I didn't want to spend $4K on a trailer and another $35K on a SUV to pull it around, so this is what I did to be able to take my bike to track days and on vacations and such.
1) Find a cheap beater full size van like this one I got off of ebay. I spent $600 on the van, $96 to get it to pass inspection, and $45 on a new battery.
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6894/chevyg20vanqk8.jpg
2) Throw in a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood and bolt it down so it can't move around. I'm going to put in some 3M skid resistant tape so that if the plywood gets wet, the tires won't slide around.
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9195/plywoodvanlg1.jpg
3) Buy a couple of Wheel Chocks, some ratcheting tie down straps, and I used eye bolts to create mounting points for the tie downs. I went with the removable Pingle wheel chocks. Determine where the chock should go, and bolt down the mouting hardware that comes with the chock. Here is a shot of the mouting hardware:
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/2980/wheelchockmountspr1.jpg
4) Here is the first Wheel Chock mounted. As you can see, I initally planned on mounting it further to the outside edge of the van, but some beams running under the floor prevented me from being able to mount my eye bolts there, so I had to adjust the position a little further in. No big deal, just wanted to mention it in case anyone was wondering about the other outline.
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/6610/firstwheelchocknu6.jpg
5) Pull the bike in and put the front wheel into the wheel chock. I used the Canyon Dancer straps on my 1KRR clipons tp secure the front of the bike in the wheel chock. Here is a shot of the Canyon Dancer and securing the front of the bike in the chock.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8435/canyondancerud9.jpg
6) Once the bike is in and standing on it's own in the wheel chock, put some straps on the swing arm and determine where to put a couple of other eye bolts to use as mounting points for these straps. The pingle instructions said to use the rear straps to also pull the bike into the wheel chock. I know some people have the rear straps pulling on the bike away from the front. I went with the wheel chock manufacturers recommendation on this one as it made sense to me to have it pulling the bike into the wheel chock as a back up in case the front straps failed for some reason.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4949/rrinvanbehindxy8.jpg
7) Basically do the same thing on the other side for another bike. If you're only going to be hauling one bike, then center the wheel chock instead of putting it on the sides. Keep in mind to check underneath to make sure any holes you are drilling will not hit anyting important and will be easily accessible. I wanted to be able to get my wife's Shadow in the van as well. We're heading to Deals Gap on Thursday, and we're taking both bikes. Here's a shot with the other wheel chock already mounted as well as all strap mounting points and both bikes in the back of the van. As you can see, I put some of the 3M Skid Resistant tape on the aluminum ramp. I was raining this morning when I started and the ramp was pretty slippery when it was wet.
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7709/rrshadowramp2of6.jpg
One tip for using the ramp. There are 6 fingers that lay on the floor of the van and chains to keep the ramp from slipping off. The chains didn't seem like they would work very w
bindelsf2
09-24-2006, 02:31 AM
that is AWESOME!!! GREAT IDEA!!!!:D
fishfryer527
09-24-2006, 11:42 AM
Great Idea.
The only recommendation/change I would consider is to block the rear wheels (or maybe some more non skid tape) from sliding side to side, my bike had slipped like that before in a trailer and kinda marked up the muffler. Maybe the tires were wet, but the trailer we used had a plywood floor too.
dwhite645
09-24-2006, 02:16 PM
Sweetness! That turned out really well. I also like the ramps you ended up getting. When backing them out are you on it or walking next to it? I didn't think about mounting the chocks on something else, seems much easier than welding in a fixed chock running from side to side.
Makes me want to get a neighborhood cruising van now :) except I will paint 'free candy' on the sides:D
zerochickenstrips
09-24-2006, 06:25 PM
How's the fuel mileage in that thing? I've wanted to do that for a while, but I didn't want to spend too much for gas.
OldFatGuy
09-24-2006, 11:00 PM
ORIGINAL: fishfryer527
Great Idea.
The only recommendation/change I would consider is to block the rear wheels (or maybe some more non skid tape) from sliding side to side, my bike had slipped like that before in a trailer and kinda marked up the muffler. Maybe the tires were wet, but the trailer we used had a plywood floor too.
We put in the non-skid tape today. My wife put some carpeting down in the front and cleaned it up real good, so it's ready to roll.
OldFatGuy
09-24-2006, 11:06 PM
ORIGINAL: dwhite645
Sweetness! That turned out really well. I also like the ramps you ended up getting. When backing them out are you on it or walking next to it? I didn't think about mounting the chocks on something else, seems much easier than welding in a fixed chock running from side to side.
Makes me want to get a neighborhood cruising van now :) except I will paint 'free candy' on the sides:D
Thanks Darrell, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.
I ride the bikes in and out. I have to duck down pretty low, but because the ramp is so wide, it is really easy.
OldFatGuy
09-24-2006, 11:13 PM
ORIGINAL: zerochickenstrips
How's the fuel mileage in that thing? I've wanted to do that for a while, but I didn't want to spend too much for gas.
I just checked the mileage for the first time today. I'm getting 15 mpg. That's mostly city type driving. I'll check it on the highway on the way to Deals Gap... I'm hoping maybe I can get 17 mpg or so.
