Combination bed extender and ramp -- anyone ever use one?

[SCOTTinNJ]

I'd like to put my bike (M750) in the bed of my Ford Sport Trac. Ford sells a bed extender that would help to secure stuff in the back with the gate down, but then I'd still need to buy ramps.

 

Rather than the Ford bed extender, I'm thinking of getting one of these. I found it on the internet for around $220. It's a combo bed extender and ramp. Anyone ever use one? Any comments?

 

They look pretty good. Here are some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[subvet]

Hey, that's a great idea. Bed extender doubles as a ramp. I'd be concerned about theft of the unit unless you plan to keep it inside when not toting the bike around. Looks like it's just strapped in place.

 

To ramp, or not to ramp, that is the question. I batted around this same issue and wound up buying an open utility trailer w. drop gate for a number of reasons.

1. I have the room to store it

2. easy to ride the bike on and off

3. need a helper to load bike in the back of the truck safely using a ramp.

4. can use the trailer for other things

5. leaves the back of the truck open for other stuff

 

Of course $$ are a factor too. For me, a trailer was a justifiable expense but if you have a situation where storing a trailer is not feasible, this looks like a good solution.

[SCOTTinNJ]

subvet, I actually already have a trailer. But, I figure for longer rides where it's just one bike, I'd throw it in the back of the truck. I've got a supermarket across the street from my condo with a loading ramp. That makes loading the bike on the pickup an easy one-man job. At my destination, which is usually a track, I likely can get help.

 

Plus, I wanted to buy a bed extender anyway for toting around other things. I figured if I'm going to spend the money, may has well get the combo unit. Just wondering how well they work.

[Jim VonBaden]

That is pretty slick!

 

I wouldn't have the nerve to load my bike like the guy in the picture. I would want help, or a slope to lessen the angle a lot.

 

Jim

[Cali Kid]

Scott, that guy loading the bike looks pretty calm, But let me tell you... Until you try it you'll never experience just how NOT cool it is. See that truck he's loading into to? It a ford ranger just like mine, and they're not the highest trucks in the world. But it is one scary manuever to load an RT that way by yourself. Actually it's way more scary UNLOADING backwards. I built my own ramp of similiar proprtions. I do not recommend it! The only way I'll do it now is with a second ramp that I biult so that I could walk up the ramp with the bike. I almost dropped my RT on it's top stepping off the bumper and holding the bike. The bed of the truck just barely held it. Anyway, if your seriously considering the ramp plan on getting help when you load and definitely when you unload.

[SCOTTinNJ]

calikid,

 

definitely would need help. no doubt. i built two ramps to use with my trailer, that is maybe 10" off the ground. probably don't need it for that, but it makes loading and unloading an easy one-man job. you can see the two ramps in this photo.

 

[Cali Kid]

Ya that's about the way I went, a couple 2x12s. Wish the bed of my truck was that low

Fortunately I haven't reason to put it in the truck of late

[SCOTTinNJ]

Reviving an old thread to see if anyone has experience with these ramps. Still interested in purchasing one.

[steveknapp]

I've got a 4x4 1ton Dodge. I loaded/unloaded my RT myself using a long and wide ramp. It's not unsafe IMHO.

 

Thoughts on that ramp and why I'd pass. Too narrow and too short. Not sure how much the bed extender costs, but if that's not much more, can't hurt to have a small ramp for this or that...

 

Oh, and the bed extender IMHO isn't needed for the bike. If you really want to secure the bike in the bed get some good straps and a wheel chock, like the Condor.

 

[AZJerry]

Years back I had a snowmobile trailer with a tilt bed. When I bought the dirt bike I found this tilt bed worked great. I would ride the bike onto the trailer. Yes, I did ride over the front of the trailer once. Strange things happen when you have a few drinks before loading the bike.

