twoblairs

Vail AZ

New Member

Joined: 03/24/2012

View Profile

Offline
|
Hi all!
We are new owners of a new to us Eclipse Attitude toy hauler. W00t!
Three of us have dirt bikes (two full size and one 70cc). Do you all have suggestions on the best way to tie them down inside? Are there chocks available? Lord knows mine has been on its side enough but it's probably not the best way to transport it. 
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Mrs TwoBlairs
|
Oasisbob

Portland Oregon 97266

Senior Member

Joined: 11/18/2001

View Profile

Offline
|
Tie down straps should be all you need. There should be anchors for tie down straps on the floor or lower walls.
Oasis Bob
Wonderful wife & 4 Really Fun kids
2008 KIA Sedona 3.8L 24 valve V-6
2001 Bantam Trail Lite B-19
HAPPY TRAILS
|
twoblairs

Vail AZ

New Member

Joined: 03/24/2012

View Profile

Offline
|
There are 12 tie down hooks on the floor but we've found, when trailering, that the bikes hop around if we don't chock them. Maybe we're just not doing it right.
|
d-mac1

Colorado

Full Member

Joined: 07/27/2011

View Profile

Offline
|
I ran E-track down both sides (front to rear) and put a Pingel removable wheel chock in place for the front 2 bikes. They make a heavy duty attachment that fits into the etrack and is removable. Via this tact, the bikes are sideways in the trailer vs facing front or rear and I can tie down bikes, and other stuff, in countless ways.
The idea of the Pingels are to prevent that first bike's wheel from turning because I didn't want the bike falling over in the hauler and to hold the pressure of the front tire off the sidewall of the trailer. Once I get past the first 2 bikes, I sized some pieces of 3/8" plywood to help spread the load of any tires pulled against the sidewalls.
I got some strong soft-tie ratchet straps (with ratchets on the soft tie end) to facilitate tying them down.
I've also got some fork supports to put between the tire and fender so that the front end is rigid and no pressure on the suspension. I had a plastic one from a long time ago and made another one from a 4x4 and a piece of 1x for the cross member (to keep it from falling behind the fork when its still loose).
2009 Ram 2500 CTD
2012 XLR 300X10
2006 KTM 450 EXC
|
twoblairs

Vail AZ

New Member

Joined: 03/24/2012

View Profile

Offline
|
d-mac1 wrote: I ran E-track down both sides (front to rear) and put a Pingel removable wheel chock in place for the front 2 bikes. They make a heavy duty attachment that fits into the etrack and is removable. Via this tact, the bikes are sideways in the trailer vs facing front or rear and I can tie down bikes, and other stuff, in countless ways.
The idea of the Pingels are to prevent that first bike's wheel from turning because I didn't want the bike falling over in the hauler and to hold the pressure of the front tire off the sidewall of the trailer. Once I get past the first 2 bikes, I sized some pieces of 3/8" plywood to help spread the load of any tires pulled against the sidewalls.
I got some strong soft-tie ratchet straps (with ratchets on the soft tie end) to facilitate tying them down.
I've also got some fork supports to put between the tire and fender so that the front end is rigid and no pressure on the suspension. I had a plastic one from a long time ago and made another one from a 4x4 and a piece of 1x for the cross member (to keep it from falling behind the fork when its still loose).
THANKS! Hubby has been talking about rigging up something like this with some metal strips and having the bikes be crossways, so it sounds like it would be something similar to what you're speaking of.
I'll show him your set up and I'm sure it will give him further ideas. Thanks!
|
|
|
lawnspecialties

Garner, NC

Senior Member

Joined: 02/09/2009

View Profile


Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Place something like a wooden block between the front tire and the fender. That will allow you to wrench down on the tie down strap really hard without compressing the front suspension for a long haul.
2011 Ford F450 4X4
2011 Cyclone 370C
|
Blackdiamond

So. Cal

Senior Member

Joined: 06/10/2005

View Profile

Offline
|
Use 2 tie downs on the bars like normal and then one on the rear frame, footpeg, wheel whatever... and use it the pull the bike backward to put pressue on the front straps.....did it this way for 4 years without issue.
07 Fleetwood Discovery 39S
Flatbed Trailer towing the toys
05 525 EXC
04 LTZ-250
04 TTR 90
03 XR 80
07 KX100
|
mapguy

Puget Sound

Senior Member

Joined: 09/02/2007

View Profile

Offline
|
E Track along both sidewalls. Use 4 straps per bike and a rear wheel strap. Bikes are side to side alternating front back for handlebar clearance.
Rear wheel strop is a 18" soft tie strap with snap links hooked to a round ring etrack fitting
2 straps forward from handlebars to round ring etrack fitting (just like when you tie down a bike in a pickup bed. Pull down snug but not compressing suspension much.
2 straps backward to prevent the front wheel from turning. Pull these down hard. These don't compress suspension much but stabilize the load. Floor chocks would do the same -just didn't want to deal with them.
All straps are soft tie type with snap fittings that cannot bounce loose.
This method does not allow the bikes to move around -even on 50 miles of washboard gravel in central Idaho!
|
twoblairs

Vail AZ

New Member

Joined: 03/24/2012

View Profile

Offline
|
Thanks everyone! Much appreciated! I'll read these to hubby when I get home in about an hour. Will ask if any questions.
Any other suggestions, we're all ears, too, also!
|
boogie_4wheel

SLC, Utah

Senior Member

Joined: 09/12/2010

View Profile

Offline
|
Suck mine against the back door (ramp), just like you would in a truck bed. The bikes end up facing backwards in the trailer. This eliminates any need for a chock for the front tire. I also use shock braces to keep the forks from compressing more than ~1".
I'm in the process of adding a winch to pull my street bike in backwards so that I can do the same thing with it. I'm not big enough to push my cruiser backward up the ramp.
2005 2500 Cummins/48RE/3.73, QCLB, 4wd, BigHorn, Edge Juice w/ CTS + Turbo Timer, ISSPro Oil and LP pressure gauges in cubby hole, GDP 20/2 filters on frame rail, Custom Diesel Steering Box Brace
'10 Forest River Shockwave Toy Hauler 21'
Honda EU3000I Genny
|
|
|