Throttlejockey
Member
Anyone have a setup for hauling motorcycles (dirt). This van will do double duty as a work van and hauler.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Motorcycle hauling with a 118?
- Thread starter Throttlejockey
- Start date
hulagun
Haulin' A** since 1974
There's several of us on here who do this. As you already know you will need something solid to stop the front wheels against. Usually either a bulkhead or wheel chocks. I have used a section of thick plywood spanning across the two front seat bases. I also added tie down loops near the seat bases. I tie the back of the bikes down securely too. You don't want bikes loose in a collision. I find my wheel chocks are often in the way. So I'm going to build a low bulkhead instead, because I want the seats able to still recline. And I want to be able to step over it. It may incorporate a little storage as well, to hold Sprinter spares and tools. I bought a folding aluminum ramp at Cycle Gear that fits perfectly in the slider door step well. It's padded with rubber blocks to stop most of the rattles. The floor of my van is lined with rubber horse stall mat, it makes for a nice floor and quiets the van a bit.
Last edited:
http://www.boltiton.com/
I use one of these. Fit 3 in the back of my Sprinter. If you can find one used, great, if you have to pay full price, they're worth every penny. Or if you have the capability, copy their design, it's stupid simple. In or out in seconds. I'm about to by another one for the trailer for additional bikes.
I use one of these. Fit 3 in the back of my Sprinter. If you can find one used, great, if you have to pay full price, they're worth every penny. Or if you have the capability, copy their design, it's stupid simple. In or out in seconds. I'm about to by another one for the trailer for additional bikes.
Throttlejockey
Member
I had a 140 SHC before and had no problem fitting a bike in. I had low van shelving and the bars were high enough to clear them. My concern with the 118 is the length. I was thinking a removable wheel chock on the floor between the seats would work. I would really like a partition for when I would be using A/C but I don't think I could get an 8' length of plywood in. I guess if the partition had a door I could open it and slide it through.
hulagun
Haulin' A** since 1974
TJ, you must not actually own a 118" yet. Mine has a full 105" behind the front seats. Any normal-size motorcycle will fit in my 118" with room to spare. As for plywood, mine can carry full sheets easily.
The AC in my van cools the inside just fine with no partition. It helps that my van is a light color. It did cool off faster with it's partition, but I hated not being able to recline the seats fully, so I got rid of it. The van seems quieter now, too.
My 118" is great for dense cities with scarce parking and narrow streets, but stuff 2 bikes and all the gear in... it fills up fast. IF you have the room to park one at your house, I'd strongly recommend getting a 140" wb instead for general use, bike hauling or camping. They carry more, sit higher ( w 16" rims after 2003) and ride nicer, with the only minor downside being finding parking spots that are long enough.
And while you are looking, remember that the HC version (high ceiling) is OK, but the SHC (Super High Ceiling) is MUCH nicer to walk around in.
Throttlejockey
Member
No, I don't have one yet. Tough to find reasonably priced sprinters out here. I found a low mileage 118 though. This will also be my daily driver. My concern is the ride quality since I haven't driven one yet. I think I could deal with the smaller size since I'll also be trying for it to blend in at the HOA.
Throttlejockey
Member
Why? You want to sell yours?
i crank the bars to full lock because then i can tie the bikes down without compressing the suspension. and loading up a bike backwards is never really easy imo. with them like this i can ride the two outside bikes in and push the middle one in no problem.
hulagun
Haulin' A** since 1974
To add to Pauls endorsement, my 118 is my only non-moto vehicle and I use it like a car. I also rely on it as my race bike hauler (per this posts original question). Fitting oversize tires does help the ride. But if I had the space to park it, I would have bought my friends SHC 140wb which I have traveled to many events in also. It was the perfect bike hauler. It had room for 3 riders, bikes, gear and a dog.
We use fork-savers, so suspension squatting is not an issue. Curious about the full lock thing though. How do you actually do this? I'm a bit of an OCD type with stuff needing to be centerd and symetrical, so not sure I could handle seeing all those crooked bars in the mirror. Do they move around at all when traveling, or are they in good and tight? I guess I've done the backwards thing long enough in different situations that it's pretty natural now.
Throttlejockey
Member
Question- is the registration different for the 3500 vs the 2500 in CA? Does it move to a different classification with restrictions?
Selling soon. Needs a few things fixed 1st.
Trying to get an idea of pricing
Mine is setup like a limo.
Push bike in, turn bars all the way to the left till the stop. One strap from right side of the handlebar to the wall you are turning the bars against (up top). Another strap from the same handlebar down to the floor on the opposite side of the van. Little to no movement if your straps are positioned correctly and you can get 3 bikes in all facing the same way.
My brain is in straight so seeing crooked handlebars has no effect on me
DesmoDave
New member
No kidding! That's why I wrote a search CL search aggregator to help me find one last year, then I decided to turn that into a company.
