Customer Reviews:
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 Worth the money!, August 27, 2008
By Just Lance (Michigan)
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This bike rack is a great buy for the money. It fits into full size as well as smaller trucks. Mine is a Tacoma and it fits perfectly. I do have to say that the directions for assembly are terrible but looking at the picture on the box and a little trial and error are all you really need. Be sure none of the pieces are still stuck together from the finish coating as they won't slide to adjust if you don't and this will make assembly very difficult.
I recommend using something to help hold the bikes in place during use as the simple device that holds the top of the tire is not enough to hold adult size bikes in place while driving. Mine are a Fuji MTB and a Redline cyclocross and both of them shift in the rack if I don't use straps to hold them. Not a big deal really. I do like that each tire holder is adjustable up and down for different size bikes. My kids bikes fit really well and tend to stay put for the most part unless I corner hard while driving.
The rack is held in place by tension to the side of the truck bed so you need to really get it placed well and centered before you adjust the fit. I have had no trouble with needing to adjust mine once it was set. There is also a heavy cable provided so that you can secure the rack to the truck as well as the bikes to the rack. I bought extra cables so that everything can be locked up together with the cables. It would be easy for someone to take the entire rack from the truck bed if it is not secured with one of these cables. The rack does not attach to the truck directly in any way. I liked that about this rack.
I gave it 4 stars because with just a couple of straps I can load all of my bikes and go to the trails and not need to re-attach tires or anything like that before I head out for a ride. It makes it easy to carry kids bikes which usually don't have quick disconnect front tires that many other truck bed rack require. The cost is very reasonable for what you get. It is all metal and is of decent quality. I recommend this if you want a truck bed rack that you can quickly load and unload a variety of bikes into without needing to remove the front tire.
18 of 18 people found the above review helpful.
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 Okay, but nothing to write home about., February 2, 2010
By Easy Rider (San Diego, CA USA)
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There are some pretty well written reviews already here, so I'll just write bullet points.
1. My rack only had two of the four caps to cover the legs, so when I used the rack as a stand, it marred my tile floor.
2. It was too wide for my Ford Ranger with bedliner, so I had to remove all but the minimum of the adjusting hardware to make it work.
3. The foam pieces were too thick to fit with my Hybrid Bike tires, so I had to swap them out with some thinner pieces from the hardware store.
4. You must put the rear wheels into the rack, which tends to push up or press sideways against the derailers.
It's far from perfect, but with a little tweeking, this rack does do the job.
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Some Good, Some Bad - Over all OK, good for the price, July 5, 2009
By Greg in San Jose (San Jose, CA USA)
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Pros:
1. Good price
2. Easy to put together and install
3. Fits a variety of tire sizes (we have DH & XC Mountain Bikes).
4. Looks good in the truck (My 16 yr. old likes it)
[BTW I'm using it in a Med. size Nissan Frontier Truck]
5. Light weight.
6. You don't have to remove any wheels!
Cons:
1. Difficult to get it to fit securely to the truck bed side walls. It wants to slip around after bouncing down the road only a short ways. We had to cut a wood block to fit on one side of the truck bed to make up for extra space so that the rack bolts had something to mount against. Not a big problem, but it is definitely not that stable.
2. On short bed trucks like ours (2007 Nissan Frontier)you have to load the bikes with the rear tire in the rack and turn the front tire sideways so that you can close the tailgait, otherwise it won't fit. Not a big deal, except for the fact that if you are not careful to adjust the tire stop on the rack it is easy to back the tire all the way in and wegde the vertical tire supports between the break disc and the rim. In that position it is very easy to bend or break the disc.
We've used the rack on a couple of trips now, holding 3 and 4 mountain bikes. Overall we are satisfied. I would recommend the rack as a worthy purchase for a truck bed rack.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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 Great rack for the truck,, March 26, 2010
By W. Parker
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I read the other reviews and I agree with just about all of them. I needed a rack for my F-250's bed so I can take our bikes on vacation. I wanted them upright and didn't like the hitch carrier we use on our car and I needed something that was easily removeable. When it came in, I found the instructions were a little vague on the lack of a third full size spacer for the rack. The rack seemed adjustable, but I couldn't figure it out. I called Heininger and they were very helpful and all I had to do was "coax" the middle uprights together on the back frame a little with a rubber mallet to get the front together to lock it in place. Heininger was right, the additional spacer is not needed, the instructions were a little lacking on this info though. The rack doesn't seem adjustable with the full size spacers right out of the box, but it is. You will need a strap to keep the bikes upright as they will move some driving, but as another reviewer posted, it's no big deal. Take your time mounting it and make sure it hits the bed with the rubber feet well. It's a little tough on my Ford with the curves on the bed at the bottom, but it works. Overall, I like it a lot, it fits the need I had. The fact it is removeable, easy to put together (with the above exception), and has the the security cable to lock everything to the truck is great. And the fact Heininger was so helpful when I called is a big plus too.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Some Good, Some Bad - Over all OK, good for the price, July 5, 2009
By Greg in San Jose (San Jose, CA USA)
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Pros:
