Tailgate pad for bikes on the ‘24 Ranger

[markal49]

I have an XLT and want to get a tailgate pad for carrying bikes in the bed.

Anybody try one yet on the new Ranger and have any feedback on how it fits? I know some pads seem not to work well with the F-150 because of the tailgate shape and wonder if the Ranger has the same issue.

EDIT - I already have a great hitch rack (1UP); I want a tailgate pad as an alternative.

EDIT #2 - I bought the Race Face T2 and it fits very well. See post below.

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[cboggs]

I have an XLT and want to get a tailgate pad for carrying bikes in the bed.

Anybody try one yet on the new Ranger and have any feedback on how it fits? I know some pads seem not to work well with the F-150 because of the tailgate shape and wonder if the Ranger has the same issue.

I have not, but I did put on a Yakima hold up with a hitch extender. Both are on sale right now. Got it set up so that I can still put the tailgate down.

 

[DETROITSTATEOFMIND]

I have an XLT and want to get a tailgate pad for carrying bikes in the bed.

Anybody try one yet on the new Ranger and have any feedback on how it fits? I know some pads seem not to work well with the F-150 because of the tailgate shape and wonder if the Ranger has the same issue.

I have a DaKine DLX large pad for my F150, it fits the Ranger perfectly and the flap is in the perfect spot for the camera.

 

[DETROITSTATEOFMIND]

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, this was a Ranger Raptor I borrowed from work (I'm a designer at Ford) I manged to get 4 full size mountain bikes in the bed no problem FYI

 

[markal49]

I have a DaKine DLX large pad for my F150, it fits the Ranger perfectly and the flap is in the perfect spot for the camera.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, this was a Ranger Raptor I borrowed from work (I'm a designer at Ford) I manged to get 4 full size mountain bikes in the bed no problem FYI

thanks. I’ll check that one out.

 

[markal49]

I have not, but I did put on a Yakima hold up with a hitch extender. Both are on sale right now. Got it set up so that I can still put the tailgate down.

I have a 1Up hitch rack, but sometimes I want to carry them in the bed.

 

[GrumpyOldPizza]

I have an XLT and want to get a tailgate pad for carrying bikes in the bed.

Anybody try one yet on the new Ranger and have any feedback on how it fits? I know some pads seem not to work well with the F-150 because of the tailgate shape and wonder if the Ranger has the same issue.

I got myself this here: https://rockymounts.com/products/ford-ranger-track-system.html

That kit is for the older Ranger, so one has to cut the bar to fit. The bed turns out to be a tad short, so that the bike needs to get angled. Actually comes in handy, as you can wedge in the rear tire, so that the bike hold stable without any additional support. Position is actually quite nice for a Tri/TT bike as well.

My rationale was that I wanted to get the bike(s) out of the airstream (and rocks), as well as avoid having to reuse the hitch.

 

[rwolfcastle]

I have an XLT and want to get a tailgate pad for carrying bikes in the bed.

Anybody try one yet on the new Ranger and have any feedback on how it fits? I know some pads seem not to work well with the F-150 because of the tailgate shape and wonder if the Ranger has the same issue.

This is by far the best bike rack you can get for your truck. It costs a bit more than a pad, but it's so worth it! It takes literally a few seconds to set up, and you don't have to leave an ugly pad on your truck all the time. Also because of it's placement on the tailgate, it gives more room in the bed.

I have a tri-fold tonneau, and I don't have to lift it all the way up to fit my bikes. When I take it on a trip and I'm not biking, I can take it off in 2 seconds and it fits in the bed.

https://latchitrack.com/collections/preorder-latchit-rack-bike-racks/products/preorder-small-ls100

 

[markal49]

I got myself this here: https://rockymounts.com/products/ford-ranger-track-system.html

That kit is for the older Ranger, so one has to cut the bar to fit. The bed turns out to be a tad short, so that the bike needs to get angled. Actually comes in handy, as you can wedge in the rear tire, so that the bike hold stable without any additional support. Position is actually quite nice for a Tri/TT bike as well.

My rationale was that I wanted to get the bike(s) out of the airstream (and rocks), as well as avoid having to reuse the hitch.

Pretty nice.

 

[markal49]

This is by far the best bike rack you can get for your truck. It costs a bit more than a pad, but it's so worth it! It takes literally a few seconds to set up, and you don't have to leave an ugly pad on your truck all the time. Also because of it's placement on the tailgate, it gives more room in the bed.

I have a tri-fold tonneau, and I don't have to lift it all the way up to fit my bikes. When I take it on a trip and I'm not biking, I can take it off in 2 seconds and it fits in the bed.

https://latchitrack.com/collections/preorder-latchit-rack-bike-racks/products/preorder-small-ls100

Interesting. Never seen those before.

 

[coryyyy]

I went with this one. It was on sale about a month ago for $99 and it works perfectly for my needs.

Edit: I went with mid-size.

 

[markal49]

I went with this one. It was on sale about a month ago for $99 and it works perfectly for my needs.

Edit: I went with mid-size.

I missed out on that sale! I think there is only large left.

 

[joordan]

Tried several, and they all do not work well for different reasons.
Now got the dakine universal pad, and finally got it right

 

[LoneStarCaviar]

I have a friend who had a race face on his f150. My opinion is you should vinyl wrap your entire tailgate before putting any ScratchMaster 3000 on your truck, because his tailgate is ruined because of dirt and dust getting between the fabric and the painted surface of the tailgate. The fabric vibrates and moves constantly, which turns it into straight up sandpaper. I like systems like the Yakima Biker Bar.

 

[rwolfcastle]

I have a friend who had a race face on his f150. My opinion is you should vinyl wrap your entire tailgate before putting any ScratchMaster 3000 on your truck, because his tailgate is ruined because of dirt and dust getting between the fabric and the painted surface of the tailgate. The fabric vibrates and moves constantly, which turns it into straight up sandpaper. I like systems like the Yakima Biker Bar.

This is another reason the latchit rack is good. You put your tailgate down to use it. It's also able to lock your bikes to your truck when you step away.

The other bad thing about the traditional pad, is that it puts a ton of stress on your bike frame. Modern tailgates are way too wide anymore.

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