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Tie Down in a U-Haul Box Truck

7K views 13 replies 11 participants last post by  SilverBuffalo 
#1 ·
Has anyone got any suggestions for tying down the LT in a U-haul box truck. I am moving to North Carolina in August and need to haul my LT in the back with a bunch of my other stuff and tow my truck behind. Metal floor in the u-haul wont allow a wheel chock. I think I may have to fly back and ride her down. Any ideas would be great.
 
#2 ·
I did not move my LT but an expensive bike is an expensive bike when taking care to move any bike they are all the same.
When I moved I placed my full sized Harley Ultra Dresser in up in the front of the 30 ft moving truck I was driving. I surrounded it with mattresses and even covered it with a mattress and piled the furniniture in and around it. No damage at all and it survived the trip with no problems. Just use your head and work carefully. You have one wooden rail bar that runs the length of the truck but it won't stand much stress so I would not put much trust in it.
Place the bike on the side stand also and push your tire up to touching the wall and place it is 1st gear to help keep it in place.

I went over several mountain passes and 1300 miles twice with no problems taking it this way.

You can always rent or buy a seperate trailer for the move also that will tow behind the truck.
 
#3 ·
Pallets

Get a couple oak pallets and screw a sheet of plywood to it. Plywood helps spread the weight out.
Then drill (Make sure you hit the solid stretcher)and put in an anchor point in each corner and tie your bike down. Should take you less than an hour.
The hardest part is getting the bike off, backing down the ramp, of course you do have reverse, you can wrestle it around and ride out.
Rock
 
#5 ·
U-Haul truck/Trailer

Of course the size of the truck will determine wether you have the room to do what you want. All U-Haul trucks have tie down rails along both sides and along the front bulkhead that would be strong enough to stabilize a motorcycle. I have done this before with no problems. The one cardinal rule I had was I would never leave the bike on the side or center stand. It was up-right and ratcheted on its own suspension. The best 'U-Haul' way I found was an open sided closed bottom U-Haul utility trailer that is just about the right size for a KLT and has a 4 point tie down capability with the bike centered side to side and the front wheel against a stop at the front. The tail gate can double as a loading/unloading ramp, you just have to be aware of the clearance between the top box and the tail gate when it is closed It can be coupled up to any U-Haul truck. HTH
 
#6 ·
I moved my RT, a substantially lighter bike, in a uHaul a little while ago. I do not trust those rails along the sides of the truck - the sheet metal screws holding them on look pretty weak. And there is a woeful shortage of real tie downs back there. I just put the bike on the center stand and, as has been mentioned, packed the truck full around it.

Be sure to balance the weight distribution - my truck walked all over the road the entire trip and it was draining having to compensate continually.

I suppose you could fashion a 2x4 support/tie down thingy, but I don't think you'll drive that uHaul in such a fashion that it would tip over the LT while on the center stand - especially with misc boxes & furniture packed around it.

If you do use the center stand, I think it might be a good idea to strap the stand in place - to the front tire, that is - so the bike doesn't walk forward and off of the stand.

Good luck
 
#7 ·
you can do it..

Anything that rubs against your paint will probably chafe the paint...

Rock has the idee.. they ship the bike all over on such an arrangement.

Before the truck arrives, I would get 2 whole 3/4"sheets of ply and mount on top and bottom of the pallets.. For the blocks, buy a couple 2x2's.. cut in 1ft lengths. put wooden blocks on both sides of your tires. Extend the ply far enough to the front that it will go past the front tire.. keeping the tire from contacting the walls..

Using more of the blocks and ply you can box the sides and top and back if you have enough plywod. You can then screw all the pieces together with sheetrock/deck screws. Of course gluing all the blocks to the wood will give much stronger support.

You can tie down to eyebolts you mount into the floor, tie into the oak cross beams... drill a hole through the cross piece to mount the eye bolts.

If all this sounds too hard, fly one of us out to ride it out for you... Hey, what are friends for?
 
#8 ·
Would it be easier to secure in the bed of the truck you are towing?
 
#10 ·
Haw about an 8' 2X12 down the center of the truck bed with the LT parked on top of the 2X12. That should spread the weight so it's not all on the gate & save room in the U-Haul. Just a thought.
 
#12 ·
Just made your move

I just moved from Ft. Bragg NC to Ft. Carson CO, and I did EXACTLY what Rock has told you. I did also tow my 2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab 4x4. I put one bike in the back of the truck, palletized 2 other bikes. Now, I also put them side by side and strapped handlebar to handlebar, and rearend to rearend. They were the siamese beemer twins. Everything rode great out.

Just for your info though, those side mount wood rails in the bed of the uhaul SUCK!!!!! I wouldn't strap a mountain bike to it let alone a motorcycle.

Now, I didn't have to palletize the LT, as I bought it at destination.

I did try and tie it down in the bed of a trailer the day I bought it, and I just tied the front forks down and that was it.

I would be interested in anyone's pictures or advice for tying an LT down in the front and rear, as I could not locate anything to tie down to in the rear.
 
#13 ·
pieceofficer said:
I just moved from Ft. Bragg NC to Ft. Carson CO, and I did EXACTLY what Rock has told you. I did also tow my 2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab 4x4. I put one bike in the back of the truck, palletized 2 other bikes. Now, I also put them side by side and strapped handlebar to handlebar, and rearend to rearend. They were the siamese beemer twins. Everything rode great out.

Just for your info though, those side mount wood rails in the bed of the uhaul SUCK!!!!! I wouldn't strap a mountain bike to it let alone a motorcycle.

Now, I didn't have to palletize the LT, as I bought it at destination.

I did try and tie it down in the bed of a trailer the day I bought it, and I just tied the front forks down and that was it.

I would be interested in anyone's pictures or advice for tying an LT down in the front and rear, as I could not locate anything to tie down to in the rear.
Hi, Bill - a buncha of good tie-down info, along with pix I think, or at least diagrams, can be found in the HOW/FAQ pages starting with this thread by El Jeffe.
 
#14 ·
I would buy a cheap airline ticket and ride her.
The LT is not a Harley and not designed to be hauled around in a truck and not that easy to tie down.
I would consider several factors, space being one,
how much stuff are you moving?
Leaving the bike behind and flying back for it would free up space or possibly enable you to rent a smaller truck/trailer and save a couple bucks.
Unless you wrap her in blankets or as one member suggested matrasses, something is going to rub, chafe or scratch. If you look online you can probably fly from NC to Wis for $200 or less, what's your bike worth?
 
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