It's a 3/4 ton van with a 5.7 litre V8 with automatic transmission. Is that typical gas mileage or is it low? Does anybody know?
krash
09-24-2006, 11:17 PM
great idea, I would just be alittle nervous about driving a $600 beater ~10hrs away from home, with
both my bikes in it.
other than that, perfect!
OldFatGuy
09-24-2006, 11:28 PM
ORIGINAL: krash
great idea, I would just be alittle nervous about driving a $600 beater ~10hrs away from home, with
both my bikes in it.
other than that, perfect!
Well, I'm a risk taker! :D I did have the mechanic check it over when I had it in for inspection. His opinion was that I got a good deal and the van was in good shape. The engine runs strong and the transmission shifts smoothly. The tires are practically new and it's got a new battery.
Like you said though, if it does break down I'll have my bike with me and can drive to the next town to get some help. ;)
OldFatGuy
09-25-2006, 12:02 AM
Here are some more pics from today... I put down the 3M non-skid tape. My wife put in some carpeting up front and on the wheel wells and some of the beams so when we loaded the ramp it wouldn't rattle around.
Great job! It was cheaper than a decent utility trailer you can pick up. A 5.7 liter is a 350, my dad has a '93 raised roof conversion van that uses that same engine, has over 150k miles on it and is not the type of guy to do preventive maintence. The best it ever got was 16 around in town and 19 on the freeway. After pulling enclosed car trailer a few thousand miles, the mileage has dropped to maybe 14 in town and at the most 15 on the freeway. BTW, I bought an '81 El camino (Bike hauler, with a low bed!) and put in a fuel injected 350 from an '88 Trans am with OD transmission, it's gotten as high as 17 in town, but I used it to pull a utility trailer with a 4 wheeler on it plus one in the bed and it only got 14 on the freeway. Your mileage sounds about right, not much increases MPG on heavy vehicle with a 350, basic things like clean air filter, fresh oil, make sure all plugs are good and check cap/rotor/wires. If you take decent care of that van, it should last you a long time!
OldFatGuy
09-26-2006, 10:16 PM
Thanks for the info.
We leave early Thursday morning. I'll take plenty of pics @ Deals Gap and will post back on how the van holds up.
sic00F4i
09-28-2006, 09:54 PM
Nicely done Old! Have fun at the gap and definitely get some pix.
OldFatGuy
10-02-2006, 09:00 PM
We're back and we made it in one peice. I posted in the Rides section if you care to see pics and a brief write-up on our trip.
You should change the spelling of your handle to: Old Phat Guy. That is a very cool van, and I love the pictures you posted. Is that a Rebel your wife is on? Looks a little bigger that a Rebel, though. Looking into getting my wife something like that.
voodoochyl
10-03-2006, 01:14 AM
...just looked at your signature three seconds after I posted and realized I just asked a stupid question!
OldFatGuy
10-04-2006, 11:29 PM
ORIGINAL: voodoochyl
You should change the spelling of your handle to: Old Phat Guy. That is a very cool van, and I love the pictures you posted. Is that a Rebel your wife is on? Looks a little bigger that a Rebel, though. Looking into getting my wife something like that.
:D I like that. Wish I had thought of OldPhatGuy when I signed up. :D
Yeah, it's a 600 Shadow. We were going to get a Rebel but thought she wouldn't like it for long. She thinks it's powerful [sm=smiley29.gif] and I guess it is compared to the only other bike she rode which was the Rebel in the MSF course.
It will go highway speeds, but I don't like to ride it on the interstate or for her to ride it on the interstate, just not enough power to get you out of bad situations.
Fortunately, she's not interested in that type of riding and prefers the back roads anyway.
Looks great,I had same idea of just buying a cargo van. That way I could also throw my bike in and keep the van and my bike at school...
One thing I would suggest instead of the skid tape is bed liner.... You can get do-it yourself roll in (which you can spray if you have an air compressor) or get rattle can bed liner. I put Herculiner in the interior of my Jeep and it is very non-skid and looks great as well!
SmokeShank
03-07-2007, 04:23 PM
looks great. i was thinking of the same thing (getting an old van).
i have small trailer i could mount my bike to, but me and my buddy with a zx10r are planning on a few track days this summer and we need room for both. a van seems like a terrific idea, especially since there would be room for tool boxes, spare tires etc. hell i could still pull my trailor behind it with a grill, cooler, etc.
NAturalyRWD
04-11-2007, 05:18 PM
Well sorry for the delay lol but that is the exact thing we used to pick up my 900! How are you dealing with the sound?Or maybe ours was just wicked loud as it was a parts van for a local auto place. Milage sounds about right to me [:@]! That was an expensive 8 hour trip lol. Hope it serves u well and make sure to get some vids at the track!
Garrett
OldFatGuy
05-20-2007, 01:45 PM
Well, just wanted to make a follow-up post several months later. The van has largely been a success. I have sound-proofed/insualted it over the winter - added tool storage etc.
