[n3519h]

This may be covered somewhere else on the Forum and if so please feel free to point me in the right direction.

I recently purchased a 2015 148 Mid Roof T250 with a 3.5 Eco Booth engine. Only 5000 miles on it and so far so good with 20 MPG on the highway. My intent is to make a basic Moto van to haul around my BMW GS Adventure and add basic sleeping accommodations for for a 1 or 2 night say.

There are a ton of great and creative ideas here and many I plan on using but I was hoping for some help on getting the GSA in AND out of the van safely. Since this bike is just shy of 600lbs it is getting a little to difficult to power it up the ramp at this point in my life so I'm looking to add a winch to assist. I have seen a few setup, mostly used by pickup trucks but only 1 example in the Transit, and that was mounted on a steel petition. The issue I'm having how to install a winch high enough up so that it can pull the front fork with out binding. The roof pillars just don't look like they would take the load of installing a winch. the other idea I had was to use a snatch block, again mounted on the roof pillars.

My current ramps are the 10ft Big Boy from Discount Ramps http://www.discountramps.com/motorc...-80512109302&gclid=COu0i7ufiM8CFdKIfgodpJoJhg.

I would be interested in any suggestions or comments.
Thanks in advance

 

[Michael Ophus]

a floor mounted winch and a jib pole, its just a pole/pipe with a pulley mounted on it between the winch and bike to hold the winch cable high enough, the pole could be removable or fold down. think towtruck or crane: low mounted winch with pulley on a boom! also there are several lowcost 12 volt winches made for boat trailers, no need for an expensive small warnwinch! i used the same sort of setup load a kawasaki mule (basically a 4 wheel drive golf cart) in a semi trailer 4 feet off the ground with ramps! that or forget the jibpole and install a roller on the floor near the back door for the cable to ride on!

 

[breeze]

a floor mounted winch and a jib pole, its just a pole/pipe with a pulley mounted on it between the winch and bike to hold the winch cable high enough, the pole could be removable or fold down. think towtruck or crane: low mounted winch with pulley on a boom! also there are several lowcost 12 volt winches made for boat trailers, no need for an expensive small warnwinch! i used the same sort of setup load a kawasaki mule (basically a 4 wheel drive golf cart) in a semi trailer 4 feet off the ground with ramps! that or forget the jibpole and install a roller on the floor near the back door for the cable to ride on!

Nice Van Dude! That's the ramp I was also thinking about with:

1. winch system - he did not use a loader like in 2) below, so was dangerously balancing bike in low overhead; but I liked his docking station design he pulled into. It just needs to be a crossbar to hold the winch, and the loader 2) below, can lock into it. Load it and drive off if have something else for vertical stability other than gravity and locked down at front. 2 rear tiedowns would not be a big deal though (always thinking theoretically the best though.)

2. Bike loader/unloader 4 wheel stability $439. There's a $325 one, but it doesn't lock the front wheel down OR have wide rear 2 wheels for stabilty. Total load system including your ramp about under $1K. I think this is what you want

http://condor-lift.com/cycle-loader

 

[n3519h]

Michael,

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you have a picture of what something like this would be made out of? I'm having a hard time visualizing how do do this type if mod.

Thanks, Drew

 

[Michael Ophus]

no picture, this was 15 years ago, it was over built because it was the materials i had at the time: 4 inch heavy wall square tubing with a slot cut in one end for the pulley, the other end hinged down to the floor, also there was a brace to hold it upright. The other idea to use just a roller mounted on the floor near the back doors to let the cable ride on could be something like this, mounted flat with the rollers pointing up: (the cable would ride on both long rollers at the same time) https://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-2810-Profile-Fairlead-Winches/dp/B004XG3NJ2/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1473665206&sr=8-12&keywords=winch+roller+fairlead

 

[Michael Ophus]

after just watching the second video (i live in the country and have very old wired landline for the internet and its very slow so i do not normally watch video!) if you hook the winch cable to the handlebars like in the video you may not even need the rear mounted floor rollers for the cable to ride on? all the floor roller would do is keep the cable from rubbing on the bottom of the door frame, but hook the cable high enough on the bike and it will not rub on the door frame!

 

[LDH®]

Stand to the side of the bike with the bike running and when you let out the clutch it will motor the bike right up the ramp with virtually no throttle applied. Nice and easy to control and works every time with no extra parts or winches etc.

I use a step stool opposite a simple folding ramp to load the bikes and a Pit-Bull Trailer Restraint System to hold the bikes in place without any additional strapping or chocks

 

[802flier]

This was my solution. The ramp is a bi-fold and 9'-8" when extended. I raise and lower it with a floor-mounted ATV winch (under $100) and run the cable up to the roof pillar and through a pulley. I ride the bike in (over 1,000 lbs with me on it). The ramp is aluminum with 2"x2" crossmembers underneath. As it lowers, I drop a leg down on each side to support the weight at the pinch joint.

 

[klp]

I use these, they work great.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/trackside-roll-on-wheel-chock

I understand your lack of desire to motor your big GS up the ramp - that's what I do. Maybe a wider ramp will give you more confidence to do so. Removing the bike I like to leave them in gear and again use the clutch on the way down to control speed. It is easy enough with some practice.

The winch will work great too just take some more $ and setup. With the roll on chock I just cinch the front of the bike down and go. No issues over several thousand miles, you want the suspension to move a bit IMO.

 

[40scout]

I was thinking about winching my bike into my Transit also. Wouldnt it work better to attach the cable to a lower point than the handlebars? Looking at the video it looks like the cable is severely pulling the front fork down as soon as it clears the ramp and enters the van. I want to be able to load my hand shift foot clutch Indian, not too easy to control clutch in this situation.

 

[HNLHugh]

Some cargo aircraft can raise the nose, to lower the back. I like curbs and ersatz RV leveling blocks. Some dirt riders will dig holes in soil to lower the loading height. "Fill in your divots"!

 

[DC1278]

Stand to the side of the bike with the bike running and when you let out the clutch it will motor the bike right up the ramp with virtually no throttle applied. Nice and easy to control and works every time with no extra parts or winches etc.

I use a step stool opposite a simple folding ramp to load the bikes and a Pit-Bull Trailer Restraint System to hold the bikes in place without any additional strapping or chocks

I would love to get one off these made for my transit, can you put me in touch with Robert? I can find anyway of getting a hold of him!