Hello All - not sure if anyone's done this...maybe, anyway, since u-haul does not rent motorcycle trailers one-way, i'm in somewhat of a bind since i'm making a 1k mile trip. i've rented a 14' uhaul truck, got ramps etc., the question is, would it be safe to load the bike and secure it with straps like always but the straps are mounted on the wall bars that the uhaul trailer has. while the uhaul rep says its ok, i have my doubts if those bars are really strong enough and would rip off the walls as tension is increased while strapping the bike. not to mention no guide rails on the tires. any thoughts are appreciated. thx

 

I saw a threadin the past couple of dayswere someone was talking about using a u-haul in a bind to get broke bike home. I am sure if you do a search you could find it.

The biggest thing would be how you would chock the front tire. If the deck is wood it is easy, but if its steel?

Can you get a pallet from the dealer that the bikes come shipped on, put that in the u-haul &tie-down the bike& secure the pallet?

Could you post you findings here, I would be curious to know also.

 

thx for the lead...anyway, i called the dealership and they said that those pallets are returned back to the factory - so no help there. actually the decking on uhaul trucks is metal, i looked at one today, riveted to the floor and rather slippery - i think. both the uhaul, dealership and lowe's guy said that as long as the bike's strapped down on all fours, it'll be fine - really easier said than done because it's not their bike and if it is, they're not going on a 1000 mile trip. i was looking into creating a chock, like cut a sheet of 3/4" plywood in half, so it becomes 2' x 8', and get 2 - 2x4's and mount them onto the plywood as if you have a channel where you can drive the bike on - then strap down the bike onto the side railings inside the uhaul truck - this might work, and i have to make it work because i'm going sunday and there's no looking back.

i'd appreciate anymore ideas. thx

 

have done it many of times just ride the bike in the truck first and spin it around over to one side and strap it to the wall and then load your house hold stuff around it

you may want to take some soft stuff or a moving blanket and cover the bike I usualy pack my blankets sleeping bags or other soft stuff and then put a couch up next to the bike and then pack around and over it

make sure you have a buddy around when loading and unloading the bike as you can high center on the top of the ramp and it gets a little harry when up that high and not much to put your feet down on in a hurry

 

thx for the suggestions! this is the low-down: went to lowe's and bought some hardware and wood

2x10x8 (1)
2x6x8 (1)
2x4x8 (1)
eye bolts (4) 1/2" x 4"
wood screws 3" (1 small box)
heavy duty straps (2)
total cost about $60

imagine the letter H on it's side with eye bolts on either side (i had the 2x10 cut in half) with the 2x6 running in the middle and connecting the 2x10's. the 2x4's were cut in 1' sections to serve as legs. i think i'm ready to go, also i will just screw in (2) 2x4's on the 2x10's as wheel chocks. this should be it.

i'm getting a 14' uhaul trailer and with this semi-crate bottom setup, i can safely secure my ride without having to worry about it falling on it's side or whatever. since the 14' truck comes with a ramp, should be no problem riding it up.

again, thx for the ideas and suggestions.

 

Gonzo, do not try and ride the bike up the ramp without someone else around to assist you.
I drove a uhaul from Redding California to Belligham wa a couple years ago with Bagger in the back.
Redding HD assited in loading with the ramp, they even supplide lots of tie down straps to secure bike to forward bulkhead and the side walls of box.
The bike was on side stand and wedged across the truck in the back. It only shifted a little and the tie downs didnt slip . No damage to bike upon arrival in Wa State, but I almost dropped it when pushing the bike down the ramp even with a couple of ppl assisting me and useing the front brakes .
Good Luck and be Safe !
Rob

 

hello rob - thx for the advice. that was exactly what i did...carefully went up the ramp, and carefully unloaded from the ramp, of course with the help of someone else. not even worth taking the risk of harming my baby...i'm sure eveyrone feels the same way. anyway, the 1000 mile uhaul move was uneventful other than having to put gas every 200 miles or so. the fabricated crate i made held up pretty good and i only used 2 tie down straps. good deal! many thx to you and eveyrone's input/comments...y'all be safe!

gonzo

 

I've personally done this with a U-Haul and I was very happy with the results

I ended up using 12 ratchet strap tie-downs and anchored the bike at every point I could find around the frame, handlebars and rims to the tie rings along the walls of the U-Haul cargo area ... I used rags to cover the rubber coated hooks on the ratchet straps so they wouldn't leave any marks (it worked, they didn’t leave any marks)

I did something a little strange for wheel chocks since I didn't own any ... I went to the hardware store and bought some 2" iron plumbing pipe - it was already threaded, and available in several lengths - it wasn’t expensive at all, I got (4) 6” and (4) 12” pieces and I bought (8) 90° elbow fittings – I used these to make 2 rectangles out of the pipes ... then I just put them right in front of each tire, and pushed it over them, trapping each tire in the middle of the rectangles made of pipe - it worked really good in my opinion and I now have 2 decent, if inconvenient to use, chocks for maybe $15 worth of parts

We tightened the ratchet straps down a lot, until the suspension was lowering a little, the bike was rock solid – and then I drove the U-Haul around the block and made a few turns left and right, then re-tightened the straps that needed it … I made a mark on the floor with a Sharpie marker where the chocks were, just to make sure it didn’t shift, and it was exactly where it was supposed to be

It was winter here in MN and there was a snow storm just as we were leaving, I was bringing the bike 18 miles straight into the storm to a shipping company – it was the worst case scenario, but I had to get the bike there, and the U-Haul was being rented by the hour

The roads were crap and it was a really bumpy ride, I was forced to slam on the brakes and even swerve to avoid other vehicles more than once ... We stopped a few times to make sure the bike was secure, and every time it was 100% grounded and it never moved an inch the entire trip

The bike was a GSX1100F, and at 600lbs, it didn't weigh as much as a Harley, but I would personally trust this technique if I had to transport my FLHS – and there are more places to anchor it on the Harley too ... Just tie it down as much as possible - if you think you’ve tied it down enough, add 4 more ratchet straps – after you stop to check it a few times, you will trust it

 

Yeah, the last thing you want is to be 5 feet in the air on a ramp and suddenly need to put your foot down! [sm=insomnia.gif]

 

First of all the dealer you talked with is full of B.S.!! i made a move from Pa. to Tn just this past year and went to my dealer and he told me to take all the shipping crates i wanted as they just go to the dump anyway!! I picked two up and then built around them in the truck.. took and framed all around them and added plywood top so i could still load things on top that and not loose space. Both bikes did not move even a inch.. worked very well! I kept the crate in case i decide to move back to Pa.or anywhere else..