Kuat Huk Tailgate Bike Pad for Full-Size Trucks - 6 Bikes - 61" Wide

Video Transcript for Kuat Truck Bed Bike Racks Review - 2022 GMC Sierra 1500

Hi, I'm Matt with etrailer, and today we're talking about the Kuat Huk Full-Sized Tailgate Pad on the back of our 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. Now this can be a great option for you if you want to carry a lot of bikes from point A to point B, and you're looking for something a little bit more affordable, or if you don't want to use your hitch, especially if you're currently using it for something else. And this is gonna be a much better option opposed to just throwing them in the bed of your truck, because this is gonna organize them a lot better and they're gonna be less likely of scratching each other up. So let's check it out. So the one we have today is gonna be able to carry up the six bikes. Now we do have another version of this.

It's gonna be a mid-size, and then a half size. And what's nice about the half size is it's gonna be a lot smaller. And if you need that other half of your bed readily available, or you don't need to carry all six bikes, just a couple of them, then this is gonna be just fine for you too. But the way this is gonna grab onto our bikes is we're gonna have this strap on the back that holds everything in place. And I'll actually remove it now.

And so, if you have any bikes that require, or that are carbon frame, then this might not be the best bet for you. Or anything with a really nice paint job, 'cause it could scratch some things up. And if you have any heavy e-bikes, I wouldn't recommend that either because trying to let the e-bike up that high will be very difficult. We're gonna have a lot of padding on this. And what that padding's doing for us is, when your bike's sitting up there, it's preventing anything from getting scratched up, and it's allowing more cushion for the bike itself too.

Now there might be some spots. If you have that bike near the edge, it might block your taillights a bit. But what I do like about this padding is it kind of pushes the bike forward some, so it's gonna be less likely of hitting your taillight. And what's also really nice too is we're gonna have this pad in the center. If I actually remove this, it's gonna be held in place by the hook and loop.

And you can just roll it up and cinch it down at the top. This allows for you to use your backup camera. And it's also gonna allow you to use your tailgate. So we're gonna open this up. What it's not gonna allow you to do is use your MultiPro tailgate. So if that's a huge concern for you, this is probably not gonna be the item for you, or really any tailgate pad. And with this flipped around, we can get a better look at how this works. We're gonna have these straps that reach around to our back and connect to the front. And next to that, you can see all these different points where we can mount these straps or a bike too. And what's nice about this is, is if you have some awkward shaped bikes, or you want a little more space in between them or you don't want them too close to your taillights, then you can really maneuver them to any one of these points. And I can push this back into place. And what's really nice is, like I was saying earlier, this isn't gonna block a whole lot. You're still gonna have access to your backup camera. It's not gonna block your license plates or your taillights or your back window. And that's really one of the downfalls to having a hitch-mounted bike rack because then most times, that is gonna block your license plates, and it sometimes could block your taillights too. Now, in my opinion, I think this is a great option for anyone who is looking for something just to make sure your bikes are held in place a little bit better, they look a little bit cleaner, and you don't mind using your bed. Another great option would be the Swagman Tailgate Pad. And there's some pros and cons of this one. And one of the pros is, if I flip this around, is that you're gonna have these little bags, or these pouches, that you can store other items in. So you could even store some of your shoes or your helmet in here for when you do go out riding. Now, something I don't like about it, personally, is just kind of the design. This is one we've had in the shop for a little bit. But as you can see, comparatively, the Huk's gonna have a lot more padding that covers it. And this one just doesn't look as clean as this design. So really it just comes down to what your aesthetic is. But if you do like how this one holds your bikes, the clean look of it, and that it is a more affordable option then a hitch mounted bike rack, and it's gonna allow you to carry more bikes than most hitch-mounted bike racks anyways. But that shows a look at the installation and some of the features of the Kuat Huk Full-Sized Tailgate Pad on the back of our 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. Thanks for watching.