Can I put in back of THIS pickup?

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Probably a cheaper route would be a Trailer in a bag
https://trailerinabag.com/index.html

Plus it breaks down into pieces so it can easily be stowed in the bed when not in use :)
I'm impressed. I work away from home for a couple weeks at a time and always need my truck. I've been wanting to bring the FJR along so this might be a solution. Not having to store a trailer somewhere would be awesome too.

 
The only thing I thought when looking at a TrailerInABag in person was that I like my Feejer too much to put it on something like that.... :blink:

 
The whole idea of the FJR is to leave the truck behind. That said, ( ha-ha first ! , 1st, #1, numero uno ;) ) , putting the FJR up there scares me just seeing you do it. If you have to bring the truck along, get an enclosed trailer so nobody has to see an FJR being shamed. :eek:

Exactly why trailer any bike unless it broken . The FJR is built to be ridden, I reckon if you rocked up to an Aussie gig with an FJR on a ute you would die of embarrassment dude :rolleyes:

 
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Lots of great advice here.

My 2 cents...Why abuse your vehicle for occasional use? I am a Trailer guy. A decent trailer can be abused with no guilt and has a much lower loading height. One slip, trip or fall and the rest of it can go out the window in a hurry! The trailer in a bag idea is a great one for occasional use. I have a folding 4 by 8 trailer that I keep in the garage in about 2 feet of space that has served me well carrying many combinations of stuff up to a half-ton, for 30 years. It has hauled every bike I or a friend, has owned at one time or another. But I do understand wanting to make your cool truck do cool truck work.

I would say rent or buy a trailer and keep the fuel tank. It is cool even if it is typically not needed. Make you feel good if you find a stinkin' good deal on fuel though. If you want to use the pickup, find a loading dock (or equivalent) and skip the fall-off-the-ramp paranoia. Many have made it work, some have failed. It isn't worth the worry. Good tie-downs make it just any other cargo you would haul. Take no shortcuts here. Coming loose in your pickup/trailer doesn't just break your plastic, it might hit the soccer mom that is following you.

I also used to be a no bikes in trailers or pickups kind of guy. But after many near useless miles of boring interstate, I am starting to question that. There are times. Like this time of year. Bike in an enclosed (out of the roadsalt) trailer to somewhere warmer and salt-free...hhmmmm...Actually, the idea of having the wife meet you somewhere with the support vehicle while you have fun makes a nice amount of sense too. Though maybe not to her...

mr.paul, from Minnesota

 
From responses here and on a forum specific to my truck, I've decided I'm going to town in the back of the trunk. I'm gonna attach a 2x12 board to a piece of thick plywood and have it all cut to the length of my bed + tailgate. There'll be a wheel chock in the front (on the 2x12) and some 2x4s at the back of the thick board where the rear wheel will be between. I'll tie down the rear wheel to the 2x12 board inbewteen the 2x4s to keep it from moving or bouncing around. I'll hook the rear pegs down and forward to pull the bike forward. I figure the large board will keep the bike's weight distributed better front/back and keep less stress on the tailgate. Also, if the tailgate for some reason DOES snap, the bike's weight is now enough pulled forward and on the bed that it shouldn't move at all or start to fall backwards. The plywood underneath is just to minimize the chance of the bike falling left or right (it provides a wide base).

One more question I have . . . if I put the front wheel in a wheel chock, and then tie it TO that wheel chock to keep it from twisting or moving in/out of it, do I still need to compress the front forks? Or can I just put some tension on the handlebars each way to basically keep it upright (not necessarily compressing the front forks and keeping them compressed)? Thanks for all the help. I promise to put up some photos of my final solution.

Alexi

 
From responses here and on a forum specific to my truck, I've decided I'm going to town in the back of the trunk. I'm gonna attach a 2x12 board to a piece of thick plywood and have it all cut to the length of my bed + tailgate. There'll be a wheel chock in the front (on the 2x12) and some 2x4s at the back of the thick board where the rear wheel will be between. I'll tie down the rear wheel to the 2x12 board inbewteen the 2x4s to keep it from moving or bouncing around. I'll hook the rear pegs down and forward to pull the bike forward. I figure the large board will keep the bike's weight distributed better front/back and keep less stress on the tailgate. Also, if the tailgate for some reason DOES snap, the bike's weight is now enough pulled forward and on the bed that it shouldn't move at all or start to fall backwards. The plywood underneath is just to minimize the chance of the bike falling left or right (it provides a wide base).
One more question I have . . . if I put the front wheel in a wheel chock, and then tie it TO that wheel chock to keep it from twisting or moving in/out of it, do I still need to compress the front forks? Or can I just put some tension on the handlebars each way to basically keep it upright (not necessarily compressing the front forks and keeping them compressed)? Thanks for all the help. I promise to put up some photos of my final solution.

Alexi
Good Decision! That will do just fine. On the "One more question", Yes, I'd definately still compress the forks a bit. At certain speeds, moguls and rapid fire

bumps in the road will compress the forks a bit. In that split second of compression, something can come loose. Go ahead and eliminate that possibility!

 
I think you made a good decision to use the truck. When I owned a different bike, a friend of mine asked, "You're gonna put a $13,000 motorcycle on a $250 trailer?" I never did buy that trailer. I think if you follow through with your plan to reduce the weight on the gate, and you listen to all the other tie-down advice already here; you should be fine.

