Danno
Well-known member
Roadmaster has a set of ride control spring helpers. Easy to install and the customers like the ride improvements. Ive also installed timbren products on some plow trucks.
A couple of tricks I've learned to deal with loading low clearance bikes:Yeah, I've seen bigger bikes on carriers myself but I was skeptical enough about putting my 346 lb 450 on the one I got, especially since I couldn't find any documentation on the carrier. The sticker on it was from Scooter World but they don't even sell them anymore, so knowing the PO had carried his big Ruckus on it multiple times gave me the confidence to try my 450 on it. I did add a bolt right up through the main square cross-tube from underneath and through the rail because mine hinges down with a slip-on ramp to help with loading (there's a latch under the left end of it where the front wheel loop is) because the hinge was a little sloppy. I roll the bike up on it, tip the rail down and latch it (requires 2 people to help steady the bike), then after getting the bike strapped down I put the nut on the end of the bolt where it protrudes through the rail right under the bike's engine to ensure the rail is steady. It sure beats trying to load my low-clearance street bike up into my Silverado bed, the rear of the truck sits higher than any I've owned before and it's stock height.
Thanks for the ideas. I've done #1 many times before while using my wife's S10 to haul my bike, #2 is a moot point for me because now that I have the carrier I put a tonneau cover on the truck. I can only afford to take a vacation once a year anyway. Other than that I'll be going to the nearest local drag strip (70 miles) when I get my even-lower-sitting drag bike project ready. The carrier will be the only way that thing will get to the track.A couple of tricks I've learned to deal with loading low clearance bikes:
1. Park the truck with the front wheels up on a curb or hill. This lowers the angle between ramp and bed.
2. If you have people to help, have them lift the ramp off the ground when the belly pan gets close to the bed of the truck. This eliminates the angle altogether, and give the bike a straight shot into the bed. The further the bike is up the ramp, the lighter it will be lifting the ramp.
One good bump away from a loss of steering. There is a reason 5th wheel pin centers are located foward of the rear axle. Reminds me of a minuteman repo boom on the wrong truck. Very dangerous and the yahoo owners needed 600lbs of lead under the front bumper. It was a shop moment where 1/2 the team said we dont care what it pays..we are never doing this shit again.
So less than 10% total weight hanging out back. That is reasonable!. So my 2020 wt1500 8ft bed would be maxed hauling a tw and a very light rack at the same ratio. I would mount a trail70 without thinking on my truck with a a factory hitch or possibly a yz125. I figure cut hitch rating in half for racks. A 1/3 is better yet. The worst case I've seen is rack and an extended ball mount used together. Firetrucks have no frame in the back. And we had to extend alot! Then we found out the trailer was loaded with 2500lb tongue weight. The hitch survived but the reciever box took a beating. So not unusual that a super long setup was made for something like a slide in camper with 4ft overhang. This was our gig but surely not ideal. We never had one catastrophic hitch failue. Usually the vehicle frame broke in half. Plows and wreckers would break and crack frames also.true, but a lot of that Depends on the tow vehicle.
in my case , HD Truck , 8,250# IIRC at the scales, will barely flinch at a bike in a carrier.
it's 7 hours one way to the start of the AMA OZARK 200 for me,
I have a Rack n Ride (Rack n Roll), and like KYwoodsrider, I haul a CRF450L behind a Tacoma. The RnR is a solid option, and I wouldn't worry about it being the point of failure.
If you're going to reinforce the receiver mount, you might consider adding a second receiver to the vehicle and a second rack support to the carrier. Doing that would support the weight better, and virtually eliminate the twisting & rocking that's common to hitch carriers. I've seen motorhomes set up like this, with massive Harleys on the rack, going down the highway without any sway.
Before getting too excited about putting a carrier behind a 5th wheel TT, make sure there's a decent frame under it. Some RV trailers don't have much steel supporting them.
I'd also suggest getting a longer ramp, or trying to load & unload with the vehicle below the grade of the end of the ramp to decrease the angle. When I load my bike, I park in the street with the ramp resting above the curb. It's much easier to load doing it that way, as opposed to having the truck sitting higher than the ramp's end. My only complaint with the RnR is that it could benefit from a longer ramp.