I have had a few issues, blew a radiator hose and had to replace the Throttle Position sensor. Still far less money than payments on a new/newer vehicle. The van became my daily driver in the winter weather and it has served me well. Still have a few things to do to her and I'm making a trip in a few weeks to the track in Hallet, OK. I'll take pics and post them up when I return.
babyboy70363
05-21-2007, 04:21 PM
How about some updated pics of the new mods to the van, i think this was an excellent idea.[sm=interesting.gif]
xbatmanx
05-21-2007, 10:58 PM
yea genious. I know exactly what i am looking for now.....
babyboy70363
05-22-2007, 02:53 AM
Was that sarcasm? LOL
Draconius
05-22-2007, 04:26 PM
Damn dude...that's sick
Hatebreed
05-24-2007, 02:41 AM
best way to get yurself better mpg is tire pressure, clean air filter, fresh oil, new fuel filter, light right foot, and tranny/rear diff fluid really helps make the engine work less which = more mpg... might wanna clean the carb. get a fuel additive for it or somtin.
Apocal
07-22-2007, 10:15 PM
Nice work. That's also a pretty decent ramp there for that price. I paid that much for a little tiny one :(.
bmg velocity
07-26-2007, 08:49 PM
[quote]ORIGINAL: OldFatGuy
I didn't want to spend $4K on a trailer and another $35K on a SUV to pull it around, so this is what I did to be able to take my bike to track days and on vacations and such.
1) Find a cheap beater full size van like this one I got off of ebay. I spent $600 on the van, $96 to get it to pass inspection, and $45 on a new battery.
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6894/chevyg20vanqk8.jpg
2) Throw in a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood and bolt it down so it can't move around. I'm going to put in some 3M skid resistant tape so that if the plywood gets wet, the tires won't slide around.
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9195/plywoodvanlg1.jpg
3) Buy a couple of Wheel Chocks, some ratcheting tie down straps, and I used eye bolts to create mounting points for the tie downs. I went with the removable Pingle wheel chocks. Determine where the chock should go, and bolt down the mouting hardware that comes with the chock. Here is a shot of the mouting hardware:
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/2980/wheelchockmountspr1.jpg
4) Here is the first Wheel Chock mounted. As you can see, I initally planned on mounting it further to the outside edge of the van, but some beams running under the floor prevented me from being able to mount my eye bolts there, so I had to adjust the position a little further in. No big deal, just wanted to mention it in case anyone was wondering about the other outline.
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/6610/firstwheelchocknu6.jpg
5) Pull the bike in and put the front wheel into the wheel chock. I used the Canyon Dancer straps on my 1KRR clipons tp secure the front of the bike in the wheel chock. Here is a shot of the Canyon Dancer and securing the front of the bike in the chock.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8435/canyondancerud9.jpg
6) Once the bike is in and standing on it's own in the wheel chock, put some straps on the swing arm and determine where to put a couple of other eye bolts to use as mounting points for these straps. The pingle instructions said to use the rear straps to also pull the bike into the wheel chock. I know some people have the rear straps pulling on the bike away from the front. I went with the wheel chock manufacturers recommendation on this one as it made sense to me to have it pulling the bike into the wheel chock as a back up in case the front straps failed for some reason.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4949/rrinvanbehindxy8.jpg
7) Basically do the same thing on the other side for another bike. If you're only going to be hauling one bike, then center the wheel chock instead of putting it on the sides. Keep in mind to check underneath to make sure any holes you are drilling will not hit anyting important and will be easily accessible. I wanted to be able to get my wife's Shadow in the van as well. We're heading to Deals Gap on Thursday, and we're taking both bikes. Here's a shot with the other wheel chock already mounted as well as all strap mounting points and both bikes in the back of the van. As you can see, I put some of the 3M Skid Resistant tape on the aluminum ramp. I was raining this morning when I started and the ramp was pretty slippery when it was wet.
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7709/rrshadowramp2of6.jpg
One tip for using the ramp. There are 6 fingers that lay on the floor of the van and chains to keep the ramp from slipping off. The chains didn't
HondaCBR24
03-06-2008, 11:02 PM
GREAT IDEA
k5papa
03-25-2008, 09:21 PM
great pics, glad you enjoyed the trip. i live about 1/2hr from the dragon. awsome ride and excellent veiws. i found best time to ride dragon is on a monday or tuesday morning. less idiots if you know what i mean. p.s. new member here, love the website.
Jaybird180
03-27-2008, 09:27 AM
Welcome k5. Must be nice to ride the Dragon all the time.
jobiwan
04-24-2008, 11:22 PM
That's really cool man I think I am going to give this a try. But hows the insurance on it? I was thinking of going for a trailer/hitch setup but nobody will let me put a hitch on their cars haha, and this looks like more fun. Also will be good for the bad weather. I was going to get a dual sport next but maybe I'll do this first.
k5papa
05-01-2008, 09:23 PM
thanx Jaybird for the "welcome". only ride it 1 or 2 times a year. road was made for sportbikes LOL. but just to much traffic via cars, cops, hogs, hog wannabees, etc. so many roads here in tennessee to enjoy. no need to deal with the dragon(dealsgap).