 
I think you made a good decision. When I owned a different bike, Schwinn Stingray, a friend of mine asked, "You're gonna put a $100 bicycle on a $250 trailer?" I never did buy that trailer. I just learned to ride without training wheels then the girls quit beating me..

Why did you post something like that? You never admit to childhood girlfriends kicking your ***!

This **** keeps up I'm going to remove you from my friends list.. :ph34r:

:jester:

 
I think you made a good decision. When I owned a different bike, Schwinn Stingray, a friend of mine asked, "You're gonna put a $100 bicycle on a $250 trailer?" I never did buy that trailer. I just learned to ride without training wheels then the girls quit beating me..

Why did you post something like that? You never admit to childhood girlfriends kicking your ***!

This **** keeps up I'm going to remove you from my friends list.. :ph34r:

:jester:
Your wife beats you and you admit it. What's the difference? :dribble:

 
I think you made a good decision. When I owned a different bike, Schwinn Stingray, a friend of mine asked, "You're gonna put a $100 bicycle on a $250 trailer?" I never did buy that trailer. I just learned to ride without training wheels then the girls quit beating me..

Why did you post something like that? You never admit to childhood girlfriends kicking your ***!

This **** keeps up I'm going to remove you from my friends list.. :ph34r:

:jester:
Your wife beats you and you admit it. What's the difference? :dribble:
Well actually, AJ: The difference is that Bust LIKES it! Correction: He LOVES it! Did you see the picture last month of that ******* shoveling snow in his driveway with his shirt off. That one tattoo read: "Sticks and Stones may Break my Bones, But Whips and Chains Excite Me!" He's one sick puppy, hombre! Un Pinche Cabron Puto!

 
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Well what do ya know? Ol' Burro fuker Stanley figured it out..

Yeah it's a *** thing A.J., but only applicable to humans and large fur bearing critters.

Damned Armadillos don't count as they are slutty things anyway..

:jester:

 
Well actually, AJ: The difference is that Bust LIKES it! Correction: He LOVES it! Did you see the picture last month of that ******* shoveling snow in his driveway with his shirt off. That one tattoo read: "Sticks and Stones may Break my Bones, But Whips and Chains Excite Me!" He's one sick puppy, hombre! Un Pinche Cabron Puto!
Oh yeah...I forgot about that tattoo. I was more concerned with the one that said, "The sheep are liars."

 
There are a few good reasons why someone would prefer using a truck bed vs a trailer.

  • No place to store the trailer when not in use.
  • Parking more difficult and limited when pulling a trailer
  • Towing a trailer is easy but not as easy as not having one at all
  • Driving 90mph with a trailer isn't as easy as without
  • You already paid for your truck bed. Use it for free now.
  • better fuel mileage

I went thru the same thing before I started hauling my bike with my F150 Supercrew Shortbed. I was anxious about getting the bike in and out of the truck and having the back wheel on the tailgate. Turns out with a good ramp it's a breeze loading and unloading. With a hill or ditch to back up to that will reduce the ramp angle and it becomes even easier.

I built a wheel chock from 2 x 12 treated lumber. Took all of 10 minutes and works brilliantly. It protects the front of the bed from being bowed in the event you over-tighten your tie-downs, or if you come to a screaching stop. Also it prevents the tip of the front fender from hitting the top of the bed rail (ask me how I know). Basically cut a length of board that is the exactly the width of the bed. Cut to more 6" pieces and center them on the board with a gap that's equivalent to the width of your front tire. Screw them down with galvanized wood screws. The homemade chock takes 2 minutes to put in and take out and no one is tempted to steal it when you leave your truck unattended.

 
On the "One more question", Yes, I'd definately still compress the forks a bit. At certain speeds, moguls and rapid fire
bumps in the road will compress the forks a bit. In that split second of compression, something can come loose. Go ahead and eliminate that possibility!

And here's one more I learned back when I was always trailering my racebike to the track....put a short bungie cord between the two tie-downs. It helps keep tension on them at all times, so even if you hit a huge bump and the forks compress ALOT, there's still almost no chance of a tie-down hook falling off.

And FWIW, I put my little light bikes in my truck bed, but if I "MUST" haul the FJR, it goes on my oh-so-handy Harbor Freight folding trailer. I can put a 650 lb bike on the trailer by my (160 lb) self. Not so in the bed of my tall truck. And don't underestimate the sturdiness of a "properly assembled" H/F trailer. I've used it for thousands of miles myself, and my friends have probably put at least as many miles on it as I have. Never been an issue of any kind, and I can haul two FJR sized bikes on it without a problem.

 
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On the "One more question", Yes, I'd definately still compress the forks a bit. At certain speeds, moguls and rapid fire
bumps in the road will compress the forks a bit. In that split second of compression, something can come loose. Go ahead and eliminate that possibility!

And here's one more I learned back when I was always trailering my racebike to the track....put a short bungie cord between the two tie-downs. It helps keep tension on them at all times, so even if you hit a huge bump and the forks compress ALOT, there's still almost no chance of a tie-down hook falling off.
Hey Dave, A Short Bungie Cord between the two Tie-Downs as an extra insurance policy?!?!

FREAKIN' GENIUS!! :clapping:

 
i rode my FJR to go buy my truck about 80 miles away, its a hsort bed Z71 with a over the rail tool box and headache rack. To complicate matter even firthut it has a gooseneck ball with plate in the bed. I had to angle the bike is as pictured above. Tiedowns were impossible since the box adn rack filled the stake pockets. I wrapped the straps around the tool box then the rear to the stake pockets. held just fine for my trip back home.

 
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