Carrying bikes on OEM Frontier roof rack?

[Wyatt2]

Hi all,

First time posting on Expedition Portal, but I've really enjoyed following all of the Nissan builds on here and hope to put my own up soon.

I just (as in an hour ago) sold my camper van, meaning my 2014 Frontier Pro-4x is getting the call as primary camping/roadtrip vehicle for my girlfriend and I.

I have a roof top tent, which we tried and enjoyed, hence the van being sold. I have the RTT mounted over the bed on Front Runner bakkie bars. I like the set up because it's not too high; so easy to put on, take off, and set up, and all the camping gear fits under it in the bed with no trouble. The only bad part is there is no room in the bed for bikes. I'm not interested in mounting the RTT on the roof rack.

I wanted to get some advice on whether I should carry our two bikes on the Frontier's OEM roof rack, or if I should buy a hitch-mount rack. The problem with hitch mount is that when camping I need frequent tailgate access to get my camping gear. I know they have swing out or tilt down rack options, but I have no experience with those, so I'm not sure if they are effective. Also, I should note, we are not avid cyclists; the bikes are relatively cheap and old and we just use them for fun. Complete replacement value of the two bikes is probably $400 or so.

With this background in mind, I'm looking for input on what might work best in my situation:

• Buying some roof rack bike mounts for the OEM rack
• Buying a hitch mount tilt rack
• Buying a hitch mount swinging bike rack
• Something else

Also, if I go the roof mount route, are there specific adapters or something to get a basic Thule, etc. rack to fit onto the Frontier-shaped roof rack bars?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Jack Stilts]

Welcome to ExPo! I've had a lot of experience with just about every type of bike / kayak / you name it carrier.

You're definitely heading down the safest path with the RTT over the truck bed. There are pros and cons to putting the bikes on the roof - it will free up your tailgate access, but it's a weird / difficult challenge to lift a bike above your head every time you want to get it up on the roof.

The model I'd recommend is the Sidearm. You can get two of them for $400, but be sure to check Craigslist / Kijiji, as they pop up frequently. I've owned a few sets of these over the years. They're great for low-sitting cars since you don't have to lift the bike up onto a pickup truck; their downside is curvy roads. The momentum around curvy roads personally makes me nervous since they're swaying back and forth, no matter how tight you make them. That's just their design.

My $0.02 would be to get the swing-away hitch rack. They're pricey, but worth it. With the cheaper ones that tilt downwards, you have to take your bikes off before tilting it, which can be a pain. The swing-away lets you access the truck bed without removing them. It's also easier to lift them a foot off the ground to strap them in to that type of carrier.

Recap:

Roof rack - Sidearm, works with OEM bars with no additional hardware needed.
Hitch rack - Apex, swings away for easy access to tailgate.
Cheapest option - Parkway or T2, tilts down away and may be able to access the tailgate.

To note: I recommend Thule solely because I have a ton of experience with their products and they're great quality. Never let me down. I'm sure the Yakima alternatives are great; just haven't had any experience with them. The Buyer's Guide on the Thule website is very helpful for more research.

Glad to answer any other questions you've got about this. I dig this stuff

 

[Wyatt2]

Thanks a lot for the reply, that's really helpful. I've began leaning towards the swing away hitch-mount option as I've done more research, as it seems like a good combo of convenience and stability. I've looked at the Apex and the Yakima version (Swing Daddy) which seems decent too. I also found a cheper alternative that I'm considering and I was wondering if anyone had any experience or insight as to whether the cost-savings are worth it. It is this model from SportRack.

Obviously it lacks some of the refinement of the Thule and Yakima options, but I'm more concerned about stability or reliability.

Also, sorry as I know this is getting away from anything Nissan-specific.

Thanks for the input!

 

[JakeH]

Let us know what you end up with. The main ExPo site just did a hitch rack shootout that's worth a read too

 

[kootenay]

Cheapest way is to pickup some uni strut and a couple muffler clamps. Bolt it to the factory roof rack, then buy two Kuat Dirtbag fork down mounts. Pretty cheap and easy. Also not to hard to remove. Only issue will be the two front wheels will need to be stored.

 

[system-f]

One thing to think about with roof mounting the bikes, your mileage is going to take a hit, maybe not much, but more than putting the bikes behind the truck.