New Truck & Ramp?

[justinrhenry]

Dunno, I use them all the time

[muskrat]

I concur with previous statement.  Ramp needs to be wide enough so you can walk along side if you are pushing it or wide enough for both feet while riding it up.  The first time will scare you but after that it's a breeze.  A cheaper alternative may be buying a small utility trailer from craigslist if you have storage.  Or buy one of these http://www.sportutilitytrailers.com/LongChih/746TE-1TS76M.htm  There are tons of mods you can do to this trailer and it's really nice.  Got mine for $500 but sold it when I bought a truck again.  Another option is one from Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb-capacity-48-inch-x-96-inch-heavy-duty-foldable-utility-trailer-with-12-inch-wheels-90154.html

[ducpainter]

<snip>  I actually have a perfect spot just outside my garage that would almost put the bed of the truck level with my driveway... would be easy to load I think.  My concern then would be unloading/reloading once I got to the track.  I suppose I just need some practice doing it.  I happen to have a bunch of brand new ratcheting straps from my last truck, but someone mentioned not using the ratchet-type.  Why?

There's usually someone at the track willing to help unload and load.

The tendency is to over tighten with ratchet type straps. You don't have to bottom the suspension. They'll be fine IMO.

[bikepilot]

Ratchet straps are fine, just more fiddly/annoying than straps designed for securing a bike.  I use the answer pro taper tie-downs and like them quite a lot.  Wide, strong, fast and have a built-in soft-tie type thing.  I had these securing the wife's monster when I brought it home from Baltimore and it didn't budge (and plenty of pot-holes in b-more and DC to test them).

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Taper-Tiedowns-Black/dp/B002YMV6XM

[bikeguy57]

Pitbull makes a nice removable wheel chock made for sportbikes with big rotors. I really like mine. Also recommend basic Ancra straps and a Canyon Dancer harness.

[herm]

i prefer the cam lock straps, partly for the reason DP mentioned...and a wheel chock (which I need to replace BTW....if anyone is wanting to get rid of one.)

[Speeddog]

I've got one of these mounted in the bed of my Dakota, it's fantastic:



CCR Sport's Bed Buddy

Ancra tie downs

Diamondplate aluminum ramp from Industrial Metal Supply

[booger]

http://www.bikelug.net/index.html

This is a cool item. A bike trailer that collapses and fits inside the trunk of a car. I want one.

[geoffduc]

I load bikes in the store van on a daily basis and never use ratchet straps only the cam lock type of strap plus a wheel chock like the baxley is a great help.
I see guys come into the store parking lot in vans and when they open the doors you can see that they've got ratchet straps on the front of the bike pulled down so hard that the front forks are bottoming out and occasionally there will be a blown seal thats why I personally don't like ratchet straps.

[dgm]

good advice and valid warning about the ratchet straps.  What about this from pitbull: http://www.pit-bull.com/trailer-restraint.shtml  ?

[Kopfjäger]

good advice and valid warning about the ratchet straps.  What about this from pitbull: http://www.pit-bull.com/trailer-restraint.shtml  ?

Those work great, but won't work in the bed of the Toyota. Your rear wheel will be partially on the tailgate.

[dgm]

Those work great, but won't work in the bed of the Toyota. Your rear wheel will be partially on the tailgate.

True.  Good point.  It probably wouldn't be far enough onto the tailgate to mount this ON the tailgate, but far enough that it won't be mountable in the bed either. 

[Kopfjäger]

True.  Good point.  It probably wouldn't be far enough onto the tailgate to mount this ON the tailgate, but far enough that it won't be mountable in the bed either. 

It might work now that I think about it, but would need to be mounted almost at the end of the bed. I have the Baxley under the front wheel, so that moves the bike back some. Without it (the Baxley) the pitbull may work. (?)

[DW]

I've always been curious, how is compressing a fork within its normal range of travel is supposed to blow a seal???  They aren't air shocks.  The spring tension has nothing to do with the damping fluid.  I also don't see how it could do anything to weaken the springs since there should be no way to compress them past a yield point. 

As such, I am a huge fan of using ratcheting straps.  While I have never seen any damage due to overtightening a ratchet, I have seen plenty of camlock straps slip.  I've also seen an under tightened bike lose all strap tension when the truck hit a bump and the bike nearly fall over. 

I tighten the straps down enough so that the fork will not compress any more when I throw my weight into it.  That way, if I hit bump, it does nothing.  No problems or dropped bikes so far.

[Speeddog]

There is a volume of air contained in the forks, and it's pressure increases the further the forks are compressed.
So, leaving them compressed beyond the normal riding position does put more stress on the seals.

Leaving them reasonably compressed ( I.E. not more than 1/2 travel) for a couple hours, no big deal.
Leaving them nearly bottomed out for week while going cross-country, not so good......

The point of contention of ratchet straps is you can easily overdo it.
Camlock tiedowns, it's a *lot* harder to overdo it.

There's significant quality differences on camlock tiedowns, the thin webbing of the cheaper ones make 'em more prone to slip or break.
I've been using Ancra tiedowns for 30+ years without a failure.