Best way to carry a scooter and 6 bikes with an airstream

[J-bird]

We are getting ready to hit the road and travel the US for a year with our 4 kids. Ideally we want to bring 6 bikes and a 240 lb Kymko scooter with our truck and airstream. We are trying to figure out the best configuration, bed topper, hitches etc to create the best situation. We'd also have other things to carry in the bed so we can't count on that space.
Any great ideas? Or things you've personally done or seen?
Any help is greatly appreciated!!

[dznf0g]

Scooter in truck bed
3 bikes on an Arvika tongue rack
3 bikes either in bed of truck or inside AS in fork mount retainers.

[msmcv51]

You could put a front 2" receiver on the front of your truck and get a bike rack that will carry as many as possible. put the scooter in the bed of the truck and the rest in the trailer.

[Caffeinated]

What kind of truck/capabilities do you have. If you have enough payload capability, you could put the scooter on a front hitch, put a couple of bikes on a roof rack, and a couple more on a mount on a bed topper.

Personally, four kids in an airstream for a year sounds like a death march to me, but everyone is different. Good luck.

Mike

[AWCHIEF]

I have some friends that are long time full timers in an Airstream with 7 kids. They some how happily manage.

[Larry C]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

I have some friends that are long time full timers in an Airstream with 7 kids. They some how happily manage.

That would be self destruction for some of us old folks!

[Piggy Bank]

If you have the available payload with your truck I would look around at the rail systems that can install in the truck bed to hold a thule or yakima rack.

Look on ETrailer for ladder racks.

[mojo]

Yakima roof rack bars mounted over the truck bed would allow you to fit 6 bikes, tightly.

[Mangin]

Tail gate pad will hold six bikes easily. Leaving a lot of truck bed available for other stuff.

[greghoro]

Two quick thoughts

- Unicycles

- Airstream Panamerica


Greg

[Oldforester]

You can squeeze as hard as you want, but there are finite limits to your available space. So, if you can't squeeze more space out of your rig, squeeze the bikes and buy a few foldable/colapsable bikes. Take half the space. Require a small investment, but problem solved.

[AstroBruce]

You need 2 trucks.

Bruce

[MelGoddard]

Get an Eddie Bauer' with a rear flip up.

[Johndews]

Yakima makes some great roof racks for pickups, too.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by mojo

Yakima roof rack bars mounted over the truck bed would allow you to fit 6 bikes, tightly.

Mojo has a good solution, assuming you have a pickup TV with the bench seat up front, I can see how to accommodate 6. The Yakima or Thule racks can work well and are easy to set up over the bed, still leave room in the bed to carry other things including the scooter. Biggest question is how much payload your pickup is limited to when you add up the trailer hitch weight, family weight, bike weight, scooter weight, and any additional luggage/gear/generator, etc., in the bed? The other concern is how to keep your stuff safe and dry in the bed, assuming it is uncovered...a Lear type topper shell is a good solution and some of them have the Thule type racks optional. You can also get the Fema rack for 2 of the bikes on back of the AS.
We took 6 bikes on a Thule rack system several years ago for 5 weeks with the kids....(what a challenge back then)....anyway, good luck!

[Mollysdad]

I'd mount a 2" receiver on the front of the truck, then use a motorbike carrier for the scooter. (Less lifting)
Then I'd put a sturdy lid* on the bed, and mount four bikes there.
The two smallest I'd bundle and put inside the AS.
(*I saw a tonneau made of diamond plate and a ATV on top of it!.)

[guillaume]

maybe you take less/do less ... problem solved

[PKI]

I would leave the bikes at home. The kids can hike anywhere they can ride. The folks in the areas you travel, will appreciate the lack of confusion and both you and the kids will come home in an improved physical state.

If that does not work for your travel lifestyle, the hard bed cover, with bike racks on top makes a likely solution. We saw a hoist inside the back of a small SUV that the folks were using to lift an electric scooter inside. Made for a nice functional arrangement.

Good luck with your trip. Pat

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by PKI

I would leave the bikes at home. The kids can hike anywhere they can ride. The folks in the areas you travel, will appreciate the lack of confusion and both you and the kids will come home in an improved physical state.

If that does not work for your travel lifestyle, the hard bed cover, with bike racks on top makes a likely solution. We saw a hoist inside the back of a small SUV that the folks were using to lift an electric scooter inside. Made for a nice functional arrangement.

Good luck with your trip. Pat

I use an aluminum ramp and an atv winch in a stake pocket to load and unload the scooter.

[Bbelk]

No problem. Four bikes, a canoe, a 650cc motorcycle, generator, bar-b-q pit and more.