1. Good price
2. Easy to put together and install
3. Fits a variety of tire sizes (we have DH & XC Mountain Bikes).
4. Looks good in the truck (My 16 yr. old likes it)
[BTW I'm using it in a Med. size Nissan Frontier Truck]
5. Light weight.
6. You don't have to remove any wheels!
Cons:
1. Difficult to get it to fit securely to the truck bed side walls. It wants to slip around after bouncing down the road only a short ways. We had to cut a wood block to fit on one side of the truck bed to make up for extra space so that the rack bolts had something to mount against. Not a big problem, but it is definitely not that stable.
2. On short bed trucks like ours (2007 Nissan Frontier)you have to load the bikes with the rear tire in the rack and turn the front tire sideways so that you can close the tailgait, otherwise it won't fit. Not a big deal, except for the fact that if you are not careful to adjust the tire stop on the rack it is easy to back the tire all the way in and wegde the vertical tire supports between the break disc and the rim. In that position it is very easy to bend or break the disc.
We've used the rack on a couple of trips now, holding 3 and 4 mountain bikes. Overall we are satisfied. I would recommend the rack as a worthy purchase for a truck bed rack.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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That'll do pig., September 25, 2010
By David Correa
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I needed a bike rack for three people but didn't want to hassle with taking the front tires off and putting them back on- after all, we didn't have far to drive. Anyway, this bike rack fit the bill. It assembled a little less than smoothly but we were able to get it muscled into where it needed to be. I agree with other postings here, if you spend some time tweaking the adjustments once you have it in your vehicle you will find it works just fine. Try to stand back and look at it and then adjust the tension rods so you have it as centered as possible in the truck bed. This will pay off when you are transporting more than two bikes. Other good point to note: the directions tell you to put the bike's back tire into the rack. This is crucial and stabilizes the bike.
For good measure I bought an inexpensive set of long bungees to secure the bikes from hopping around and collapsing when we drive over big bumps in the road. I run the bungees from the bike rack through the front tire and back to the rack. This has been a great help in stabilizing the bikes.
I think this bike rack works well for the price if you are on a budget and especially if you prefer to keep your front bike tires on when traveling.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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heininger bike bedrack, August 7, 2010
By trevor
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After a considerable amount of research for a suitable bike rack for my ford ranger truck I selected the heininger model 2025. The bike rack was easily assembled and provides a stable base for our two mountain bikes. As an added percaution I use a cargo bar through the front spokes.
Delivery took about 10 days & it cleared customs without any problems.
An excellent product.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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 disappointed, August 6, 2010
By Michael Faruzzi (Palatine, IL)
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Bought this rack because it's suppose to hold up to 4 bikes, however, I had problems with it holding my one bike. Like the fact that it fits in the bed of my truck, but the design is better suited to be used as a regular bike rack for your garage. 1st off, if you have a mountain bike the tire is too wide for the foam rollers to be effective in securing the wheel, just not enough room to wedge between tire and rack frame. If you try to position the rollers and then back the bike in, the rollers rotate and come off. A hassle. 2nd, you have to place the bike in rear wheel first and to get it in far enough you have to crank the derailleur forward. Can mess with the alignment of rear derailleur. Didn't like that at all. If you don't secure the front tire forget about keeping the bike vertical. Even after securing the front tire, foam rollers and even using a cable and lock to secure the bike to the rack I still had to hold the bike with my hand by reaching out my back window whenever I made a turn. If you have a ten speed or road bike with narrow tires I don't know how you are going to keep it from falling/leaning over when turning, possibly bending your rim and the foam rollers are not wide enough to secure a skinny tire. Stopped using rack after two trips. For my money I consider it a waste. Maybe I was doing something wrong, but I doubt it. Tried several different solutions but came up with the same result. Very disappointing. Gave it a two stars because it is simple to put together and the cable that is supplied for locking the rack up so it does not get stolen is nice.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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I like it, but..., May 16, 2010
By S. Hughes (Smiths, AL United States)
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Like others have said, it works, but it's not spectacular. The concept is great and I really like the idea that the bikes are in the bed of the truck and not hanging off the back. When we bought ours, we didn't notice the line "does not fit step side." Of course, we have a step side and it does fit, but you have to use the small pickup instructions (and yeah, they are weak). Our road bikes have a tendancy to shift during turns and the foam pieces don't fit snugly - probably due to our skinny tires, I would think mountain bikes would fit a little better.
