Yakima 4 Bike and BAKFlip

[BillB]

Finally got around to posting the pics of my Yakima rail system installation and the finished product with the BAKFlip cover underneath. Total cost was around $ 1400 and install time was about 16 hours (Yakima tracks install was about 1/2 the total time).

First pics show laying out of drilling spots for the tracks. As the bed side is sealed and you cannot get under the top of the side top to put bolts and nuts together, I chose to use what Yakima calls Plush nuts. They are like drywall anchors and they are not the easiest things to do, but they seem to be holding up. I did 5 plush nuts per side. Then I have some pictures of the finished product (needed another post to have final picture) with and without bikes attached. Note the one picture that is a close up of my lock cable coming out of the corner of the back by the tailgate. The Bakflip install left a gap that allowed for a lock cable to be snaked from the inside where it is looped around the back tie down hook and then out the hole and onto and through the bikes. Even though the Yakima has locks installed to keep it safe from all but the most thieving thieves, this lock cable gives just a bit more security.

[BillB]

Finished product, ready to go biking at Caumsett Park in Huntington, NY.

[bongus]

Looks good Bill. It looks like you don't have the Honda Backup camera. With all that gear on your truck a nice backup camera would serve you well.

[BillB]

I agree. Only I don't have the NAV System.

[SynOZ]

Looks good. This is what I finally decided to do for a bike rack as well. Picked up all the pieces that I need and hope to get to the install over this coming weekend. Anything else to add that might help? Thanks Bill.

Dave

[0700]

slick like goose poop

very creative app/install

[BillB]

Synoz, send me a PM if you have any specific questions or get hung up dring install. It was not a 10 minute job and a lot of planning and after I got into the fine details of the actual install it unfortunately took some more re-planning.

[austinite123]

Bill,

Thanks for the pics, this is what I want to do too. I have a few questions that I figured I'd post here since others might have the same questions.

1) You drilled next to the clip hole at least one plush nut. Was there no way to move the track maybe an inch forward/back and drill all the holes not next to a clip? (Then the track wouldn't be on the inside edge of the bed rail, although it looks like you slightly angled it so that the back part is not on the inside edge)
2) This should be the first question. Did you try removing the side panels to see if you can get a bolt underneath the bed rail? I've never removed them, so I have no idea.
3) The instructions say to seal the holes with enamel base paint. Is that Honda touch-up paint, or something else you bought?
4) Any specific silicone sealant you used?
5) Did you drill and install every hole, or only some of them?

Edit: One more question:
6) The tracks are made to be flush-mounted on the roof of a vehicle on the plush nuts. But in this installation, you're adding the bed rails in between the tracks and the nuts. Did you have to get longer screws? Is the stability good?
Thanks!

[dobaellatwo]

Hi Bill,

Could you tell me how to remove the top plastic track, the one of the ridgeline ?

Why do you put the blue tape is it just to align all the hole of the track or for any other reason ?

Thanks

[NJShoreROCer]

Nice looking install.

I was thinking of doing the same type of install.

Was wondering if you thought of rasiing the rack so that the bakflip could be opened while the bikes are on the rack? I also use a Thule car top carrier and would have that on one half of the rack and one or two bikes on the other part.

Did you look at any other ways to make this work?