GL1800 in your TOAD truck bed?

[Mrchips]

I know there are alot of people hauling their motorcycle on an RV lift, but is anyone hauling thier bike in the back of their pick-up, especially a new Ford with a 5.5' bed, and if so which loader are you using?

I currently have an Overbuilt on my coach, but we need to buy a new TOAD and I am considering a new truck as many now are flat towable with ease. Problem is I don't want a long bed. So looking to see if anyone is hauling their big bike in a short bed truck and what loader are you using?

If this topic is in the wrong place please move it. Couldn't really firgure out a good place to ask the question....

[what next]

Talked to the guy at an rv show he said yes.
Cruiser Ramp Pickup Loader
Call them up I thought he said he had made them fit 4 feet 11 inches.

[Mrchips]

Originally Posted by what next

Talked to the guy at an rv show he said yes.
Cruiser Ramp Pickup Loader
Call them up I thought he said he had made them fit 4 feet 11 inches.

Yea I know Cruiserlift makes one that will go in a 5.5, just wondering if anyone on here is using one to haul a big bike and what they thought of it and had an picutes of their set up.

Unfortunately Cruiserlift pictures suc and they have nothing on youtube or anywhere. Most of the bed lift systems bolt in the bed and on a short bed truck you could not ever close the tailgate unless you took the system out. We are getting ready to full time, so I would have no place to take the lift system out and store it when we were sitting. I currently have an Overbuild lift on the coach and will probably just keep using that, but thought it would be better if I could put the bike in the truck.

[Ramets]

I've seen people storing the lifts under their coach's when sitting for a few months in winter in FL. I've looked into the www.rampagelift.com for my bike and its probably the way I'm going to go. It looks pretty cut & dried as to removing the Rampage.

[ShapeShifter]

I'm sure you're aware of this, but just to make sure: be sure your truck has the load capacity for the loader and bike, and be sure your coach has the towing ability for the combined loaded weight of truck, bike, and loader. That weight will add up fast. Personally, I would plan on all tow equipment ratings to be at least 10,000 pounds (tow capacity, hitch, tow bar, base plate, safety cables, etc.) By the time you take a full size truck, add a loader and bike, fill the truck with fuel, and whatever else you put in it, you're going to be getting close to that weight.

[Mrchips]

Originally Posted by ShapeShifter

I'm sure you're aware of this, but just to make sure: be sure your truck has the load capacity for the loader and bike, and be sure your coach has the towing ability for the combined loaded weight of truck, bike, and loader. That weight will add up fast. Personally, I would plan on all tow equipment ratings to be at least 10,000 pounds (tow capacity, hitch, tow bar, base plate, safety cables, etc.) By the time you take a full size truck, add a loader and bike, fill the truck with fuel, and whatever else you put in it, you're going to be getting close to that weight.

Truck easily has bed load capacity for buke and loader and 45' 500HP coach certainly has the tow capacity for a truck and bike.

But with that siad, I went to Ford today and actually measured the bed with the tail gate down, then subtracted the space needed ahead of the front bike tire and then measured from the front og the GL1800 to the center of the rear tire and in a 5.5 bed it simply will not work. The center of the back tire would be right on the very aft edge of the tail gate. So that's a no deal. The 6.5 bed would work, but not the 5.5. I think we have actually decided to just keep the bike lift on the coach and tow the truck behind it.

[WeatherTodd]

you can build a 1" floor insert for your pickup bed to reinforce the bed floor.
THe GL is a heavy load regardless.

[Dupdyke]

I tow a gw trike now in a 5.5 gmc k1500 with a rampage lift no issues but we did put airride to keep it level. Look at this.
QUESTIONS dupdyke gmail


https://www.flickr.com/photos/942865...57600511840095

[Mrchips]

Originally Posted by Dupdyke

I tow a gw trike now in a 5.5 gmc k1500 with a rampage lift no issues but we did put airride to keep it level. Look at this.
QUESTIONS dupdyke gmail


https://www.flickr.com/photos/942865...57600511840095

Trike is certainly a load....lol I did find the Rampage mounted on the RV as interesting though. I do like the Rampage lift.

It does appear to work in a 5.5 bed, the issue I see is where to store the lift once we arrive at our destination. Where we would be living in the coach and the truck being our only transportation (other than the bike) I wouldn't want to haul the lift in the truck with the tail gate open all the time. Like someone said i could stow it under the coach, but not all pads are concrete and I think that would get pretty old pretty quick unbolting and trying to load/unload it out of the truck.

