# Above bed bike mount using Thule TK13 or TK14



## sk1er18 (Jul 11, 2009)

On my last truck I had the Pace Edwards bed cover that has special rails to accept Thule Tracker II feet, and I used this to carry ski's and bikes above my bed, thereby freeing up bed space for other cargo and sporting equipment.

Well, on my new truck I opted for a different bed cover and therefore lost my ability to carry bikes above the bed..... I did some searching for a while and didn't find any solutions, until recently...

I used the TK14 mounting kit and figured I'd share my setup in case someone is looking for a similar design:





































I used the kit specified for sheetmetal... but if I had to do it again, I'd get the kit made for fiberglass because I think it'll work better and "clamp" more layers of the rail together.


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## tedsti (Oct 22, 2004)

I have a similar rack, however I installed tracks on the top of my bed.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=5331097&postcount=13


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## sk1er18 (Jul 11, 2009)

^^^ Nice setup!

How did you attach the tracks to the bed rail... through bolts?

That looks very clean and gives you the ability to slide the mounts to accept different racks... I like :thumbsup:


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## tedsti (Oct 22, 2004)

Yup, I just used some stainless bolts with lock nuts under the bed rails. It is nice to have the placement flexibility of the long tracks.


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## CKwik240 (Jul 18, 2009)

How wierd. That looks like you have the BakFlip cover (didn't care for it much). I used to have that and upgraded last year to the Pace Edwards Bedlocker on my Titan with the rails. I'm using 2 Thule Criterium racks over the cross bars to haul the bikes.

I hope you have better luck with that cover than I did. The seals on the edge fell off or were falling off. The channels that the latch cables run through began lifting off (I ended up securing them with a ton of blind rivets). The shocks that hold the cover in the fully open position only lasted about a year before it stopped holding it up at highway speeds. Ultimately, this last issue coupled with the fact that I couldn't see my cargo with the cover fully open (most specifically my motorcycles; cover kept falling on my motorcycles as well) made me decide on a roll-up cover. On a side note, if it ever feels like its having a hard time unlatching or latching as you close it, oil up the latches. They get a bit sticky when the lube in it dries out.

That said, I love the ability to haul the bikes over the bed. Its convenient, still allows me to store stuff in the bed and lock it up, and it seems to get a lot of attention (not a big deal, but I'd be lying if I said didn't feel a little satisfaction from it). Another advantage is I can still use my hitch mounted rack if a few friends want to go along and bring their bikes too (I have room for 5 people and 5 bikes).

Here is my rig...


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## sk1er18 (Jul 11, 2009)

Did you have the Bakflip HD? A lot of the issues you mentioned were supposedly corrected... and this one is the aluminum version so I dont have to worry about the panels warping too.

BUT with that said, I went with the bakflip so I could use a truck tent... lol which I doubt im going to ever use now. I also never planned on putting my bike rack back above the cover :madman:

My last truck had the Pace Edwards as well with the Explorer series rails... I'm considering selling the Bakflip so I can go back to a rollup cover..


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## CKwik240 (Jul 18, 2009)

I had the original. My understanding is that they did correct many of the issues with the Gen 2 version. Not sure if it corrects all of them. I'm not sure I would have kept it even if the cover stayed up though. Hauling a motorcycle that I can't see while driving made me nervous. I've seen motorcycles shift while being hauled before, but its usually easy enough to correct, if you see it happen. Ultimately, despite the problems I did have, I would have kept it if its design aspects weren't contradicting my usage. It did offer more use of actual bedspace than the PE cover is. But I wasn't filling it up regularly so absolute space isn't a big deal and my motorcycles fit fine with the tailgate down. 

The explorer rails and my current setup for hauling bikes was merely a bonus that turned out much better than I expected. With the issue you seem to be having with your bike rack (from other thread) a bolt on rail system like the one tedsti is using could be a good option if you stick with the bakflip. 

I don't think I would have ever anticipated using a over-the-bed mount with a bakflip either. Seeing as how it would be impossible to open the cover with it in place. I tend to be faily picky about how things work. Enough that I opted for the electric version so I can operate it through the truck's built in universal garage door opener and added a switchbox so I can open/close and turn the light on and off from the back of the bed. Its the price I pay for my OCDishness when it comes to this stuff...=)


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## sk1er18 (Jul 11, 2009)

tedsti said:


> Yup, I just used some stainless bolts with lock nuts under the bed rails. It is nice to have the placement flexibility of the long tracks.


Thanks for the tip! :thumbsup:

My new bike racks came in (594 sidearm style) and it just so happens that they have a 'fixed' location with the front rail.... lol and that location was way too far forward so I couldn't get ANY bike on the rack, let alone a 29er.

So I ordered the rails like you mentioned, and now all is good :band:


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## CKwik240 (Jul 18, 2009)

Looks Good! :thumbsup:


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## polarisnford (May 31, 2011)

sk1er18 said:


> Thanks for the tip! :thumbsup:
> 
> My new bike racks came in (594 sidearm style) and it just so happens that they have a 'fixed' location with the front rail.... lol and that location was way too far forward so I couldn't get ANY bike on the rack, let alone a 29er.
> 
> So I ordered the rails like you mentioned, and now all is good :band:


Looking to do same to my truck, what length bar did you go with?


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