loading Nomad on a truck

[davisgiersch]

I will be taking my Nomad cross-country inside a rental truck. Any suggestions on how to load it and tie it down inside the truck? How about untying and unloading?

[recumbentbob]

Only advice I can give is I was helping a neighbor load a 1600 vlucaln classic into his toy hauler camping trailer for the first time.

BE sure the front of the transmission housing clears the truck floor.

He was riding up the ramp and his transmission case hit the steel plate on the camper and he came to an abrupt halt. Got lucky and it did not crack the aluminum housing.

[nomadtom69]

Watched a guy try to load a H____ on a utility trailer yesterday it also bottomed out need to find a hill so angle is not so steep.

[cactusjack]

Watched a guy try to load a H____ on a utility trailer yesterday it also bottomed out need to find a hill so angle is not so steep.

Husqvarna? Hodaka? Honda?

[recumbentbob]

Probably a Hercules

[Dave]

Hyosung

[brote]

Hayabusa ?

[Dave]

A heifer?

[nomadtom69]

harley davidson

[ringadingh]

Just ride it up a ramp into the truck, and strap it down with four tiedowns. Use two straps off the handlebars, and two more hooked somewhere near the back of the bike. That will hold it real good.

[Loafer]

Welcome to the forum.
If you don't have a wheel chock, use an old tire to put the front wheel into. Ring says four tie-downs will work. I would go with that.
Pay no attention to the guys behind the curtain. Follow your own sane thinking.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Yes, welcome to the forum from Alabama.

[skeeter]

Welcome to the forum.
If you don't have a wheel chock, use an old tire to put the front wheel into. Ring says four tie-downs will work. I would go with that.
Pay no attention to the guys behind the curtain. Follow your own sane thinking.

What if OZ is still back there?

[skeeter]

Moving? Box truck? Tie down points available? Stuff it in between the sofa and the love seat and use mommas best comforter and blankets to keep the knick knacks from scratching the paint.

[Loafer]

OZ is still there, Santa is hard at work with all the little Elves. Superman and Batman have divied up the hours of being on duty.

[skeeter]

I feel better now that Batman is on call while Superman is on duty.

[trip]

I trailered my Nomad to the National Rally and back with no problems. Although I usually ride everywhere I go, I've been trailering on occasion for over 15 years. I realize that you'll be trailering in a truck or an enclosed trailer, but the following rules still apply...

1. Secure your front wheel with some Romex wire so that your front tire won't wobble and cause your straps to loosen.
2. Use 4 straps, 2 on the front and two on the back. Make sure they are heavy duty straps (not the thin ones that have substandard locks).
3. Instead of hooking the metals hooks on something on your bike, use nylon wraps and secure the hooks in those. This will save you greatly in scratched and damaged chrome or metal.
4. Cinch everything good and tight and check the straps occasionally while on your trip.
5. Once you have your bike secured on or in the trailer, put your kickstand up and put the bike in neutral. This will save any damage to your kickstand and your transmission due to the bike moving and bouncing.

Just my 2 centavos worth.

http://www.kawanow.org/misc/trailering01.jpg

[wiz]

When I had to rent a pickup to bring my bike back from Paducah after the fuel pump died, loading was easy at the dealer's loading dock. Tie downs front and back tight enough to compress the suspension some is good, the bike should feel very solid. When you stop, check the bike and tighten if needed. The bike should not be bouncy or loose feeling at all. use good tie down straps - not rope. The loop tie down straps around the triple tree work nicely. When I got home, I used my Harbor Freight tilt bed 8ft. trailer as a ramp. That worked but it was very exciting to say the least. A hill you can back up to or decent ramps are the best.

[MAS Tequila]

I'm gonna disagree with Ring. When I put mine in a truck while moving I had help so we backed it into the truck. I could then just ride it off.

When strapping make sure you take up as much of the suspension travel as possible.

I just trailered mine to FL behind a moving van last month. I used a strap from each side of the handle bars to the corner of the trailer. Then one from each rear crashbar to the corners, then the front crashbars to the corner. A couple extra straps really help the confidence factor.

MT

[macmac]

I use 8 tie downs and tape the lower hooks. Those are the hooks that bounce loose. The truck part is the tough part. If it were me I would find a loading dock at both ends.

Taking out the suspention travel, does not mean crush it to death either. Close, but not crushed.

I agree with chocks If the roads are going to be rough then 2x4 blocks nailed/screwed to the truck bed flor at the rear tires will help. I have seen well strapped bikes step out on the rear tire and go down for just that before.

I agree with soft loops too, as these get hooks away from the paint and chrome.

[MAS Tequila]

I forgot to mention that I have a HF wheel chock that I bolted to the floor of the truck and the trailer.

As far as the suspension, I try to take about half of the travel out. The bike will stay firm then.

MT

[Loafer]

Have someone else drive the truck, and ride the bike.

[Sin City Stan]

Watched a guy try to load a H____ on a utility trailer yesterday it also bottomed out need to find a hill so angle is not so steep.

Husqvarna? Hodaka? Honda?

Horse?

[ponch]

Just ride it up a ramp into the truck, and strap it down with four tiedowns. Use two straps off the handlebars, and two more hooked somewhere near the back of the bike. That will hold it real good.

Your owner's manual should have a section on just this. Funny thing is, when the shop came to pick up my bike for it's first service, the guy didn't tie it down like the manual says...

[recumbentbob]

Just ride it up a ramp into the truck, and strap it down with four tiedowns. Use two straps off the handlebars, and two more hooked somewhere near the back of the bike. That will hold it real good.

Your owner's manual should have a section on just this. Funny thing is, when the shop came to pick up my bike for it's first service, the guy didn't tie it down like the manual says...

You have a sense of humor if you think that's funny.

[ponch]

Your owner's manual should have a section on just this. Funny thing is, when the shop came to pick up my bike for it's first service, the guy didn't tie it down like the manual says...

You have a sense of humor if you think that's funny.

Well, if the dealer broke the handlebars, they would have to replace them or really what probably would have happened is that the bolts that hold the bars to the triple clamps would have broke/pulled out. He used one of those handlebar strap things that go over the grips and have a strap between the two. The manual says specifically not to use that, but use the triple clamp. The other thing is not to compress the suspension much at all, if any.

[markpenn1]

my 2 cents/IMHO..I have hauled Gold Wings; Harley's and Nomad... for sure wheel chocks of some sort...good soft loop tie down loops and REALLY try to come off the triple tree.. that is a lot of force for handle bars/risers.. also for the rear.. try and come off the frame..even if you have to remove the bags...as others have said wheel chocks...good ratchet boomers...trans in neutral and be exceptional careful for your safety riding off and on. No kidding aside wear a helmet while doing so.. I have seen some really close calls because of balance issues; ramp footing and close quarters. Also check tie downs often and especially if tie downs are exposed to rain..they really become loose in a hurry... almost lost a Ultra Classic Harley because I waited to long during a rain event to double check tie downs..whether be wet than out $$$ for parts replacement....and underline what Mac said about bottom hook...double hook..soft loops there..wire ties securing hooks..Harley makes some nice soft/strong loops.. Also try and take load off of front suspension as soon as possible; I don't think it is good for fork seals and the likes to be compressed for long periods of time..please reference the very first words of my reply thread http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[skeeter]

I'm sure that someone is getting something out of this thread even if your just entertaining yourselves.

The guy that started the thread was a flash in the pan. Registered, posted, hasn't logged in since.

[Loafer]

Why that...

[wiz]

You have a sense of humor if you think that's funny.

A sense of humor does make thngs easier. http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif