Comparing Sport Rider SE and RV Rider Bike Racks for Tailgate Clearance on 2011 Ford F-150

Published 09/02/2022

Products Featured in This Question

Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE Bike Rack for 2 Electric Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount

(1164)

$529.99

Hollywood Racks RV Rider Bike Rack for 2 Electric Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount

(632)

$649.99

Kuat Pivot 2 Swing Away Hitch Extender for Bike Racks - 2" Hitches - Passenger's Side

(234)

$498.00

Question:

Trying to determine if one can lower their tailgate on a full size pickup using either the HR1500 or HR1700 with 2 bikes. I cant tell by customers pictures because none show the tailgate down on a pickup for either rack. I use a rooftop tent above my 2011 F-150 pickup bed, so I need to get to my camping supplies in the bed often and dont want to remove my bikes from a rack constantly just to access the bed. All I need to do is reach in and pull out my cooler etc. onto the tailgate when folded down, but need to make sure the tailgate can go full down when the bikes are tilted on the rack. Thank you for your time!

asked by: Bruce

Expert Reply:

The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE Bike Rack # HLY84FR measures 7" from the center of the hitch pin hole and the closest edge of the rack while the RV Rider Bike # HLY64FR measures 12" for that same distance.

We haven't checked the tailgate clearance of either rack with a bike installed but we did install the Sport Rider SE on a 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 and you can see at the 3:00 minute mark that the tailgate drops right at the wheel cradles. Because of this I recommend going with the RV Rider # HLY64FR since it sits out an additional 5".

If you end up needing/wanting unrestricted access to your truck bed in the future I recommend checking out the Kuat Pivot 2 Swing Away Hitch Extender # PVP20B which not only provides 12-3/16" of additional clearance but it also gives you the ability to swing the bike rack out of the way without unloading your bikes.

expert reply by: Jon G