Will Tailgate Go Down All The Way With Thule T2 Pro XTR Bike Rack On A 2026 Toyota Tundra SR5?

Updated 07/01/2026 | Published 06/18/2026

Question:

I have a 2026 Toyota tundra SR5 and I was wondering if the tailgate will be able to lower all the way down with this hitch bike rack, assuming the rack is also tilted downwards.

asked by: Roberto

Expert Reply:

Hey Roberto, thanks for reaching out, and good question. This is one of those situations where I can't give you a guaranteed yes or no on the 2026 Tundra specifically because Toyota doesn't publish a tailgate-clearance spec. What I can tell you is that the T2 Pro XTR # TH83JV does tilt down specifically for rear vehicle access, and it works well on most full-size trucks.

A good way to check is with a measurement. When the T2 Pro XTR is folded down, the highest point of the rack is about 14-1/4" above the top of the hitch receiver opening. If the distance from the top of your hitch opening to the bottom edge of the tailgate (when fully lowered) is greater than 14-1/4", you'll have clearance.

I'd expect good bed access with the rack tilted, but I wouldn't promise a perfectly flat tailgate without taking that 14-1/4" measurement first.

What kind of bikes will you be hauling?

expert reply by: Jesse M

Thule T2 Pro XTR Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
(click to enlarge)

Micki

6/23/2026

Hi; I don’t have a tundra but a rav4 and the rack tilts down so I can open the back. As long as there are no biles on you should be able to open it. If bikes are on I’m not sure if it will tilt enough to open tailgate. Sorry, hope that helps.

John S.

6/23/2026

I have a RAM 1500 and tilting allows the tailgate to go all the way down.

Jesse M.

6/23/2026

@JohnS Oh nice! Good to know. Thanks for sharing!

Tom

6/23/2026

I can’t say if your tailgate will open fully with the bike rack on. The rack tilts back a good bit it has enough clearance for me to open our hatch door on the back of our pilot. With no problem. I have not used the rack on a truck with a tailgate. You might be able to but I would say you won’t be able to haul the bikes with the tailgate. Unless you have an extension piece from the trailer hitch. Hopefully that might help you. Thanks Tom

Jesse M.

6/24/2026

@Tom Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Tom. You are right a hitch extension would help, but you have to be careful with those. Extending the hitch effectively reduces your hitches carrying capacity by half, so they can be used, you just have to be careful not to overload the hitch.

Roberto

6/30/2026

Hello, thanks for responding and the info about the 14-1/4” helped out in determining if the tailgate will open flat without touching the bike rack. Based on that measurement, my tailgate won’t fully open flat. I was planning to haul some gravel bikes, 35lbs or less per bike.

Jesse M.

7/1/2026

@Roberto Ok gotcha. Thanks for confirming, that's good to know. It's still a super solid rack so tailgate clearance aside, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.