STRANGE, STUPID, OR SMART? Motorcycle Carrier Setup for RV Life
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- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- We get a LOT of strange looks whenever we tow our Kawasaki Versys-X 300 adventure bike. Here’s all the modifications we made to secure this motorcycle to the front of our truck. Plus, we answer the most common questions people have (”doesn’t it block the headlights?”) and why we chose this setup in the first place!
GEAR FOR OUR SETUP ⤵️
● Black Widow Motorcycle Rack: amzn.to/3Tj0Bii
● Draw-Tite Front Mount Receiver: amzn.to/3IogQEg
● Rhino Tie Down Straps: amzn.to/49F7ArE
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00:00 Intro & Disclaimer
00:36 Equipment & Modification
02:25 Mounting a Motorcycle to the front of a Pickup
05:28 FAQ About this Setup
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Hey there! We're Joe + Kalyn!
As online entrepreneurs, we thought, "why not work from home... on the road"? So in 2019, we bought and renovated a 2005 Jayco Designer Fifth Wheel, which took us to every state in the lower 48. But the economy hit our business especially hard after the 'vid, spurring us to pivot in new directions and try different strategies, including various RV work camping jobs!
Follow our full-time RV Life journey as we build back our bank accounts in order to fund the biggest RV trip of our lifetime-Alaska.
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We need a Cameo appearance from Trinity or the bunny in the background!
Haha! This is why it was a bonus episode. We are contractually obligated to show Trinity in all our standard content. 😂😂 -J (I kid of course)
Back in the 70’s when campers were popular, front motorcycle hitches were more common because the we’d tow our boats at the rear so the only option left for our Honda 90’s was the front of the trucks. Now I tow my Airstream but my DR650 is too heavy for the rear of the trailer so I’ve been considering a front rack for the bike. Nice to see one in action and to learn you haven’t had any legal issues..
No tickets yet! We'll see what happens when I try to go to Canada. 😂 (We have a backup plan) -J
Like yourself in the early 70's we had a slide in camper & a boat. I had these half hoop looking racks that the front & rear tire of my Honda 90 fit into. headlights were pretty well blocked so I added an extra set of road lights on the bumper that covered pretty much what the headlights did. Would like to get another bike & do the same but I am concerned about the heat. The older trucks had much heavier duty cooling systems.
This one has done OK with heat. When we get a new truck at some point I may consider trying to create some sort of an air funnel somewhere to pull more air around the bike.@@herb7877
Have you thought about putting snow plow lights on the truck. They sit higher and you could still have full lighting
I have considered it. Mostly don’t want to take the time and have one more thing to put on and remove (unless they are permanent?)
We have always tried to be in before dark. Although we’ve had 2 trips in the last 4 months where we did not make that goal…-J
@@OpenRoading Some of those systems are installed with quick-disconnect plugs, and the lights could be set up to attach to your carrier and not to the truck. The (apparently quite capable) welder/fabricator could certainly get that done, although it wouldn't be the cheapest modification/addition possible. Here in Michigan, we do see a good number of plow systems with lights. The F250 should have a switch panel for upfitter electrically controlled items, so that auxiliary lights can be easily wired to be operated independently from the regular headlights.
Awesome, Thanks! @@125AXer
@@125AXer You need a relay so only one set of lights is on at a time. Not sure on Michigan but I know Wisconsin and Minnesota will ticket you if you have the factory truck lights and snowplow lights on at the same time on the road.
Your old Ford is a beast.
Nice to see you guys take care to keep it going.
Ford should sponsor your maintenance & repair at their dealerships across America. 🖤
Dear Ford...Please read this 👆🏻👆🏻
😂
Lol, that little "heh, you messed up" clip was legit. Keep up the video's! I think you guys have the sauce!
Right?! I was like "What's all this oil from on my carrier??" 😭 -J
This didn’t show up in my subscriptions. I checked, im subscribed.
This was actually intentional on our part.
RUclips gives us a little checkbox that we can check or uncheck to "notify subscribers and publish to subscription feed"
According to my research, if you do a video that is pretty different from your normal content that you have reason to believe a good chunk of your usual viewers may not find super interesting, to leave that unchecked. This video was very "How-to" as opposed to our typical "Daily Life Vlog" and quite a bit shorter.
