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08-31-2011, 10:04 AM
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#1
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Rivet Master
1966 24' Tradewind
1995 34' Excella
Lynchburg
, Virginia
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,225
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Motorcycles and Airstreams
I would like to report that it is possible to carry a motorcycle in the bed of a truck and tow your Airstream (photos below) and not exceed the weight limits. Now this is no great feat if you have an 8 ft bed and a 3/4 ton truck, but it is an accomplishment when you only have a 1/2 ton truck with a 6.5 ft bed.
I bought my Tundra double cab in 2008 with the idea of carrying my Ducati 750ss (420# wet) in the bed. I recently completed two trips down the Blue Ridge Parkway with my Ducati in the bed and towing my Airstream and both trips were successful. My biggest concern was exceeding the rear axle rating on the Tundra. I was by myself when I weighed as I will probably not bring the motorcycle when my wife is with me. The gas tank was only 1/4 full, but the water tank was full. I could probably travel with full gas and an empty water tank and the results would not change much. Below are the results after a visit to the scales:
ACTUAL WEIGHT WEIGHT RATING MARGIN
FRONT AXLE 3,000 3,900 900
REAR AXLE 3,640 4,100 460
F&R COMBINED 6,640 6,900 260
TRAILER (66TW) 4,420 ?
TRUCK & TRAILER 11,060 16,000 4,940
Looking at the results, I was surprised that I had more margin at the rear axle than for the Tundra Gross Vehicle Weight. I understand that I only had any margin at all because I was carrying a fairly light motorcycle and a light trailer and I was by myself. This works for me though.
Dan
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09-05-2011, 03:26 PM
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#2
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2 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Portland
, Oregon
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 21
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09-06-2011, 06:33 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1966 24' Tradewind
1995 34' Excella
Lynchburg
, Virginia
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,225
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Snakyjake
My $50 folding aluminum ramp works well for me, but my motorcycle is not very heavy. I thought that the height of the pick up truck bed was going to be a major problem, but if you fine a drainage ditch next to a small hill, it is pretty easy to load. I load it by myself.
The "Overbuilt" electric lift looks like it will do the job just fine for a heavy motorcycle. Looks like it costs about $2,500. Looks like you will need a full 8 foot bed plus at least a 3/4 ton truck to carry the mc plus tow the trailer. What ever works for you. What would your motorcycle plus the lift weigh?
Dan
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09-06-2011, 08:01 AM
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#4
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2 Rivet Member
1999 25' Safari
Fairburn
, Georgia
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 74
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I have been towing with a motorcycle in the bed of the truck for several years. The bed on the truck is standard length, 6.5 feet, so the tailgate has to be removed to provide clearance with the LP tanks on front of the trailer. The bike doesn't sit on the tailgate anyway. I use lightweight aluminum ramps to load/unload the bike. With everything loaded and hooked up, the rig has been weighed on a Cat scale and is just under the max combined weight limit. The three bikes I carry (one at a time) weigh between 370 and 500 pounds.
As a side note, the "Overbuilt" electric lift is very heavy, weight that does not need to be involved.
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09-06-2011, 10:26 AM
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#5
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2 Rivet Member
1971 31' Sovereign
Dallas
, Texas
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 51
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I haven't done a lot of hauling yet but did go about 400 miles with my 2 dirt bikes(425 LBS total) using a hitch extender. Used the equalizer to get it level.
http://www.airforums.com/attachments...mall_thumb.jpg
Once I get my unit complete & weighed I may put a rail carrier on the back of the trailer to carry a light scooter of one dirt bike if the math works out.
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10-04-2011, 09:35 PM
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#6
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1 Rivet Member
1988 32' Excella
Stockton
, Missouri
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 8
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lots of solutions
__________________
People who say "It can't be done" should not interrupt those in the process of doing it. Chinese proverb.
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10-05-2011, 06:35 AM
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#7
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Rivet Master
2007 30' Classic
Oswego
, Illinois
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 13,655
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I started carrying a 125cc scooter this last summer. It is a lot of fun to have 2 wheels to sightsee. I also use aluminum ramps. I use 2 because I dont want to try and ride up one and risk falling off. I walk up one and throttle up the scooter (automatic, no clutch) up the other.
My question is....has anyone found a really tidy cleaver way to stow the ramps. They eat up almost as much room in the truck as the scoot.
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10-05-2011, 07:13 AM
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#8
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1 Rivet Member
2012 25' FB Eddie Bauer
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 12
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Hi,
We have a Chevy truck with the long bed and we carry
a 1000 lb Honda Goldwing MotorTrike in the back.
We use a Amerideck electric/hyd lift platform that sets
on the ground and you strap the bike down and it lifts
it right up into the back of the truck. This was the only
way we could figure out how to carry a 3 wheeler in the
back and get it up on the truck.
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10-05-2011, 12:27 PM
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#9
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2 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Portland
, Oregon
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 21
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I can see a lot of good uses for something like Amerideck.
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10-06-2011, 06:09 AM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1966 24' Tradewind
1995 34' Excella
Lynchburg
, Virginia
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,225
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dznfOg
How about some pictures of your scooter rig?
