[Motor7]

UFO cloaking device over Black Butte near Mt Shasta

View attachment 234312
View attachment 234313

awesome

 

[Allanb]

Nice set up placerload! What kind of camper do ya have on there? Nice, simple, clean lines.
slick carrier too. Wish I had know about them before I went with the motojax.
Just fyi. there is a great little vehicle registration place in anacortes. Probably could have squared it all away.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

UFO cloaking device over Black Butte near Mt Shasta

View attachment 234312
View attachment 234313

Indicative of very cold air. Snow level down to 1,000' this week and every day for the next 2 weeks over the Sierras.
I'm feeling the need to ski 🎿

 

[PlacerLode]

Nice set up placerload! What kind of camper do ya have on there? Nice, simple, clean lines.
slick carrier too. Wish I had know about them before I went with the motojax.
Just fyi. there is a great little vehicle registration place in anacortes. Probably could have squared it all away.

It's actually a canopy made from a TIG welded aluminum square tube frame from a place in Winters CA out in a corn field they make canopies for many retailers

BTW the canopy mfg is "Advanced Mfg" and they refer to this tall canopy line as "Tradesman Canopies" last I checked 2013 they had a terrible website and almost no web presence an older gent owned the biz and didn't see the need for "that darned interweb stuff" lol but he complain ed about not selling many canopies

I bought 3 of these in 2012 two for RAM and i for my 1997 F350 I have had great fun with all of them I can sleep in my bunk over the cab and I can see out 360 degrees from bed and even though the glass is clear you can't see in it looks black for some reason but I do have solar shields I can lower for assured privacy

they have never leaked a drop and I have been very happy with them

The only downside is a loss of aprx 2 mpg due to the wind displacement factor and in a snow storm in Flagstaff in January a 50mph side wind gust spun me 90 degrees in a split second and came close to wrecking me and the truck lol but through dumb luck and steering I saved it but ruined my clean shorts lol

I'll post a pic showing the inside and the new ramp set when I unload tomorrow

 

[Xracer]

I also have a single rail Versahaul and you are giving me idea's. The only mod I've done is to install non-skid on both the ramp and rails. Wet steel gets kind of slippery.

 

[PlacerLode]

I also have a single rail Versahaul and you are giving me idea's. The only mod I've done is to install non-skid on both the ramp and rails. Wet steel gets kind of slippery.

the non skid is another great idea the decks are too slippery

The TW has such limited suspension travel that when you cinch down 4 straps (I use 6 2 on each end and two in the middle) the TW rarely moves anywhere

I did have a learning experience loading my CRF300L Rally I got it done after midbight and it was cold and blowing in Prescott Valley and I was tired so I went to close up the truck and locked my damn keys inside! I had a spare in my canopy but didn't want to untie the CRF and unload it by myself the dang things are tall and top heavy vs the TW and they are a bit scary to load on Versahauls deck

I realized my rear canopy door opened just far enough to squeeze through so I climbed up on the CRF planning to climb over it and when I got almost to the top it started to fall backwards as the suspension compressed and felt like it was nearly horizontal when I caught it but all of the straps stayed attached and it uprighted itself but scared the snot out of me lol

The suspension has so much travel and the shocks are gushy on the CRF and I am near 285 lbs now (doh!) I should have known the suspension would compress

so back to the smooth deck I was worried the tires were gonna slide off the deck and that might have bent or scratched rims on my showroom CRF300L Rallly so I think we should be tying the rims to the deck AND using non skid on the deck

PS I promised ramp pics and one showing my 2021 CRF300L Rally and that’s before I added the extra deck on my Versahaul Sport

PS-2 you can add a deck to a model VH-55 just make sure you get another VH-55 deck as the Sport model is slightly longer and you need the tie down rails to slide through properly aligned
I thought about using an ATV Versahaul they have even wider ramps but are not quite as long and they don't have the tie down arms that extend 10" for fastening bikes - The ATV use eyelets which pull straight down which is great for ATV's since they don't have to be balanced upright like bikes do

 

[PlacerLode]

If you have a canopy or perhaps a van like a Sprinter etc make sure you allow 4" clearance between the handlebars and the rear of your rig any closer and you will get dents (ask me how I know lol) A lesson I had to learn twice
On long trips I might want to snug the bike as close to my haul rig to keep stress off the hitch and to keep my haulers front tires on the ground so I would unbolt the handle bars and turn them sideways wrapped in a giant beach towel and maybe a plastic cover if it's rainy season - you don't have to disconnect any controls or cables just the 4 mount bolts

 

[Xracer]

I learned the hard way to tie down the wheels too. Had a friend of mines DR leap off a trailer after hitting a large bump.

