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Bike Rack Success - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 LT Crew Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited May 2014 in Chevrolet
imageBike Rack Success - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 LT Crew Long-Term Road Test

This update on Edmunds long-term 2014 Chevy Silverado includes info on our makeshift bicycle rack in the Silverado's bed.

Read the full story here


Comments

  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512

    That's a real triumph - that a 5,400-lb. truck can carry a couple of bikes and still have the tailgate close.

    I'm thinking that if you need a vehicle that can carry 6 people more than you need a vehicle with a bed longer than 5.5 feet, maybe what you need is not a half-ton pickup. Maybe get a minivan with a trailer hitch on it, so that for the 99.9% of the time you don't need one ton of cargo capacity, you can get 20 mpg instead of 15 mpg.

  • hybrishybris Member Posts: 365

    @fordson1 said:
    That's a real triumph - that a 5,400-lb. truck can carry a couple of bikes and still have the tailgate close.

    I'm thinking that if you need a vehicle that can carry 6 people more than you need a vehicle with a bed longer than 5.5 feet, maybe what you need is not a half-ton pickup. Maybe get a minivan with a trailer hitch on it, so that for the 99.9% of the time you don't need one ton of cargo capacity, you can get 20 mpg instead of 15 mpg.

    Partially true as yes they need a minivan far more then a SUT which this config of truck truly is. As for "triumph" its a mixed bag, its great that the DIY project worked as intended but at the same time you still have to take the front wheels off to make them fit so that takes a lot of the wind out your sails when you consider that.

  • hybrishybris Member Posts: 365

    I would like to say thanks to Edmunds for FINALLY after 5+ years for adding a edit button and the ability to format ones posts. I will miss the thumbs down counters but the cost is worth it.

  • dderosadderosa Member Posts: 21

    @hybris said:
    I would like to say thanks to Edmunds for FINALLY after 5+ years for adding a edit button and the ability to format ones posts. I will miss the thumbs down counters but the cost is worth it.

    It's still in the testing phase. Let me know if you have problems using it. Not all of the features are active yet. --Donna

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited May 2014

    @fordson1, our two mountain bikes fit inside our Quest minivan with the wheels on. We get around 21.6 mpg combined. We tossed a seat so it's only a 5 seater now (and a 2 seater unless I remove the front wheels). It's nice being able to lock the bikes inside and keep them out of the rain too. The ground clearance leaves a bit to be desired though.

  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512

    I think some of my sarcasm may have missed its intended target...basically, I think a bed this tiny in a vehicle this large is ridiculous. Take a look at it - the rear fenders are barely large enough to contain the wheel-well blisters. I have seen more rear overhang on some compact sedans. Yes, in a minivan you can fit bikes with the wheels on, protected from the weather and locked up. A beautiful thing.

    The ground clearance of the minvan is less, but as I'm sure you've learned...you just use a less-remote trailhead, park the minvan before the road gets too rough, hop on the mountain bikes...and you don't worry about ground clearance for the rest of the trip.

  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827

    I have to agree with what has been a continuous stream of derision for the short bed. It is also worth noting that the use of this truck by Edmunds staff has mirrored that of many full-size, four door, short bed truck owners; where most of the positive truck attributes go largely unused until a rare occasion of rudimentary use (i.e. carrying objects that a minivan could handle, or going down a gravel path that wouldn't make a Subaru sweat) seems to justify the whole negative side of ownership.

    Now, if someone just likes owning a full-size truck, they should be able to park it, quit complaining about fuel consumption, and be able to afford it (since one of the leading causes of bankruptcy is vehicle ownership).

    All of that being said, I do like the solution you came up with to hold your bikes, Josh!

  • actualsizeactualsize Member Posts: 451
    edited May 2014

    @hybris said:
    I would like to say thanks to Edmunds for FINALLY after 5+ years for adding a edit button and the ability to format ones posts. I will miss the thumbs down counters but the cost is worth it.

    And I the folks that reworked it made it look better, too!

    Twitter: @Edmunds_Test

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