I bought one of those fork mounting blocks that im going to bolt into the very front of my backflip cover tomorrow.. im 6'3 as well, and my bike weighs in at about 25 pounds to its easy to load. plus it would look sweet on top of the cover!

 

It does look sweet on top of the cover! I have a soft roller so it's either in the bed or over the bed with a roof style rack for me. Slowly collecting the funds for a full blown rack.

 

MCDavis, since you seem to be up to speed on this stuff and are posting links to the exact style I am looking for, do you know if Thule makes a similar setup? only reason I ask is because I took all my Thule equipment off my Jetta when I traded in for my F-150 and would rather reuse what I have since this stuff is not cheap!

 

I'll link this Hitch Bike Rack, only because the OP mentioned it as an option. I understand it's not the first preference.

Yakima 'Swingdaddy' Receiver 4-Bike Rack

Note the Pin at the lower right Joint. When you unlatch this Rack and swing it open, that Pin holds it open, and out of the way. This was key to opening my prior SUV Rear Hatch. It was very handy, being at Ground Level, when letting out the Pooch at Rest Stops.

**** is seriously heavy and well-built. There's an integral Cable Lock to secure 1 - 4 Bikes. You could also loop something down and through, say, the Safety Chains Loop on the Hitch Receiver. I lock my Hitch Ball to the Receiver, too. I stuck some Red/White Reflector Safety Tape on my Rack so Folks see it from behind. Extending the Vehicle length was a non-issue for me.

On a new Camper Trailer, I plan to put a 2" Receiver on the back Bumper, from the Trailer Frame, for this Rack, or for other hauling Options.

For those who've not seen them, there's some slick Receiver Adapters that have an integral, 2nd, 2" Receiver. You can't tow a Trailer and mount this Bike Rack simultaneously. But, you can unhitch the Trailer and mount a Receiver-based BBQ or Camp Light, for example. See some Customer Comments below the Product Pix.

MaxxTow Dual Hitch Adapter

-----

 

They sure do!
And yes...I spent 4 solid years in a local bike shop during my college years and I still ride weekly so I try to stay up to speed.

What Thule components do you currently have?

Here are the tracks you'll need:
http://www.thule.com/en-us/us/produc...tp54-_-6270999
They come with the appropriate hardware and drill bits for a top mount where you cannot access the underside of the mounting location.

You'll need Podium feet:
http://www.thule.com/en-us/us/produc...ck-460-_-34826
or the Rapid Podium feet:
http://www.thule.com/en-us/us/produc...k-460r-_-30404

And this fit kit for the feet to track mounting:
http://www.thule.com/en-us/us/produc...t3101-_-310199

From there you'll need crossbars at least 66" in width and whatever you plan on mounting to the bars.

 

thanks for the links, I will have to look at what mounts I have, not sure off the top of my head. I have the threw axle mounts for my bikes, would like to get a setup with the j-hook on the top bar so that i can leave my front wheels on, not a big deal for the mountain bike but I get sick of removing the road bike tires all the time....

 

You're welcome
So you want an upright mount rather than a fork mount. There are plenty of options that grab at the downtube to hold the bike(s) into the trays. Thule, Yak, Rocky Mounts and Kuat all have some pretty nice options for upright trays. I personally like fork mounts but that's strictly preference.

 

Got mine mounted up yesterday.. I think if I didn't have the hard cover, id do a similar mount in the bed with a 2x4 right against the back wall of the bed so it stays out of the way with cargo in there

 

Looks good [MENTION=116553]tko_818[/MENTION]
This is my current setup. I like it, but if I need to carry anything in the bed that's weather sensitive then it pretty much kills that ability. I'm still kicking around the idea of retrofitting my current hitch mount that I used for years with my Explorer. The truck is just so long with it on.

Currently:

 

Nice Anthem! I've been thinking about going clipless for awhile but I feel so much more free on the platforms if I didn't have a backflip id do something just like this! I saw a guy that mounted the fork mount on the bed rails so that the cover can still be closed, idk if you've ever thought about that!