All in all, I like using it. A few bungee cords to secure the bikes to the rack and a couple more in the front to keep the wheels from turning make everything all right. We've also found moving the chain to the largest chain ring in the front and back keeps the derailleur from banging into the rack.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Good idea, June 26, 2009
By M. L. Stafford (Michigan)
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This carrier is easy to assemble and fits well into my 2009 Silverado short-box. The hardware is good quality. My only small reservation is the way the wheel of the bike is held in place. I would like to see a little more positive way of holding the wheel. I like the fact that you can take the carrier out of the truck and use it in the campground.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Good product, April 13, 2009
By Dale Boardman
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Great product. Fits in well and is solid. Can hold 4 bikes quickly and without fuss. You need a tie down strap across them to keep them upright, as you would expect, but one will do across them all, looped around the frame or steering stem or each.
No worries. The manufacturer was really helpful in finding one for me too, and directed me here.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Rack!, May 31, 2008
By Hren Design (Maple Valley, WA USA)
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I have a Dodge Dakota Quad Cab and I have used the Advantage BedRack 4 times now. It's easy to assemble and really easy to install. My only complaint is that the cups that press against the bed of the truck to hold it in place are a little cheaply made. But for the price and the ease of holding 4 bikes, it works great. No other complaints.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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 wasted my money, this thing is JUNK, July 3, 2008
By Eric J. Stettnisch
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Good idea but this thing is JUNK. It does not stay in place very well. The bikes keep trying to fall over thus pulling it away from the truck bed. If you have a full size truck like I do they don't give you an extension rod for the lower front saying it's not needed.
1 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Heininger 2025 SportsRack, August 28, 2011
By Ken L. Dixon (West Haven, Utah)
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I installed this rack in a Full sized F-350 truck bed. I replaced the 4 adjusting bolts with longer ones to tighten the rack securely in the box of the truck, the stock ones were too short for my application. The compact size allows it to remain in place if I choose, without having to remove it. To improve this product it needs some type of stabilizer that would keep the bikes upright without falling to their side when rounding a corner. A tie down strap attached to the rear wheel works, but with multiple bikes it becomes a tedious annoyance.
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easy to assemble, August 3, 2011
By Dave
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Very easy to assemble & install. Bikes roll in and stand within the rack and easily and the adjustable brackets secure it in. I still choose to secure the opposite end of the bikes within the bed with a tie strap so that it doesn't move...not a big problem, but I just do it to secure it better for peace of mind. Over all I like this rack and highly recommend it and so far I've kept it in the truck bed. I think a small removable rack or a simple device to secure it better on the opposite end would be good..but since I already secure it with a tie strap it's not a big deal.
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Not good for a full size truck, July 5, 2011
By svtcontour
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The bike rack might work better in a ranger or toyota truck but my F-250 we had to add a link that dosen't come in the kit to keep it stable and from moving around in the bed. Also, you have to strap the bikes to the rack, the little sliding lock things don't work on bikes over 20". Will work with some modifications.
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Works great, July 4, 2011
By nowaitweather
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I purchased this bike rack for my full-sized chevy silverado pickup with a roll back tonneau cover. It fit perfectly just below the tonneau rail on my truck. I leave it installed all the time and can still roll my cover open and closed. When the tonneau is rolled closed you can not tell that the rack is installed in the bed. I haul 2 adult size mountain/hybrid bikes and 2 kids mountain/hybrid bikes and it works well. I use a ratcheting strap wrapped around each bike seat and connected to the chevy bed hooks. I have been on a couple camping trips and had no movement from the 4 bikes. Perfect. I find that the bike cable supplied with the bike rack is too short for my setup, so I use 2 bike cables to lock my 4 bikes to the truck.
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Decent Bike Rack, June 3, 2011
By GK
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This bike rack works fairly well. Easy to set up and install. The metal tubing used to make the rack could have been a little larger or heavier guage to make it a bit more rigid. The bikes do tend to move around a little bit especially if you put the rear tire in the rack so you can turn the front wheel enough to close the tail gate if you have a shorter bed. Not sure how well it would work if you were taking your truck off road in rough terrain.
