Pickup truck vs trailer vs van | GTAMotorcycle.com

Pickup truck vs trailer vs van

timtune

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I thinking about an upgrade in bike transport. Maybe getting a pick up. Is putting a bike in the back of a pickup really practical? Is it just plain easier to load and pull a trailer?
What about van? Floor height maybe 2ft instead of 3ft for the tailagte so a ramp gets way easier and everything stays dry and safe.
 
Think of all the reasons people will want to borrow your pickup.You need one.Still want one?
 
I thinking about an upgrade in bike transport. Maybe getting a pick up. Is putting a bike in the back of a pickup really practical? Is it just plain easier to load and pull a trailer?

Loading and unloading a trailer is way easier, but if you don't have space to store a trailer then using the bed of the pick-up is very space-efficient.

Also, if you're driving off-road or through tight trails (like hauling your dirt bikes to the trail head) then having a more compact wheelbase is better for maneuverability.

If you have a pick-up, you always have the option of using the bed or trailer. If you only have a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail. Not sure what that has anything to do with pickups and trailers...

If you have a pick-up, then you can haul twice as many bikes by using the bed and towing a trailer. I've seen a guy squeeze 5 dirtbikes in the bed, and just as many in the trailer he was towing!
 
So true. Once you own a pick-up, you wonder how you ever got through life to that point without one.

they're also ridiculously comfortable for taller/bigger people
 
What is the primary purpose of the vehicle? @Brian P went with a fwd van as the load floor was feet lower and the bike was secure when loaded.
 
You obviously haven't tried to squeeze into the back seat of a Tacoma.

yes, I was referring strictly to front seats and leg room, back seats arent very big, unless you go for a crew cab and even then I dont know how much room there is (and you end up compromising on bed size)
 
I owned a 1986 Ford Ranger for many years (drove it off the lot brand new for under 8000$) and I know how handy a p/u is - yeah I still miss it. But the purpose of this vehicle would be first and foremost moving bikes.

Wingboy how do you get the bike up? Getting bikes into the trailer I now power them up (walk beside not ride). Of course it requires a double wide ramp or in my case two planks.

Like Brian P I think the van makes the most sense. Does it need to be full size? Anyone hauling a bike with a minivan?
 
I dunno, if I was only hauling bikes I wouldn't spring for a pickup.

Might as well find a transit connect or something similar, as you say, enclosed, weather and theft protection.
 
I owned a 1986 Ford Ranger for many years (drove it off the lot brand new for under 8000$) and I know how handy a p/u is - yeah I still miss it. But the purpose of this vehicle would be first and foremost moving bikes.

Wingboy how do you get the bike up? Getting bikes into the trailer I now power them up (walk beside not ride). Of course it requires a double wide ramp or in my case two planks.

Like Brian P I think the van makes the most sense. Does it need to be full size? Anyone hauling a bike with a minivan?
Transit connect works IIRC, or the chrysler equivalent (promaster city?). They have a bit more height inside than a passenger minivan IIRC correctly.
 
Minivan will be tight as the height of the bike becomes a problem. I wanted to get a van but they are backordered like crazy. Combination of covid parts supply issue and courier/parcel companies purchasing large amounts of certain models.
I was looking to get an AWD crew transit with the increased gvwr and engine. Fit 2 bikes inside, can tow an extra 3500, seats 5. Opens up many options.
 
I haul bikes frequently enough (before covid, anyhow) to justify getting a dedicated bike-hauling vehicle that also serves as a camper.

They all have pluses and minuses and not everyone will have the same factors in play.

I towed bikes on an open trailer behind a VW diesel for, uh, decades. It works. Normally I wouldn't unload the trailer unless I actually needed to work on the bike - just stick the trailer in the garage with the bike on it. Advantage: Only insuring one vehicle, and it can be one that you like driving, as long as it has enough tow capacity. Disadvantage: you need a secure place to put the trailer and the bike. If you want a trailer that gives protection from the weather (enclosed), you need a bigger tow vehicle.

Pickup truck ... I did this way back in the beginning, but my truck was a 2 wheel drive Toyota. The bad thing nowadays is that the cargo floor heights have gotten insane. No bueno. Most people who show up at the racetrack with a pickup truck ... have the bike in a trailer. YES you can do it, but it's a royal pain. Also, if you want a bed that is long enough then you get a compact cab with iffy rear seat room (whether that matters to you or not, is a question for you to answer yourself), and if you want crew cab long box, it's longer than a normal parking spot ...

The compact cargo vans are a great choice. Front wheel drive, so lower cargo floor, easier loading and unloading. But, check both the height of the back door opening and the length from the seats to the back doors. The original-style Transit Connect needed the front wheel of a bike to be slipped in between the seats of the van, it was just a little bit too short. The new-style Transit Connect is a little longer but I think it's a little lower ... get out a tape measure and do some measurements. I know someone at SOAR who used one as a race-bike hauler ... it's doable. Haven't checked measurements of a ProMaster City. Chrysler minivans have been used, too - the only minor nuisance is that the back door opening isn't quite high enough in many cases but it depends on the bike. The old Chevrolet Astro worked well for this but good luck finding one nowadays that still has rocker panels - and they're awful in other ways.

I ended up with a full-size Ram ProMaster van but the second-smallest configuration - medium wheelbase low roof. With the bike out, even in low roof configuration, I can still stand up inside with my head ducked - so it is also my change-room at the track. I built a raised platform at the front of the cargo area crossways - sleeping quarters, and on the way to/from the track, it's space for clothing and leathers and whatever else. Generator, tires, toolbox, grill go under the platform. Because I will never even come close to approaching the full load capacity, I took a leaf out of the rear springs to lower the rear slightly, so the load floor is even lower. It's very easy to get bikes in and out of.

Aside from being a little wide for parking lots, you *could* daily-drive this. It's shorter than an extended-cab pickup. It almost-barely-not-quite fits in the length of a normal parking spot - the longer configurations would not. I can still tow a trailer with it, and have done so a few times.

For the original poster - perhaps check out a Transit Connect or a ProMaster City.
 

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