The theory is, if youtube "pushes" video to your normal subscribers and they don't click on it right away or they start watching and click away more quickly than normal....the algorithm assumes the video is awful as opposed just being a different type of content that your standard audience may not enjoy as much and then youtube just stops showing the thumbnail to anyone at all. (insert sad trombone noise)
So in this particular case - it's all just an experiment on this side of the screen and not a conspiracy where youtube is trying to hurt us in some way or other. -J
We have a Harley Road Glide that we carry on a lift on the back of our 41ft class a diesel pusher. The lift is also a 3-point hitch with a winch-lift. I like the idea of being able to see the bike in front of me more than having to check the back camera, but I think my biggest fear would be what would happen if the bike came off. We limit ourselves a lot more with roads when we have the bike than when we don’t. I definitely wouldn’t take the bike with us to Alaska just because the roads to get there will stress the lift a lot vertically. We’re in WA State… if you want to leave your bike with us for your Alaska trip, we can store it for you.
My only fear is similar to yours. I don't think the bike will ever fall off - it's super secure - but I just am afraid if we ever rear end someone what that would look like. But I'm always doing my level best to avoid that!
Thanks for the offer! We're gonna see what CA border patrol says when we try to cross. We've been through border control down here in TX and NM and haven't had an issue so I don't think we'll have a problem coming back with it. -J
Just an FYI there are laws in northern states about the headlights not being blocked by the snow plow. You will see a second set of lights above the plow and it is not legal in some of the states for both sets (truck factory and second set above plow) to be on. They should sell a kit with a relay setup and wiring to plug the factory wiring in and have a switch to go between lights. It has been a while since I wired up a set of snow plow lights, I just used relays and a toggle switch but that is about 2 decades ago. The kits they sell now are really nice but cost more than a relay pack.
Is it legal as long as it’s not night time? -J
@@OpenRoading I am not a judge or anything, but lights are required in bad weather day or night. I would think you could put some small "driving" lights or fog lights on the rack that you can just wire with a toggle switch to give you better light. It would need a plug for when you take the rack off. I would down load a pdf of the state your vehicle is licensed in and see what it says. States are supposed to follow the vehicle licensed state for things that are not a safety issue, which lights are but it is a start. It may have info on headlights poorly aimed or blocked to give you an idea what you can do.
Get yourself a Honda C90, then you'll be ready to travel the world!
Nice! I think I'll keep the versys. 😁 -J
I’ve driven two 12,000 miles trips around America with my 305lb Honda 150 on the front of my truck while towing a Montana fifth wheel-no issues, no problems. It’s wise NOT to have the motorcycle on the back as most fifth wheels can’t handle the weight-it’ll cause excessive sway, which is hard to control. Really appreciate the clarity and detail of your presentations! Thank you. Rollo
Thanks so much! Awesome to have another person from "team front carrier" here in the comments!
Yeah, most people don't think about how adding that much weight that far off the back of a 5th wheel can really mess up the weight distribution. In our case too (I can't speak to other RVs) the frame actually is a few feet from the actual rear of the RV...so it would be quite an extension off the frame to even attempt to put it back there. -J
Oddly enough Texas does have snow plows on some trucks, mostly those used by the highway department. You wouldn’t think we need them in Texas, but we do!
Nice! Gotta take care of that 1 storm every year. -J
Nice bike I used to ride a Kawasaki enduro 250 in my teenage years driving to school for football practice !!
Saved lots on gas AND you were not only a football player but had a BIKE!! You were a big deal in high school! -J
Great video explaining the process, but I’ve got to comment on that beautiful scenery. 😊
Yes! We love the place we're in! More on that a week from Friday! -J
Yes, great info! I've been wanting to put my electric bike on the front of my rig.
Can totally do that. I've seen other trucks with normal bikes on the front. -J
What a nice surprise to find a video from you guys not on Friday! A very clever solution indeed!
Sometimes we've got surprises. 😁 -J
Like any adventurer(s) on a new path, you improve and learn on the fly what works for you! Congrats on your improving success and good luck in the coming season!
Thanks! A lot of learning along the way. Like...don't crank down the ratchet straps too far. 😂 -J
I can see you put a lot of thought into this.
I carry 2 ebikes on a front receiver hitch. Definitely a thumbs up for the video 👍
Team front carrier!! -J
I really like this type of video. For those of us that know nothing about this sort of traveling, it’s really cool to get the details.
Would love additional details like this on Solar Panels, leveling, battery use (like how do you run AC all day), and other small things that you do every day to include the tips and tricks your learned.
I know much is embedded but a series of short videos on the small things would be fun to watch and learn! Thx!!
Thanks so much for the feedback! I will answer one of your questions really quickly:
"like how do you run AC all day"
We don't. 😂
We like to say we chase the weather. This of course means we do encounter days when it get's into the low 80s at which point we have fans running and windows open. If it ever looks like it's going to get hotter and we can't / don't want to get out of dodge for whatever reason, then we'll find a campground with hookups and pump the air.