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Good for the money, November 11, 2010
By Rod DeRemer (Atlanta, GA USA)
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I did not want to place a rack on the tailgate of my new Ford Ranger, so I bought this rack. It was, at first, a little cumbersome to install in my small truck but it worked out fine.
So far, I have not had more than two bikes in it, so I can't comment on carrying four. It has worked fine in the short distances I've driven with two bikes.
If you want to carry bikes in the bed rather than on the back of your truck, this rack will do the trick.
One additional note--I contacted the company several times to make sure it would fit in my truck. They weren't always sure but were very friendly and tried to be helpful (i.e., checking dimensions, etc.).
I'm giving four stars because the rack is not that solid (again, good for the money). I believe something should only be five stars if it is perfect.
Hope this helps.
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Not what it claims, September 12, 2010
By djwalker
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This bike rack while easy to assemble and install must have been designed by someone who does not know anything about bikes. If you try to rack the bike with the back tire as instructed the derailler is pushed to the outside. If you try to rack the bike from the front and have disc brakes as many mountain bikes do these days the disc hits and rides on the rack either way you are going to do damage to the bike. I would not recommend buying this rack to anyone.
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Heininger Bike Rack for a Pick-up Truck, September 3, 2010
By D. K. Pearson (Illinois)
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The product came fast and easy to assemble and install. Works well with any bike.
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Could be a problem with some bed liners, August 11, 2010
By Oldbikedude
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If you have a bed liner in your truck that is not flat against the bed where the pressure fittings hit you will need to "adapt" the rack to make it fit.
I used a ratchet strap to secure it because the angled corners would make the unit pop out of the corner and there is no way to make it stay.
I like the basic design, but the rack is made with light weight material and I am wondering how it will hold up. I will figure out ways to reinforce it as necessary, or use the design to come up with something more substantial if that doesn't work.
It's worth what I paid for it, but if there was something more substantial I would have paid more to get that.
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Great for trips, July 28, 2010
By Dan (Moreno Valley, Ca, USA)
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Love this bike rack. It fits easily in the back of my truck and is easy to set up. It is necessary to have secure pull ties to keep the bikes from moving while in the rack.
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doesn't do the job on it's own, July 28, 2010
By dapper
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This bike rack fits great in the back of my small Ram 50. However, it is very flimsy and lacks quality. The rack holds 24" and 26" bikes fairly well but 20" BMX bikes don't fit in the slots very well. Using this bike rack alone will not securely hold your bikes in place. The foam pads are absolutely useless and always fall off. I need to use tie downs along with the racks to keep the bikes from falling over. Overall not a very good design. And for over $100 I expected the rack to work better for my needs.
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REVIEW OF BIKE RACK, July 19, 2010
By JAMES FURLONG
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I ordered the rack to see if I could make it work on an 4 X 8 trailer and with several adjustments and drilled holes and bolts, and cutting some pieces out I was able to make it work fine. I have yet to take it on a long trip.
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A good Idea but the base should have flexibility for adjustment, June 23, 2010
By MJ (Daly City, Ca United States)
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Everything is as expected, but it dose not fit in a double cab Tacoma with bedliner.
...should I remove the bed liner or anyone with a modification hint??
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Great Rack for pickup, June 12, 2010
By Jersey Buyer (NJ)
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Fits nicely in my 2004 Nissan Frontier Pickup. I had to use a strap from the bed tie downs around the seat post and back to hold the bike on to the rack. It is super easy to carry the bikes and they are protected in the bed. My only complaint is that the hardware was slightly too large on one side to install as intended. I had to improvise and move a wingnut to the inside. Other than that, it worked fine. Overall a great design.
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Good rack., June 1, 2010
By J. Hodnett
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The only problems that I have had with this rack are that if you put the back wheel through it so that it is actually resting on the bed of the truck it pushes on the rear derailuer. This was easily overcome by just using the included clamps for the tires. The other small issue is the you will need something to secure the back wheel to the rack, I use a rachet strap and it works great for all 4 bikes.
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Can work but not exactly what you expect., July 29, 2010
By JDub
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I have a 6 by 12 trailer with kayak racks and thought this would be a nice addition for the inside of the trailer. At some point the info for the rack said this would stretch up to 6 feet which is incorrect so I had to put wood on the sides to make it hold. The rack slid some and had to be readjusted. As others have said the bar on the rack will hit the dearailer when you put to bike in. If you put the bike in a high gear it should help with that problem. Also, I ride a 29" Mt. Bike and the tire barely fit. I am not surprised by that since most bikes are 29".
