks" in the middle of the page. ?They have several different styles & brands of pickup "closet rod" type bars, including a nifty one that goes in the tailgate (probably not a great Avalanche application, though). ?If you have a bike shop in your area, they usually carry a few of these items and most will gladly let you check it out on your vehicle. ?Might be worth the while. ?Another thing is that most of these folks have been hauling bikes for years and often are good thinkers who may just have that idea the will work great for the Av.

Good luck!

Just thought of something. They also have single-track Traps bars, will save ~ $25. Also check out the wheel holders for these guys @ Nashbar.
 
Here's a picture of a Delta expandable rack. I have in my head a similar thing for the Av, but with the flat rack bolted on the #1 bed cover. Great way to transport front wheels, too!

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Hey all,

I'm finalizing design and about ready to begin construction on a custom AV Bed Rack and wanted to check here for interest or requests before I got too far (learning from Arrival Mike's production history :0: ).

My original idea was for an over-the-bed-covers bike rack that allowed removal of the bed covers and opening of the side storage bins without interference. After finishing design though, I see no reason why it can't be used for many other cargo mounting options as well (skis, snowboard, cargo basket, lugage clamshell, etc.).

The best part is that it's mounted using 4 small permanent brackets that install using all stock screws so there is no drilling, strapping, scuffing, or scratching, and if you decide you don't like it you'll be back to 100% stock without any remnants. The brackets are small enough that they won't get in the way during normal activities when the cross-bars are removed, and they'll be painted to look like a stock part of the truck (textured gloss black, dip-painted like a trailer hitch, or perhaps sprayed with bedliner material).

The cross-bars will be simple and quick to install/remove (about 60 seconds, just like the midgate!) and can hold a variety of mounting hardware for bikes, skis or anything else you can think of.

Here's a link to a quick web page that I threw together which shows a lot of before and after mounting pictures including some notes and still outstanding questions. The first picture shows what it would look like with a bike mounted (using a BikeTight). The pictures were just sketched up using PaintShop Pro so don't expect too much. All of the rack parts are shown in red in the pictures so that they can be easily seen.

TXAVy's Custom AV Bed Rack

I expect the entire rack to be well under $100 when finished. Please respond here with questions, interest, ideas, or even requests for modifications that would help you solve a problem you've not found a fix for yet.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 
Good idea, would be great if the bar would accept standard Yakima/Thule rack mount too since many already have racks, would be nice to reuse them.

Concept photos you did look well thought out and seem to fit right. How would you remove the cross bars? That is a key issue for me, I still need access to the bed.

Off to a great start if you ask me, if I can lend a hand let me know I have a couple styles of Yakima racks for bikes and my ski racks too.
 
Y-Guy said:
How would you remove the cross bars? That is a key issue for me, I still need access to the bed.
You'll still have access to the bed with the cross-bars on, I'm leaving just enough room under them to accomodate for how much the bedcover raises when you remove it (not much actually). So you'll be able to remove or replace the bed covers as much as you like without removing the cross-bars if that works best for you.

And if you'd prefer to remove the cross-bars entirely, my current idea for securing the cross-bars to the brackets uses shims that slide inside the cross-bar square tube and through a hole in the end of each bracket. You then cap all four cross-bars with a standard rubber end cap and you're all set. The end cap holds the shim in place as well as concealing the mounting method so that anyone who gets the wise idea of removing your rack will be stumped for a while. As with any system though, this will never stop determined thieves. "Locks only keep honest people honest."

Off to a great start if you ask me, if I can lend a hand let me know I have a couple styles of Yakima racks for bikes and my ski racks too.
Any details you can provide on Yakima/Thule racks and mounting requirements would be great since I have none of those. Pictures and web links are useful, and if you live in the area even better.

 
TXAVy- I would offer the racks powder coated, That way you can give people the option to get them in different colors. The powder coat can also be gotten in a textured finish as well and probably more durable than any wet process.
 
I like the idea! Great photos too.

If you are going to make your system compatible with Thule/Yakima, consider the distance needed between the bottom of the crossbars and the top of the hard covers. Some componets use mounting hardware that requires either the bolt or nut coming up from the bottom. Some componets have hardware that protrudes down to some extent. I know Thule has some bike racks that have bolts and nuts under the crossbars.

If you take a look at www.thuleracks.com and www.yakima.com and surf around their componets you will see how some of the hardware is positioned like wheel carriers and bike racks.

Also consider the same issue for some ski/snowboard carriers. To get the most use of some carriers it is best to put the ski/snowboard upside down with another one on top, base to base. Clearance between the bindings and hard cover might be a concern. There are some carriers, like Thule's snowboard carrier, where clearance wouldn't be an issue. However, the majority of carriers, like Thule Flat Tops or Yakima Powderhounds, carrying capacity would be cut in half without the ability to put skis/snowboards base to base without buying extra equipment, like risers.

I'll keep watching. I think you got a good idea.
 
Definitely a great idea!

I'd be very interested in one! I'm looking for extra cargo space. I have the roof rack already so I can put skiis, bikes, kayaks, etc up there. What would be perfect for me is some type of cargo basket like this: http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/product.asp?dept_id=11&sku=840

I was considering just strapping a soft luggage carrier to the top of the bed panels, but then you are limited to 250#. With your idea, you can probably put a lot more weight on the rack.
 
I'll definately look into the Thule and Yakima details as I know lots of people already have those parts and would like to re-use them.

Regarding the cargo baskets, I am confident that this rack will hold cargo baskets without a problem at all (they usually weigh 40-60lbs empty). I'm going to take off all the cladding along the sides though to get a good look at the support structure underneath so that I can give you a good idea about how much cargo weight it will safely hold. If the original brackets designed to hold a bike rack aren't strong enough then perhaps I'll make a "heavy duty" version for cargo baskets and the like.

Regarding double-mounted skis/boards, I want to keep the rack as Low-Profile as possible for all the other uses so there may be a clearance issue as you mentioned. We'll keep risers in mind though so it won't be something you have to buy from your ski rack manufacturer.

Thanks for all the ideas and links so far. I'll keep you all updated with progress.
 
I would be very interested in this rack.

My only concern would be the front supports that attach under the drain. It looks as if the arm for the support would be sitting on top of the gasket for the hard top. How would this affect water tightness?
 
kodio said:
My only concern would be the front supports that attach under the drain. It looks as if the arm for the support would be sitting on top of the gasket for the hard top. How would this affect water tightness?
The brackets will be bent so that they don't "rest" on the gaskets. We want the mounting point to carry the load, not the gaskets. Good point though, and I'll make sure that the gaskets aren't flexed so water tightness isn't compromised.

 
I own a 16ft Kayak and have been trying to figure out what would be the best way to hold the back end. If you had a mounting system like this and optional vertical posts so that a cross bar could be mounted level with a factory or other manufactures roof rack that would be great. The roofline of the avalanche is not quite long enough to hold my kayak as stable as I like. The kayak will rock while I am driving. I do not like to tie down the bow and stern of the kayak, as it is plastic and will bend if left for more than ? hour
 
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