Hauling an R 1200 GSW

The wife has decided we should get a camper, which means a vehicle to haul it as well. I'm OK with the camper if I can take the GS with me. Have any of you hauled a GS in a 6 1/2 foot bed? Obviously the gate would have to be down, but it should fit. Would you feel secure with such a setup? How would you rig/secure the bike.

I don't think you would have a problem with the bike. When you look for a camper, you will probably have to watch the A-frame tongue on the trailer. They are usually quite short and it will affect the turns you can take (most likely).
Here is the RV thread- http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?69427-Official-MOA-RV-thread
Maybe you can get some ideas.
Gary

OGOBRacing said:

The wife has decided we should get a camper, which means a vehicle to haul it as well. I'm OK with the camper if I can take the GS with me. Have any of you hauled a GS in a 6 1/2 foot bed? Obviously the gate would have to be down, but it should fit. .

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I've seen a lot of BMWs hauled in the back of short bed trucks with the tailgate down. It helps to have a sheet of plywood from the bed to the tailgate to help spread to load between the bed and tailgate.
If you have too much weight on the tailgate you could bend it.
It helps to have a chock like a Baxley chock to hold the bike while you get off and tie it down.
Having the tailgate down will limit how sharp you can turn when backing up.

Have you thought of buying a toyhauler camper?


A ramp wide enough to put your feet down is nice when loading into a truck.
This one breaks down to 4 pieces.



In this pic you can see the plywood in the bed covering the tailgate.







If you're brave a plank will work for a ramp. It helps to have a couple spotters.



If you get a toyhauler this is a great setup. I think Pit Bull sells it.



Here's the regular Baxley chock I mentioned earlier.
<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ewni2UyUCB4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Here's the Pit Bull trailer restraint.
<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1zK8mEM8d1c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I would suggest removing the tailgate as it would have to be left down which would likely interfere with the trailer. There's enough room in the 6 1/2' bed for a GS. I had a chalk for the front wheel which took a couple inches and still had room in my 04 access cab Tundra for a 2012 GS.

Working on the same issue. Was looking at a toy hauler, but a couple of issues came up. The weight of a toy hauler when loaded would be too close to the limit of my truck to tow. I have a couple of Labs that will be traveling with me, so when I get to a camp ground and want to ride the bike, what do I do with the dogs? So I decided on a regular travel trailer, and close to making a deal. If I needed to, I can load the bike in the bed of the pick up, but will need to remove the tailgate if towing the trailer. Turning with the trailer and the bed down is an issue, along with the trailer jack and tailgate will meet and the jack will tear up the tailgate. My bike is a 2014 R1200GSA WC. I don't like loading the bike in the back of a truck due to its weight and I usually am alone when traveling. So doubt I would be doing much riding when traveling with the trailer.

bob

Would you consider picking up another bike, something smaller and lighter for camping use that's easier to load and unload? Suzuki DR650 comes to mind, they're about 370# and nice ones are readily available used for $2,500-$3,000. Or even a 250.

milo said:

Would you consider picking up another bike, something smaller and lighter for camping use that's easier to load and unload? Suzuki DR650 comes to mind, they're about 370# and nice ones are readily available used for $2,500-$3,000. Or even a 250.

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Another option is a 250cc scooter and a bicycle.

advenbob said:

Was looking at a toy hauler, but a couple of issues came up. The weight of a toy hauler when loaded would be too close to the limit of my truck to tow. I have a couple of Labs that will be traveling with me, so when I get to a camp ground and want to ride the bike, what do I do with the dogs? So I decided on a regular travel trailer,

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You can buy small toy haulers, no need for a big monster.
Why will the travel trailer instead of a toy hauler work better for your dogs?

Try searching YouTube for "loading motorcycle into pickup fail". I'm confident that if I were to try putting a bike into a pickup I'd be in those search results. Toy hauler sounds better to me. Another possibility is a pickup bed camper with a separate trailer.

LOL - I can assure you a pickup camper is not what my wife has in mind.
I like the idea of a toy hauler, but my initial searching has not found a reasonably sized and priced version, although I have seen a couple at the tracks over the years.
Actually, trying to do a Google search for any travel trailer is a PITA; incredible non-user-friendly Web sites with a lot ofFS.

OGOBRacing said:

Actually, trying to do a Google search for any travel trailer is a PITA; incredible non-user-friendly Web sites with a lot ofFS.

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Where do you live?
Here in Iowa there's a big RV show every winter and I would think most states would do this.
If you can find a show near you it would be a great place to see a lot of units at one time.

OGOBRacing said:

LOL - I can assure you a pickup camper is not what my wife has in mind.
I like the idea of a toy hauler, but my initial searching has not found a reasonably sized and priced version, although I have seen a couple at the tracks over the years.
Actually, trying to do a Google search for any travel trailer is a PITA; incredible non-user-friendly Web sites with a lot ofFS.

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We looked for a smaller Toy Hauler and found a few about this time of year. We looked at a few local, then found a Carson Fun Runner on Craigslist and was worth the drive to Anaheim to pick it up. We fit two bikes and with removeable wheel chocks, transition it to living space quickly. Ours could be pulled with a 1/2 ton pickup...but we already had a 3/4.
They are out there.

You can buy small toy haulers, no need for a big monster.
Why will the travel trailer instead of a toy hauler work better for your dogs?

When I arrive at a camp ground or boon docking, the issue is what to do with the dogs, They can't ride on the bike with me, and while some camp grounds do offer dog sitting, most don't. Trying to find a kennel to keep them for a day is a PITA, so we will go camping and take long walks in the moon light on the beach

OGOBRacing said:

How would you rig/secure the bike.

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Following BMW directions provided in owners manual.

advenbob said:

When I arrive at a camp ground or boon docking, the issue is what to do with the dogs, They can't ride on the bike with me, and while some camp grounds do offer dog sitting, most don't. Trying to find a kennel to keep them for a day is a PITA, so we will go camping and take long walks in the moon light on the beach

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Our TH is a full rigged camper, only diff is it has a ramp/tailgate. The dogs are no problem
The dogs stay in the truck until the bikes are unloaded, then make themselves at home.

henzilla said:

We looked at a few local, then found a Carson Fun Runner....

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Had a look at some websites, and those are clever rigs.

lkchris said:

Following BMW directions provided in owners manual.

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I looked in 5 different model manuals from 95-09 and see no guidance.