14 DIY Truck Bed Bike Rack Plans You Can Make Today (With Pictures)
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Ed Malaker
- Last updated:
Riding a mountain bike is great fun and great exercise, but many of the best trails are often far away from home. Carting the bikes around in your truck without a rack can scratch and damage them, but many commercial units are wildly expensive for such a simple device. If you have a few simple tools and a bit of time, keep reading as we provide you with a list of projects that will help you create a bike rack quickly and inexpensively, so you can get back to the trail as soon as possible.
The 14 DIY Truck Bed Bike Racks
1. DIY Pickup Bike Rack by eHow
| Materials: | PVC pipe, PVC cement, spray paint |
| Tools: | Table saw, hand saw |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
The Pickup Bike Rack by eHow shows you how to make a bike rack inexpensively with just a few materials. It requires you to cut and connect several pieces of PVC pipe using PVC cement to create the stand. Once finished, you just install it into the bed of your truck. The plan only involves a few steps, and it’s also easy to customize to handle a different number of bikes. You can even paint it any color that you like.
2. DIY PVC Truck Bed Bike Rack by Instructables
| Materials: | PVC pipe, PVC elbows, PVC cement |
| Tools: | Pipe cutter, sandpaper, tape measure |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
The PVC Truck Bed Bike Rack is similar to the previous project but fits fewer bikes, so it’s a great choice if you don’t want to figure out how to customize the plan. You will cut and connect PVC pipe using PVC cement to create a rack for two bikes before installing it into the bed of your truck. It’s not difficult to build and you can paint it any color.
3. DIY Bike Rack for Truck Bed by The Gray Adventures
| Materials: | Aluminum tubing, pocket anchors |
| Tools: | Handsaw, utility knife, drill |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
The Bike Rack for Truck Bed is a unique plan that enables you to build a bike rack or pickup truck with a cover. It’s more advanced than the other plans on the list, but the directions are extremely easy to follow. The result is a lightweight yet durable bike rack that you can build for around $100. To complete this project, you will connect light aluminum pieces and use pocket anchors to hold them securely to your truck bed cover.
4. DIY Truck Bed Bike Rack by Instructables
| Materials: | Steel fence posts, eye screws |
| Tools: | Pliers, tape measure, wire cutters |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
The Truck Bed Bike Rack is one of our favorite plans because it supports the front and rear wheels, so your bikes will stay in place even under extreme conditions. The parts for this project are available at any hardware store and are relatively inexpensive. It uses steel fenceposts, so it’s extremely durable but a little heavier than PVC or aluminum projects. The downside is that since many of the components are steel, they can be susceptible to rust.
5. DIY Tailgate Rack by blisterreview.com
| Materials: | Yoga mat foam, scrap wood, screws, bolts |
| Tools: | Gorilla glue, drill |
| Difficulty: | Beginner/intermediate |
This design mostly caters to bikers who only wish to install racks that are friendlier to their pockets. But there’s a downside to it, as it can only hold lighter bikes.
If your bike has a heavy build, you’ll have to ensure the bolts used in construction are grade 8. Otherwise, they’ll bend down the minute you mount the bike.
Also, it will be virtually impossible to mount this bike on your truck if its rear bumper doesn’t feature a hanger or if it doesn’t come with a hitch.
6. DIY Strap Rack by John
| Materials: | Straps, screws |
| Tools: | Utility knife, drill |
| Difficulty: | Beginner |
Here’s yet another bike rack solution that’s not only accessible to most bikers but also easy to build and reliable. To be able to execute this plan, you don’t have to be knowledgeable about bike racks or DIYing. Make sure the straps that you’ll be using are made of durable material and are strong enough to hold your bike at the back of the truck.
This design usually supports the transportation of two bikes at a time. However, if the bikes are extraordinarily long, you’ll need to remove the seats before mounting them upside down.
7. DIY Rack Plan by Lumberjocks
| Materials: | Lumber, nails, screws, brackets, bolts |
| Tools: | Drill, hammer, tape measure, saw |
| Difficulty: | Beginner/intermediate |
We always know that we can count on Lumberjocks to come up with a simple and affordable design plan that involves wood as the primary material. A few brackets and bolts will also be needed here, as the construction has to be sturdy enough to hold the wheels of the bike.
While installing the brackets, make sure they are placed on planks that face each other. It’s the only way to guarantee that they are not visible from the side of the truck’s cab.
8. Homemade Bike Rack Hauler by Chris Fields
| Materials: | Wooden boards, screws, brackets |
| Tools: | Saw, tape measure, screwdriver |
| Difficulty: | Beginner |
While it looks and sounds difficult to execute, this plan has the simplest instructions. The first step is to find a way to mount two wooden boards on the edges of your truck’s bed. We normally like to use brackets and wood screws to accomplish that task, but if you have a different idea, you’re welcome to try it. The boards should perfectly fit below the bed rails, as they are meant to hold the bike’s racks.