[vapor3000]

Originally Posted by Mrchips

I know there are alot of people hauling their motorcycle on an RV lift, but is anyone hauling thier bike in the back of their pick-up, especially a new Ford with a 5.5' bed, and if so which loader are you using?

I currently have an Overbuilt on my coach, but we need to buy a new TOAD and I am considering a new truck as many now are flat towable with ease. Problem is I don't want a long bed. So looking to see if anyone is hauling their big bike in a short bed truck and what loader are you using?

If this topic is in the wrong place please move it. Couldn't really firgure out a good place to ask the question....

I made a device to load my RZR or my Harley Trike (different bed device) that takes the weight of my tailgate on my GMC crew cab. It's a fairly simple device and the rear support fits into the receiver hitch and can be easily stored at the camp site. It is also cheaper than some on the loaders shown above.

The motorcycle bed device is not necessary for the bike. I use a couple of short 2x10's to support the back wheels (not shown) so no weight is on the tailgate. I tow this loaded rig behind my Newmar DP with no problems.

You will need a wide folding ramp if you have a two wheeler. Many outfits make these ramps. I usually chain/lock my ramps to the MH receiver hitch.

[Viking1358]

I have a Winnebago Vectra w/ a 400 cummins. I tow a GMC 1500 Sierra p/u with a Mountain Master loader in the bed. This particular loader fits in my 6' bed nicely and is a three slide loader so it doesn't stick out past the back of the truck bed when not loaded. I've also had the loader in a Chevy Colorado, 4 door w/ a 5' bed. Problem was the rubber bumpers were down on the springs and the front end was a bit light and the truck tended to wander on certain roads so I went with a full size truck after towing the Colorado around the country once with no problems. The loader is all aluminum and they also make loaders for other different applications. You can find them at different shows like Quartzite and Sturgis.

[lsptpr]

Originally Posted by Mrchips

I know there are alot of people hauling their motorcycle on an RV lift, but is anyone hauling thier bike in the back of their pick-up, especially a new Ford with a 5.5' bed, and if so which loader are you using?

I currently have an Overbuilt on my coach, but we need to buy a new TOAD and I am considering a new truck as many now are flat towable with ease. Problem is I don't want a long bed. So looking to see if anyone is hauling their big bike in a short bed truck and what loader are you using?

If this topic is in the wrong place please move it. Couldn't really firgure out a good place to ask the question....

Did you decide on a lift? I am looking at cruiserlift ramp for my truck and have same questions

[FIRE UP]

Well,
I know and realize that this thread is a few months old but, for whatever reason(s), I just saw it. I, like Don (Dupdyke) carry our '08 Honda Gl1800 Goldwing on a Rampage lift, in the back of our '11 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 with the 6.5' bed. The truck does go down about 2.5" when fully loaded with the lift and bike but, it's not near the bump stops. It actually handles that load, quite well.

Now, we don't do any road racing while the bike is back there so, of course it's going to handle a bit different with 1,300 lbs. sitting in its bed. The Wing hovers around 900 and the lift, plus or minus 300 or so. So, while I have weighed the truck with a full tank of fuel and nothing in the bed, which came in at almost dead on 5,300, I haven't weighed it again, with the Wing and lift in it.

Since I installed this lift, there's been a couple more contenders for big bike lift/carriers introduced into the market. I can't speak for any of those. The Rampage lift/carrier is a good lift. It's strong and works quite well for it's design. Don and I have spoke on this and he's got quite a bit of experience with the Rampage as he's installed a few of them.

If one is worried about weight, don't be. Again, I don't really know much about the rival lift/carriers (for pickups) but, I'd just about guess that the Aluminum one I have seen, cannot be that much less in weight since, Aluminum, while lighter, has to be thicker and or more of it, i.e. braces/struts/gussets/supports, etc. in order to be able to handle the same amount of weight carrying capability.

I used to use a Hydralift on the back of our coach and, that was and is, by far, the top of the line, lift/carrier for the back of any coach. And they know it to as, it's the most pricey of all of them.

Anyway, the Rampage lift usually goes for around $3,000 plus or minus a few pennies but, we got ours for $1.500 and it was used twice. If you look around and are ready to jump, you'll seen them once in awhile on C/L or ebay.
Scott