Gen 1 tailgate size and mountain bike pad

Lets start with I mountain bike every weekend. I just bought an 04 2WD crew cab and am excited to have a truck to put my mtn bike in. So before I buy a tailgate pad, I put a thick blanket on the back to transport my mtn bike. Guess what, the tailgate is way shallow, and my bike wont fit over the tailgate without laying over. Glad I didnt buy a new pad. Does anyone have a fix, or something they did to make the tailgate taller for the pad so the bike fits straight up and down ?? I need some help with what people have done.

 

You could do something similar https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/mtb-mount.413896/

 

Hmmm. I've used a Dakine mtb pad on my '04 for a few years. I use the center spot on the pad and turn the bars to the left. The front wheel rides in front of the step/license plate area of the stock bumper.
I've seen some people use a length of pool noodle; split and put on top of tailgate, then pad on top of that.

 

I bought the Yakima crash pad, thinking it'd be a slam dunk. Nope. It looks like it'd work but as you say, the tailgate's too shallow and bikes just slide around. If you have really fat mtb tires and arrange the bikes strategically it kinda works... Kinda. Thought I was going crazy, then we tried it on my brother's '93 Ford Ranger and it worked perfectly. Go figure. Ended up giving it to him, then he sold his truck and gave it back. It's fine for short trips, and while my bike's in great shape, it's, like, an antique '96 Trek Singletrack. The tires on it are worth more than the frame, so I don't stress about it getting scratched. But for longer trips seeing the bikes flop around is nerve-wracking. I'm thinking of building something cheap and removable like this:

Look, they even show a 1st-gen Tacoma in the thread!
https://buildstuffwithasa.com/2016/05/29/diy-bike-rack-for-any-truck-bed-33/

 

The whole purpose was for ease, and not having to remove the front tire. I was actually thinking of rigging a bike rack in the back, similar to one you see in front of a store where the tires go inbetween the metal rack. Ughhhh.. I had no idea that bed was so shallow.

 

I have an 01 Doublecab. The bed is shallow so with a Dakine pad, the bikes will flop around. I resorted to bungees to keep them up right. In the end, I just installed a hitch rack (1up).

 

Yeah, they have strap loops at the bottom of the rear bed. You can just strap down the rear tires or use a bungy cord so you won't have to worry about ratcheting the strap.

 

Figured I would post in case people want to do something similar: using old scrap wood i raised the tailgate around 2 inches which is enough for every bike I have tried. I recommend adding fire hose like I did or a pool noodle to help protect your bike, if your pad is not super cushioning I found the wood to chafe the tailgate pad a little. If you do this make sure the wood that is on the backside of the tailgate is a little bit shorter than the tailgate otherwise you will have trouble closing it. Hope this helps someone.

 

I also mountain bike a-lot. I just picked up a 1 up swing out hitch mount rack. I also have a topper so sticking them in the bed is a pain. A worthwhile investment if you pedal a-lot.