Next up, prepare some cross pieces as well as a few support pieces. Make sure the pieces are of the same length, width, and height for aesthetic purposes. Install them on the boards using screws, but don’t forget to space them out. Ideally, they should be 15 inches apart.
9. Mid-Sized Pickup Truck Bike Rack by DIYable
| Materials: | Steel tubes, paint, bolts, pocket anchors |
| Tools: | Drill, tape measure, pliers |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate |
If you own a midsize pickup truck, and you’ve always yearned for an extra bike-carrying capacity (in addition to safety), this is the answer to your woes. It’ll help you securely transport four bikes from point A to B, even if the truck has a spare tire in there.
The tubes are made of steel to promise durability and can be powder-coated to prevent rusting. What’s more, you don’t have to worry about it inflicting damage on your bike, as it features a non-slip finish that’s meant to protect your bike’s paint job from abrasions and scratches.
10. DIY Frugal Bike Rack by Instructables
| Materials: | Paint, lumber, nails, screws, bolts, hinges |
| Tools: | Drill, hammer, pliers, screwdriver, utility knife |
| Difficulty: | Beginner |
This design fits in any vehicle, and that’s what we love about it. The other upside to it is that the entire assembly doesn’t crowd out the space at the back, even when it’s not in use. Plus, it can comfortably hold several bikes, without forcing the user to disassemble some of the parts.
You’ll be glad to know that the end product is visually appealing, and the construction materials are easily accessible. The list isn’t long, as you’ll only need old or new lumber, screws, hinges, and a few bolts.
The dimensions aren’t shared in this blueprint, due to the variations that exist in different truck beds. Therefore, you can work with whatever dimensions you’re comfortable with.
11. DIY Slide-Out Bike Rack Plan by Van Build
| Materials: | Plywood, screws, drawer slides |
| Tools: | Pliers, tape measure, saw, drill, |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate |
Instead of constructing a typical bike rack that features some pedal trays, you could just take the unconventional route and go with sliders.
This setup is not only efficient, but also versatile in the sense that it can be installed in a basement, garage, under the stairs, or in some spacious closet. It doesn’t require any professional skills to complete installation and the fact that it’s lightweight means you can move it by yourself without struggling.
12. DIY E-Bike Truck Bed Bike Rack by MakerDan
| Materials: | Wood, nails, screws |
| Tools: | Hammer, saw, tape measure |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
This rack design will be able to hold two e-bikes or a kayak. To prevent unnecessary movements while on the trip, you’ll have to secure the bike using a locking hitch pin. The great thing is that you can fold the whole setup in half for easy storage. That said, it’s a fairly complex rack to build.
13. DIY L-Shaped Truck Bed Rack by tacomaworld.com
| Materials: | Wood, nails, screws, spray paint, collar hooks |
| Tools: | Hammer, saw, tape measure |
| Difficulty: | Beginner |
The L-shaped rack is the best alternative to the traditional wooden rack that we’ve always used to hold our bikes on top of the truck. The materials that you’ll need for this project are all accessible, and the instructions are easy to follow.
If this isn’t your first time working on such a project, you’ll only need 30 minutes or less to complete it. And once you’re done, you’ll realize that it provides more than enough room to mount several bikes.
14. DIY Flat Tire Bike Racks by Old Man Fat Bike
| Materials: | Screws, bolts, steel beams |
| Tools: | Drill, utility knife, tape measure, wire cutters, pliers |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate |
Hauling any bike using a conventional rack is not as easy as some people make it sound. Now, imagine having to haul the same bike, but on a flat tire. It’s quite a hassle, and that’s why we love this design.
This rack guarantees that the bike remains stable while in transit, thus preventing unnecessary damage to the truck. The wide wheel tray feature will accommodate all types of bikes, including gravel, road, and mountain bikes.
Bike Rack Tips & Tricks
- When building your bike rack, take accurate measurements of your vehicle so it will fit snugly in place.
- Use bungee cords in addition to the bike rack to hold the bikes securely in place.
- Use a water-resistant bike cover to protect your bikes while you are traveling.
- Make sure no debris is lodged in the rack before you put your bike in place.
- If your bike rack is wobbling, adding weight can help keep it stable.
Conclusion
Building a DIY bike rack is not difficult, and most plans involve wood, PVC pipe, aluminum, or steel. If you are a beginner when it comes to DIY projects, we recommend starting with wood because it’s cheap, easy to find, and easy to cut. You can build the project using only nails, resulting in a durable bike rack. Once you gain experience, steel and aluminum will help you create an extremely durable bike rack that will last many years. PVC is also a good choice for durability and is almost as easy to work with as wood.
Featured Image Credit: A Custom Bike Rack Mounted To A Heavy Duty Truck Bed Cover, DiamondBack Covers, Flickr, CC BY 2.0
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