I always take the bike with me when I travel. I would normally ride it in to the Sprinter, but with just 2" of clearance between the bike and the tool boxes at the sides, the winch/dolly combo works very well. It's a simple one person job to winch it in/out. The bike weight about 450 lbs.
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That system is not a bad idea and one that I had thought about, but my bike weighs in at 1000 LBS, and is a little wider but I could do that with a long bed PU, the other problem is getting it to role backwards to get it out, guess I would have to park the truck with the front titled up enough to get the bike to role back.
As far as you securing your bike just install the tie down in the floor where the wall meets, then tie accordingly.
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That system is not a bad idea and one that I had thought about, but my bike weighs in at 1000 LBS, and is a little wider but I could do that with a long bed PU, the other problem is getting it to role backwards to get it out, guess I would have to park the truck with the front titled up enough to get the bike to role back.
As far as you securing your bike just install the tie down in the floor where the wall meets, then tie accordingly.
Sarge
Actually,
Mercedes is very generous and thoughtful with their factory-provided tie down points. I use the front 2 for the forks, and 2 removable ones that I thru-bolted for the rear. When secured, the bike won't move 1/4" .
Sarge, if you load the bike so you can exit forwards, you can emulate Evil Kneivel. How many Airstreams can you jump?
Gene
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No can do, if I loaded it with the rear first the wind would rip off the windshield and dash because it would act as a parachute. The alternative to that would be to have a special made topper that sits tall enough to cover the bike and allow me to sit on it at that moment of unloading. Standard toppers are not tall enough for this purpose which only leaves loading the bike in the forward position.
After I wrote my last post we (wife and I) happen to be looking through some pics and run up on a system that I seen at one of my trips on the Run For The Wall to DC. It used a rail system that slide back and tilted with winches, then loward the bike to the ground, taking this and putting together what he has his set up gives me a viable system to load and unload without having to ride it up and out of the truck or purchasing an expensive load/unloader. I do have the knowledge to make either one, I will have to weight out in my mind which one is most ecomnomical and has as least amount of wear and tear on my medical conditions.
Good luck with your engineering, Sarge. We're trying to figure out how to take a mountain bike, spare tire, generator, 5 gal. gas cans, hoses, etc., etc., in the back of the pickup. Deciding how to take all the toys and travel light is quite a challenge.
Good luck with your engineering, Sarge. We're trying to figure out how to take a mountain bike, spare tire, generator, 5 gal. gas cans, hoses, etc., etc., in the back of the pickup. Deciding how to take all the toys and travel light is quite a challenge.
Gene
Thanks Gene, its not the engineering is the problem because I have seen a viable working unit, it was the fact that I was trying to make sure there is not a little cheaper way of doing it. I also was considering the other things such as generators and such as well to carry. I was recently looking at a trading post that sells trucks and equipment and seen a wrecker that would work for all of the above.
There is an L shaped arm that sits between the frame with the top of the L being attached to the front top of the bed, the bed sits on rollers and as the arm rotates it pushes the bed back and tilts it pushing it down a slide, when fully rotated it leaves the bed sitting on the ground flat. So my thinking is one of these is not that costly to make or even purchased and because it does not have to be made to hold 20,000 LBs, but only 2000 lbs. This would allow me ride the cycle up on the deck and tie it down, have the generator mounted on it, tool boxes for the other things then just load it to the truck. At the same time when arriving all you have to do is unhook the TT, pull to the rear of the trailer or stay at the front unload the bed, then no one can just walk off with the generator or your other stuff.
Given my medical conditions I have this may be the most viable method, even when I get so bad that I can no longer ride it will still work for other things such as go cart, kids bicycles and such.
Dg, look around the forum. There are threads on this topic. Some people put them in the TV, other within the trailer though I can't really figure out they prevent them from falling into things and causing damage. Collapsible bikes are a solution, but the cheap ones are probably low quality bikes. I assume you are talking about bicycles, not motorcycles.
Gene
Last edited by CrawfordGene; 08-13-2008 at 09:38 AM..
Reason: add a line for clarity
How do you transport a bike?
I image you put it on the back, does anyone have any pics of the bike holder??? or have a carrier model they could link me up to.
Dg
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DG,
depends on what kind of bikes you are talking about, if it is a bicycle then I dont see why you cant put it on the bumper, anything else would have to go inside the trailer or in the TV.
but what I was trying to figure out is a motorcycle and the cheapest way to load and unload from the pickup because of its size and weight. It is a HD Ultra Classic and weighs in at a little over 1000 pounds.
Sarge
Last edited by azflycaster; 08-14-2008 at 09:35 AM..
Reason: fixed quotes
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DG,
depends on what kind of bikes you are talking about, if it is a bicycle then I dont see why you cant put it on the bumper, anything else would have to go inside the trailer or in the TV.
but what I was trying to figure out is a motorcycle and the cheapest way to load and unload from the pickup because of its size and weight. It is a HD Ultra Classic and weighs in at a little over 1000 pounds.
Sarge
Sarge,
I better say that I was referring to an Airstream Land yacht 26 -32'. Also, the bikes will be a single Motor cycle about 250 cc or less. I know there are carriers around and wondered if anyone has had any experience with them. I'll have to put it on the MH or have it put on.
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