For my needs an extension piece that could be adjusted to different sizes would have helped and the foam pieces were too big for my bike needs. It is worth the price but could use some improvements. I also had to tie the front of the bikes down to keep them from moving too much.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Bike Carrier Review, May 22, 2012
By vanderv (winchester, VA)
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Well made, expected delivery in 3-5 days, but was delivered the day after my order. 29-inch wheels on my mountain bike crowd the bed of my Toyota Tacoma pickup truck a little, but can work around it. Quite satisfied with the bike rack.
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It's OK - had to modify hardware to fit my 1999 Ranger, May 10, 2012
By captricky (So. Cal.)
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This rack ia actually made by Advantage but ships in a sleeve from the listed manufacturer. All parts were present. I have a 1999 Ranger with a standard hard plastic bedliner (bottom and sides). This rack would not fit because of width with all the hardware installed. I had to remove the hard rubber pads on the ends of the bolts and then cut holes in the side of the bedliner to accomodate the bolts and secure the rack to the side of the truck. Also, the large bolts that press against the sides were very hard to thread due to the paint on the bolts and welded on nuts. It took several threadings and removals along with some WD-40 in order to get the bolts to turn by hand.
Our bikes are adult sized and fit the rack just fine and allow the tailgate of the Ranger to close with a few inches of clearance to spare. Once in the rack the bikes still need to be stabilized (I use bungees around the seat post) to keep the bikes from swaying when driving. The included cable for securing the rack is nice, but I would have preferred straps or bungees instead since the bikes still need to be stabilized.
One nice aspect of this rack is that it can be used on the ground as a bike stand. This rack does what I wanted, but the part about fitting right out of the box on compact trucks did not hold true for my Ranger. However, the mods to make it fit were simple and I would recommend the rack if you need one for your truck bed.
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Very Poor Assembly Instructions, May 10, 2012
By Brian Carlson
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This is the hardest thing I have ever put together. The instructions are worthless. I still do not have it put together after working on it all afternoon.
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Adequate, but still needs some work, April 19, 2012
By MK (South Eastern PA)
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I purchased the 4 place unit, Heininger Automotive 2025 Advantage SportsRack BedRack, due to the need to carry 3 adult size bikes and one junior size. I think if the design made the two outside positions adjustable and the two inner positions static, it might work better. I realize it is designed for several different truck bed sizes, but the spacing between the four is not adequate. I have to turn one bike around and that position puts a lot of stress on the chain guides of that bike. If I try and position all the bikes with the front wheel in the rack, the handle bars pinch and scratch the other bikes. Side note, I did not find the foam cushions to be of any use, so I removed them totally. It's not all bad, I do like the rack and would likely purchase it again. I locked it into the bed of my truck and we are ready to go riding at any time. In the future, I will likely cut the rack apart at the diagonal supports and re-position them, so as to leave more room between each of them.
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Awesome Bike Rack, January 14, 2012
By BRH
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This bike rack was delivered oh so quick it was fantastic. The product was easy to install and lived up to expectations. Highly recommended for a family of 4 with bikes.
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great idea and good for the price but a bit on cheap side, October 23, 2011
By dan
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I wanted a bike rack for my ford F150 truck bed. I have a trailer hitch model and also a car trunk model but my wife has trouble with either of those. Something like this looked promising as she hopefully could just park the wheel in the rack and be gone. Not so. It was a pain to assemble this rack and get it "even" so that it would sit well. Then cranking it into the bed was not bad for me but no way will my wife be able to heave this into the truck bed and do it herself. one of her bikes is one of those beach cruiser types with fenders. Doesn't fit. A slim road bike is no problem. Also the clamp down bar on the wheel doesn't hold well. I used bungee cords and tie downs from corner to corner like I was transporting a motorcycle. Material wise it is cheap metal prone to rust. I will wait and see how long it lasts and I will have to paint it often.
for the price with free shipping I am not complaining. I can use it and will but not the ease I thought.
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Good versatile bike rack, September 27, 2011
By rwb, keller, tx
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This bike rack was easy to assemble. Aside from use in my truck, it is also a good bike rack for storing our bicycles in the garage. My only complaint is that it will not hold the bikes up on its own in the truck bed. I needed to purchase additional tie downs to secure the bikes. It would be nice if it came with straps to secure the bikes in the truck bed.
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Great, December 8, 2010
By Nitram (SFO)
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East to use, set up. Study and holds 4 bikes. Easy take with you in a pickup, camping. Well made although the instructions for set up were written by someone without the command of english but one can figure it out from the picture on box...
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