 

[PlacerLode]

I learned the hard way to tie down the wheels too. Had a friend of mines DR leap off a trailer after hitting a large bump.

YOWch that could be really bad!!!

I think the grip tape on the deck is a total winner idea and yes I think wheel straps around the deck is cheap insurance

 

[FIRE UP]

Nice reporting Placer,
The Versahaul is a pretty good system. They have a few models. I purchased a used one back a couple of years ago for $275 and I thought that was an OK deal at the time. Anyway, I attach it to the back of our motorhome for hauling two different bikes. One, an '07 TW and the other, an '18 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT. Now, for the TW, since that's a mere 278 lbs, the rack is rated for 500 so, I'm real good there. But, when I knew I'd be hauling the A/T on it, that A/T is right at 578 lbs. I don't like overloading things if I can help it so, I augmented the weight carrying capability by adding two more receivers on the motorhome's frame.

Then, I designed some 2"x2" extensions that fit into those receivers. I had to cut and bend those extensions so they would come out, tip up and level off at the bottom of the wheel/tire tray of the Versa haul. In the end, I wanted all three attachment points to carry the same amount of weight. The extensions bolt onto the bottom of the Versa haul so, there's no permeant attachment.

But in either case, we tow our '15 Jeep JKUR so, when we get to places like Moab, we've got the best of three worlds, our own portable hotel, one or the other great bikes, and a Jeep to do things as him AND her.

By the way, the A/T being 548 lbs., could be quite dangerous to load on that Versa haul by trying to push it up on there and keep it stable at the same time. It's phenomenally top-heavy bike. NOT GOOD! So, what I do when I'm taking the A/T along is, I created a portable ramp and platform for myself to walk on and walk right alongside the A/T when it's loading of offloading. Since the A/T is an automatic bike (Honda's DCT transmission) I start it at the base of the ramp and put it in gear. Then, I give it a super slight amount of throttle and at that time, I walk right with it, it going up it's ramp and me going up mine. When I get to the end, the CEO is there ready to apply tie downs to pre stabilize the big beast.

Then the platform and ramp I use is quickly disassembled and stowed away in the coach outside compartments. Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do to have fun.
Scott

 

[MoeDub]

The not so fun part of travel
View attachment 234262
View attachment 234263

got to get some smaller tanks Fred

 

[Allanb]

Nice set up Fireup. I’am trying to avoid a motor home, but as I want Tw and jeep along as well, might be the only way to go

 

[PlacerLode]

FIREUP that’s a great idea the walk beside I noticed even my “light” CRF300L Rally was top heavy while loading and a long reach up to the front brake lever
Torklift makes the dual receiver hitches so you can add another support tube and I’m planning on slipping a smaller tube inside my original tube to add some strength
The three receiver set up is the best for stability and strength and that’s what I would use if I hauled weight over 500lbs

my Ram has custom underbody steel tanks made by Corona Tanks they are 65 gallon up front and 40 back where the spare would be kept uses a single filler neck and a pump to transfer from the rear to the front which is only needed when you hit 1/8th tank on the main tank otherwise it has 4 rubber hoses the size of heater hoses that equalize the levels

 

[Allanb]

On my 2015 silverado, i removed the tow hooks on either side of a front reciever hitch I installed. Using 2"x 2" angle, was a simple matter of drilling a few holes to match the bolts Where the tow hooks were. 3-4' of angle ran out under the double racks to support them.

