Recommended Tonneau Cover and Ladder Rack for Carrying Kayaks and Bikes on 2020 F-150 5-1/2' Bed
Published 11/01/2019
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Question:
Hello! I have a new 2020 F-150 with the short 5-1/2 foot bed. I am looking to set it up with a tonneau and a ladder rack (i realize not the easiest setup in the world) so that i can cover the bed and transport my kayaks, bikes, etc when needed. What's the best combo that would allow me to do this? Thank you!
asked by: Sam
Expert Reply:
I have the perfect setup for your 2020 Ford F-150 short bed (congrats on the new truck!) that will allow you to protect the contents of the bed while also transporting your kayaks or bikes (or anything else) with a ladder rack.
Starting with the tonneau cover, I highly recommend the BAK Revolver X4 Hard Tonneau # BAK79329 that features a unique hybrid design that provides the durability of a hard cover with 1/4" thick aluminum slats, along with the style and convenience of a soft cover since it rolls up towards the cab instead of folding up into sections like other traditional models. This allows you to maintain a view out of the back window when you have the cover rolled up (a folding unit would block the window completely).
This particular cover installs completely inside of the truck bed's side rails, leaving the top of the rails free for a ladder rack that utilizes this area for mounting.
This brings us to my ladder rack recommendation, which is the Thule TracRac SR # TH43002XT-508. This is an excellent, versatile system that uses T-track base rails so that the uprights can slide along the length of the bed. This means you will always be able to create the perfect crossbar spread for the various lengths of your cargo. The mounting hardware also won't interfere at all with the BAK Revolver Tonneau. It has a weight capacity of 1,250 pounds.
I have attached a couple short video demonstrations on these products that you can check out as well.