[soboy]

Scott: I have that combined bed extender/loading ramp and I am very pleased with it. Very high quality and easy to use. I use it to load a Yamaha DT250 into my Toyota Tundra's bed. I have also loaded a Kawasaki Vulcan with this ramp. Here is the trick to loading: you must have 2 ramps - one for the bike, another one for you to walk up. I was having a really hard time loading my bike until I saw this tip on, of all shows, American Thunder. On the show, one guy demonstrated how to load a full dressed Harley into a pickup, and he used 2 ramps. Ever since I saw that show, it has been very simple to load bikes into my truck.

[steveknapp]

Dan, do you push the bike up, or use it's own power?

[soboy]

Steve: I let the bike use its own power - first gear and a little bit of throttle is all it takes, it pretty much leaps up into the bed of the truck on its own. I just hang on and keep things vertical. Kinda scary the first time you do it, after that, it's fun.

[SCOTTinNJ]

I use the two-ramp and bike-power technique to load on my trailer. Not sure I'd be so willing to do that in a truck bed that's another foot or 2 higher. Seems scary but I'm sure it would work.

[Steve_Witmer]

I used a pair of ramps that were a couple feet longer that that to load my old Honda (about 500 lbs) into my old Nissan truck (usually by myself). After I bought the RT, I found that to be a bit of a hairy exercise. Only did it twice before I bought a trailer.

 

Your Ford Sport Trac is taller and the ramp is shorter, so I would exercise caution, even if you bought two ramps, which is IMHO absolutely necessary. Of course, then you have spent $440 on two ramps and for another couple hundred $$ you would have a trailer.

[SCOTTinNJ]

Thanks for all the help guys. I actually have two short ramps and a trailer, so I could always go that route. The problem is that I'm heading down to Barber soon for track school and it's a 950 mile trip one-way from my house. I'd take the trailer but that means I have to drive slow and more carefully. I'd rather throw the bike in the bed of the truck and have it a little easier.

 

I did some measuring last night and don't think the bed extender will work. I can certainly fit the bike, but I think the rear wheel is going to just hang off the tailgate. There won't be room back there for the extender. I'm planning on using a Baxley sport chock up front, so that takes up a few inches but is more than worth it for the stability. Without the sport chock I could probably fit the extender, but as I said, I'm going with the chock.

[JohnJC]

I've been using a Mototote Sport for the last 5 years. It doesn't slow you down. It's VERY easy to load even solo, and leaves your bed open for other stuff. The only down side is, it's a little nerve racking the first time you see your bike rocking back and forth, but you get over it.

 

There are other similar products but, this is the only one I've used.

http://www.mototote.com/default.aspx?ProductID=44

 

Tip: They suggest strapping the bars, and rear. I add another set to the top tripple-tree for most of the front clamping, and use the bars for stabilizing only. I also found strapping the rear tire in place greatly reduces bike rock.

[Steve_Witmer]

Mototote Sport

 

I looked at that and similar devices. They looked convenient and would have made transport possible with my Ford Explorer and without a trailer. I rejected this option for the RT due to safety and vehicle handling concerns with the weight of the RT.

 

The Mototote is only rated to 600 lbs, thus even a dry-weight RT w/o bags pushes the limit. It also requires a hitch that would accept a trailer with 600 plus lbs tongue weight (i.e. Class IV). You should consider weight distribution a concern and exercise caution not to overwork the rear suspension if your vehicle is not rated to tow more than 6,000 lbs (Tongue weight limit generally being 10% of towed weight limit).

 

I would have been maxxing out the capacity of both the Mototote and the vehicle it was attached to, since my Explorer is rated to tow 6,500 lbs. Not enough safety margin for my taste.

[JohnJC]

Totally true. 600 lbs max, and you need a truck for this. I'd never consider it for an RT, but I thought this topic was geared to a track bike. I've hauled bikes > 500 lbs on a Mototote hooked to an Avalanche, Touareg, and Titan. All with healthy towing capacities. No issue to travel 1000 miles a day at 80ish. I've made that trip too many times

 

For my heavier bike(Honda VTX1800) I use a Stinger, which is a folding single bike trailer. Also great for the same trip/speed.