 

[FIRE UP]

Nice set up Fireup. I’am trying to avoid a motor home, but as I want Tw and jeep along as well, might be the only way to go

Allanb,
We've been "motorhoming" it for oh, about 35+ year or so and have gotten quite used to all the creature comforts of home while traveling. And it's been, and continues to be, a great way to go/camp/travel/enjoy life while out and about. But, without a doubt, doing it this way is COSTLY! A small Class C motorhome with either a trailer or possibly carrying a smaller bike like a TW on the back is about one of the cheapest ways to go and still have some decent creature comforts. I've been hauling bikes for ever and I never have and never will carry any of them on the front of our vehicles. It's just me but I don't like blocking any cooling to that radiator, especially when we're traveling in summer months.
If there's only one person and all you'd tote along with you is a TW, then you'd have it pretty easy with a smaller m/h and even a small trailer for the dub if you'd not like hanging the T-dub on the back of the coach or the front.
Scott

FIREUP that’s a great idea the walk beside I noticed even my “light” CRF300L Rally was top heavy while loading and a long reach up to the front brake lever
Torklift makes the dual receiver hitches so you can add another support tube and I’m planning on slipping a smaller tube inside my original tube to add some strength
The three receiver set up is the best for stability and strength and that’s what I would use if I hauled weight over 500lbs

my Ram has custom underbody steel tanks made by Corona Tanks they are 65 gallon up front and 40 back where the spare would be kept uses a single filler neck and a pump to transfer from the rear to the front which is only needed when you hit 1/8th tank on the main tank otherwise it has 4 rubber hoses the size of heater hoses that equalize the levels

Placer,
I thank you for the nice comments. Along with being a fireman for over 35+ years, I've also been a welder/fabricator too. So, making things like you see in the pictures is just kind-a typical for me. I really like that Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT but, it's a phenomenally heavy bike. Especially when one is man-handling it in loading or unloading it in precarious situations. The T-dub, it's like loading a bag of marshmallows compared to the A/T. Waltzing around with the A/T just in the garage is bad enough but, loading it or unloading it when it's gonna be almost 3' off the ground is playing with a ton of fire.

I'm not young anymore. OBVIOUSLY! So, I have to compensate for the loss of any strength I used to have. And that means making things work that help out an old fart in these kinds of situations. So, a portable walk-along ramp and platform is the name of the game here. That additional ramp and platform take only about 1 minute to setup. As you can see, it's nothing more than a pair of Harbor Freight 9" x 72" motorcycle ramps. A couple of 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 3/16" wall tubing is inserted in the 2" x 2" supports for the additional weight carrying. Then one of the H/F ramps is placed on top of those square tubes. The other is attached to the one end to be my walking ramp.

When the bike is loaded, I remove my ramp and platform and stow them in a long compartment in the RV. Since the Versa Haul is equipped with a receiver, I plug in my foldable tow bar then finish tying the bike down and hook up the Jeep and we're off and running.
Scott

 

[Motor7]

Our swivel trailer is awesome. Drawbacks are high loading height(requires two folding ramps, one for me and one for the bike, and even with that I have dropped it twice while loading). And second is that even with one wheel on the ground, we lose at least 3mpg. They are really made for motor homes since they are 8' wide, sticking out on both sides of the van to catch the slipstream.

So, in the long run maybe this is better.......:

 

[FIRE UP]

Bringing a T-dub along in any manor while on a trip or vacation or whatever is always a treat. When I bring mine along, I know it's very limited in what I might want to do while on that particular trip. If I know I'm gonna be able to tackle long distances with some off roading, I'll bring along the Africa Twin. If I'm specifically aiming at loooooonng pavement running with the CEO on board, we change total tactics and, I load up our '18 Honda Goldwing DCT Airbag in the back of our truck, using the Rampage lift/carrier. Then, hook the truck up to the back of the motorhome and we're off to happy-land.

 

[PlacerLode]

It’s always cold when I’m in Reno today was no exception! Picked up a nice 2022 wife’s TW with 650 miles

 

[jcaveman]

I recently bought a Black Widow dual motorcycle hitch carrier for the back of my motorhome. It's not bad but I'm starting to wish I had sprung for a Versahaul. They seem far more durable and I prefer their design. I guess you get what your pay for.

Double Dirt Bike Carrier

Double Dirt Bike Carrier

www.blackwidowpro.com

 

[PlacerLode]

say, I kind of stumbled into a trick if you’re buying a late model TW 200 the last three or four I bought the owners had purchased the extended warranty and I guess if you don’t use the warrantee, you can turn it back in for a rebate for the unused portion Since I have no need for a warranty. I tell people to call up and find out how much money they can get back and it’s usually been around $300 and then I say hey I don’t need the warranty and I make them a cash offer deducting the $300 and in all cases they’ve said yes so just keep that in mind on a late model TW you might be able to use that warranty to get your price down a little bit .