Best Option For Hauling Bikes . . .

[halowords]

I am in my last semester of full-time grad school and would like to pick up a dirtbike for riding after it is done. However, my wife is recently diagnosed as pregnant and I will likely have to trade in my pickup truck for something with a backseat.

I am wondering if there is anything with a backseat that would allow for a bike to fit in the back without requiring a trailer hitch (Minivan, smaller SUV), or if I should just get something with a towing kit and learn how to back up with a trailer.

**Note: if there is a thread out there that addresses this, please let me know.**

-Cheers

 

[rickyd]

Find something w/a tow kit and learn to back-up. Easiest way. Either that or buy a DOdge Sprinter.
Congrats on the Baby :)

 

[kmccune]

With just one vehicle for baby and riding, I'd get a small trailer.

 

[halowords]

I know this is only indirectly dirtbike related, but . . . What is the smallest size car/suv/engine that I should look at for hauling one or two bikes and a small trailer? I am thinking something along the lines of a Ford Escape or a Saturn Vue, or a normal car with a more powerful engine and a stick shift if that is possible and will do the job.

-Cheers

 

[IndyMX]

I have a simple 4x8 open trailer for my bike. It weighs 350lbs, and the bike is about 200lbs...

Just about any decent car or minivan should be able to lug around 500 or 600 lbs without a problem.

 

[Crunch]

I pulled a small trailer and 1 bike with an Oldsmobile Cutless Sieara (v6) for a while. It seemed to do the job just fine. An SUV would be better though.

Presently I'm pulling the trailer and bike with a 4 cylinder 110 horse power escort. I wouldn't advise that though. It's a little to much for the car.

 

[sparkysakitas]

simple solution :coocoo:
get a 4 door truck :cool:

 

[trial_07]

My escort does just fine with that platform trailer holding two bikes. I have the ZX2 model though, a bit more horsepower.

 

[splatt]

simple solution :coocoo:
get a 4 door truck :cool:

Works for me :cool:

Steve

 

[Mophuka]

if you go with a small car make sure that the trailer doesn't have a drop down tail gate. the gate will create alot of drag and the will put more strain on the engine.

 

[trial_07]

The trailer was made by my dad for trial bikes, I find it a bit too short for MX bikes though. I load the bikes for only a 5 min ride most of the time, the track is close.

 

[3Wheelerdude]

Ever considered an Explorer Sport Track.... You get the room of an SUV and a small pick up box to carry your bike. Or any 4 door truck...

What about a Subaru Baja...?

Older Elcamino!!!

 

[Moparman1539]

simple solution :coocoo:
get a 4 door truck :cool:

Yea, Get a King cab pickup truck, that would probably be the best option. You can have a lot of power, And some trucks get good gas mileage, and be able to carry a bike without a trailer.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

No Concept Hauler!

My first family rig was a Toyota Celica with an open rail trailer, it pulled it fine. Minivans are fine, you can fold down seats or remove them and they fit inside or get an open trailer or utility trailer. They may even pull a small box trailer, but boxes are best pulled by a v-8 and pick-ups loading bikes in them is an adventure, substantial heigth difference.

 

[CaptainObvious]

I too vote for the four-door pick-up. My extended cab Silverado LT (short bed) hauls all 5 of us in great comfort (leather interior and every convenience checked on the order form). I can fit three bikes in the bed too. I also have a sport tent - so the bed doubles as a camper as well.

I love my truck. Every now and then I think about an SUV and a trailer - and then I ask myself "why?"

 

[halowords]

Any chance a small 4 cylinder 2.2 liter engine SUV (e.g. an Saturn VUE or Ford Escape Hybrid) could haul an open trailer with one or two dirtbikes? The V6's only come in automatic which I would like to avoid since I like stick shifts.

The four-door truck might be an option down the road, but for the time being the SUV is more feasible.

-Cheers

 

[CaptainObvious]

A good friend of mine use to tow with his RAV4. He now tows with his wife's minivan. I have another friend that had a hitch custom installed on his C5 Corvette so he could haul bikes. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Check the towing capacity of any of the SUV's you are looking at. For a small trailer and 2/3 bikes you'll want a minimum of 1,500 pounds.

 

[GETMETOCA]

The four-dour pickup works fine. Also consider the moto-jack rack. I have one and use it on my Yukon; just insert it into the receiver and load the bike.

http://www.motojackrack.com/

 

[FruDaddy]

I have a Dodge Ram quad cab, and I would wager that I could fit an infant in the back seat while still having room in the bed for my bike. Of course it gets crappy mileage compared to my 96 Maxima 5-speed that has been equipped with a class-I reciever (Reese Shadowmount) so that it can easily drag a 5x8 utility trailer around. Or you could get anything with a class-III reciever and mount a bike carrier on it.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Small kids and car seats fit just fine in the back of my F150 Supercab. You can get a used F150 Supercab pretty cheap, and plenty of the V6 engines have a manual transmission. The Supercab is the one with the 'small' 3rd and 4th doors. You don't need the larger Crew Cab style four door for small children. I can get my bike in back with the gate up just fine. With two bikes that have relatively short wheel bases, I can also get the gate up by angling the bikes just right.

One problem with the little utility trailers is the very small wheel size. Small tire diameter means lots of wear and tear on the wheel bearings at highway speeds. If you have lots of highway miles to get to your riding area, you may have to slow down compared to the speeds you drive with your pick-up. Also, trailer storage can be a PITA.

 

[WaldoVH]

I used to pull my 600 lbs GPz1100 on a 4x8 trailer behind my Nissan 240sx without much problem. I intend to pull my RM250 (and mabey another bike) behind my Toyota MR2 when I get the trailer fixed. Get yourself a nice three rail motorcycle trailer and pull it with whatever you want to drive.

 

[gwcrim]

We used to have an Olds Intrigue with a V-6. It towed my 4x8 trailer loaded to the gills with no trouble.

Don't get too hung up on the stick shift. An automatic is better for towing anyway.

 

[letsride24-7]

I too vote for the four-door pick-up. My extended cab Silverado LT (short bed) hauls all 5 of us in great comfort (leather interior and every convenience checked on the order form). I can fit three bikes in the bed too. I also have a sport tent - so the bed doubles as a camper as well.

I have fit 5 bikes in the back...

 

[motometal]

i've been the trailer route, hated it, and back to trucks now. I will admit enclosed trailers are great for people that don't have a garage etc to store the bike(s). Otherwise, to me, trailer negatives are:
1. you need a place to store the trailer
2. cost of trailer
3. trailer lights are a pain
4. licence of trailer
5. need a longer parking space
6. more difficult to manuver in traffic
7. more difficult to back up
8. can't see your bike when driving in some cases
9. more tires and wheel bearings to worry about
10. on a rail type trailer, if the bike comes loose it could get ugly
11. in some cases can be a pain to line up/hook up without a friend


the main down side to a big truck is potentially higher initial vehicle cost, and in some cases you will pay more for fuel overall.

 

[BBking25]

wait if your getting an SUV, check the back of dirt rider, they got a bunch of stuff for using an SUV to carry one bike... like a stand secured on the back ( looks like one of those bike racks except way nicer for a dirt bike)

we got a insdoor trailers, one of the very small ones, and we fit 3 inside

\|/ kinda in that shape, but the trailer was about 8hundred, and then you don't have to worry about storing it in a garage... hope some of this helps