If you back up to a slight hill and/or place the rear axle of the TV in a drainage ditch this reduces the angle of the ramp, so that you will only need to carry one ramp to load your scooter. I load my Ducati 750ss this way, bad knees and all. I will post some pictures of this some time when I remember to take them.
Dan
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10-06-2011, 06:44 AM
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#11
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Rivet Master
2007 30' Classic
Oswego
, Illinois
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 13,655
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TouringDan
dznfOg
How about some pictures of your scooter rig?
If you back up to a slight hill and/or place the rear axle of the TV in a drainage ditch this reduces the angle of the ramp, so that you will only need to carry one ramp to load your scooter. I load my Ducati 750ss this way, bad knees and all. I will post some pictures of this some time when I remember to take them.
Dan
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Here ya go:
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05-08-2012, 01:05 AM
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#12
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1 Rivet Member
2004 16' International CCD
Currently Looking...
encino
, California
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 16
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motorcycle front hitch?
Im towing a 16 ft bambi and I have a shell on the back of my 1500 4x4. Does anyone have experience with putting a motorcycle on the front of the TV? I recently bought a 400LB bike that I would like to put on the front of my rig while im towing? It doesn't appear to exceed weight limits but seems a little sketchy. My local hitch guy says it can handle the weight no problem. I know about obstructing headlights and blinkers and windshield, just wondering if anyone has any experience with this. thanks!
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05-08-2012, 02:41 AM
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#13
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3 Rivet Member
2007 25' International CCD FB
South
, South Dakota
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 154
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up front
We are looking to put a scooter on the front of our truck and have found the the following link. Would love to talk with others who have done it Moto-Tote Motorcycle Carrier Models
__________________
Richard (Dean) Tighe
W.B.C.C.I. 5617
2007 25' FB International CCD Solar
2019 Toyota Tundra
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05-08-2012, 06:00 AM
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#14
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Rivet Master
1981 31' Excella II
New Market
, Alabama
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 6,145
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It looks like those are hitch mounted. So you have to mount a hitch on the front to start with. I have thought of mounting a hitch on the front my Excursion. It should have no problems with a 400lb DR650SE Dual Sport. There is the additional concern that if something breaks that you will run over the bike and probably destroy your tow vehicle and trailer if you run over the fallen bike. I would be in favor of a custom built carrier that used two receivers to mount the carrier. Each receiver would mount on a frame rail. This would eliminate any wobble and instability. A better solution would be to have a pickup with an 8ft bed. The problem is that now days that even a 2WD truck bed is way too high off the ground.
Perry
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05-08-2012, 10:16 PM
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#15
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4 Rivet Member
1961 22' Safari
Union
, Oregon
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 477
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I carry a Honda CT70 on the front of my pickup. Only 164 pounds, so that isn't much of a problem. Also small enough to not obstruct the headlights too much. I built the rack using two receivers, one on each frame rail. Very solid mount and I also incorporated a front center receiver for hooking trailers to the front. Front receiver always stays on and I add two "buckets" for the Honda tires when I need to carry it.
Have used it for 8 years without a problem. I built it to carry the full weight of my pickup, so I don't think the little Honda could tax it at all.
Sam
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03-20-2018, 06:07 AM
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#16
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3 Rivet Member
2010 27' FB Classic
2003 36' Land Yacht XC Diesel 330 hp w/2slides
Shelby
, North Carolina
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 194
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Does the Amerideck offer sufficient clearance with the propane tanks? It looks like about a 6 inch overhang at the rear of the truck bed.
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03-20-2018, 07:29 AM
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#17
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3 Rivet Member
1989 29' Land Yacht
St. Catharines
, Ontario
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 155
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I'll be carrying a KTM 1190 at 500lbs including luggage racks and riding gear. Two aluminum ramps, one to walk up and one for the bike. The tailgate will close with the bike on an angle. I've done the math and it will be close. If the wife ends up not riding two up, then maybe just throw a dirt bike in there, or just leave the wife at home, and take both.
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03-20-2018, 07:40 AM
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#18
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3 Rivet Member
2010 27' FB Classic
2003 36' Land Yacht XC Diesel 330 hp w/2slides
Shelby
, North Carolina
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 194
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The Amerideck has two large roller wheels at the end of the deck and I'm wondering if I could use a pin set up and remove the wheels from the deck after I get the bike loaded in order to get better clearance.
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03-21-2018, 12:09 AM
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#19
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4 Rivet Member
2017 27' International
Fall City
, Washington
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 402
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__________________
2017 27FB International
2013 Ram 2500 Laramie Crew Cab CTD 4x4
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03-21-2018, 08:42 AM
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#20
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2 Rivet Member
2018 30' International
Prescott
, Arizona
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 59
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I have been using the Loadall system now for several years. Harley’s are a bit more challenging to load so this system is very nice. I’ll attach a video.
Loadall.com
Video: https://youtu.be/zgrQhVTiDoU
__________________
Outside of a dog, a book is mans best friend. Inside a dog, it’s too dark to read.
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