I am considering an AC upgrade. I've heard some things about some models that use significantly less power but I want to do a lot more research before laying down the cash for that. -J
Bonus
Just trying to confuse people as to what day of the week it is. Hopefully everyone still went to work today. -J
Interesting
Very informative. Thanks for the xtra content ! Found u guys a month ago and have been watching all ur old episodes. Luv the content and ur personalities
Thank you so much. I hope you don't unsubscribe when you go too far back... 😂 -J
A couple of amber "park/turn signals" on the carrier might make a cop happier. You could wire it with a trailer type plug. I've considered that 300. They look fun. I've got the1000 version. The 300 would be fun on the trail.
This is my first bike so I don't have anything to compare it to. I imagine a dirt bike would be a lot more fun for things narrower than a forest road (I feel like the fairings stick out a little far for bike trails) that said...I'm in some 300 FB groups and people do some crazy things with this bike! -J
This was really interesting to me, a 70 yo lady who will never use the knowledge. But my father was a mechanic and I grew up helping him in the garage, loved working on cars so much. This is just the third video I’ve watched of yours and I don’t know your names yet, though I do know Trinity. Lol Your style reminds me of Rick Steves. I always loved watching his travel shows. I have subscribed to your channel. Enjoying it.
Awe! Thank you so much. Probably one of the sweetest things someone has said and I am so glad we were able to provide some wonderful memories. 🥹
We should probably introduce ourselves more often.... I'm Joseph and my Wife is Kalyn! It's a 2 year old video...but if you want a simpler video to get to know us a little more you can watch our Q&A episode we did on our 15th Anniversary: ruclips.net/video/1Z3DxNcGf5M/видео.htmlsi=KGjRbyLBPT7G5eQv
-Joseph
I am going to be binge watching a bunch of your videos. Y’all just are so much fun. Bless you.
Not something I’ll probably ever do and still I enjoyed learning about it from your true life experience. THANK YOU!
So glad we were able to make something like this enjoyable for you! -J
Thank you for sharing. Nice little bike to have.
Safe travels.
Love this little bike! First one we've owned, but not feeling the need to "upgrade." -J
My father made one for our 74 blazer. Pulling a camper with my dirt bike in the back.
nice! -J
nice setup
Thanks so much! -J
Thanks, that was well covered.
No problem! -J
Great information!
Thank you! -J
We enjoyed watching! It's an interesting solution! 😀
So glad you enjoyed it! Tried to make it as un-boring as possible. -J
Sweet! Thanks for making this!
Your welcome! And First comment award!🥇
THIS is the video I’ve been waiting for. Thanks!
Hopefully not for the full year. 😂 -J
Thank You
You're welcome! -J
Nice job!
Thanks! -J
Good video, Joe!
Thanks! -J
Funny that you did this after I brought all these questions up. I enjoyed it though. I did find out that you can get a ticket for that. I figured most police officers are jealous, as they are working and you're not, so they don't write you a ticket for your view being obstructed. Long-term, I'd rather switch out the hitches and put the thinner low profile bicycles up front so that the lights are not as obstructed and they're not as tall, and the bike in back. A deer, a baby or a smaller animal would be harder to see than a tall (handsome) man. The bicycles would also give you more air circulation through your grill. Look forward to your next video. Can't wait to see Alaska. Get out of West Texas before it turns hotter than hades. Lol Please go see my mom and introduce yourself, while you're out. 😊 Y'all stay safe.
Having done this since 2021...we've received the questions a lot. And note...We even showed the clip from where I promised this a year ago.
All to say... It was on our list! 😂 -J
As to putting it on the back...the frame is a loooong way up from the back of the RV so in order to put it on the back I would have to do a lot of custom stuff and even then I'm pretty sure the chances are high that I would jack something up on the RV with the right bump. -J
Oh - and Handsom man. I'll take it! Earlier this week someone commented about how nice it was to see a beautiful woman dating such an average guy. 😂
I mean... he wasn't wrong (other than the dating part) but still....did he have to throw me under the bus like that?! 😂 -J
@@OpenRoading oh my goodness, she is beautiful but you are far from average. Y'all making adorable couple. And I love how you allow each other to speak and you don't talk over each other, as many couples in videos do. Congratulations on the new dog too. I love both your animals. Just stay safe. A small critter could run in front of you and you not see it because of that motorcycle on the right side. They have the capabilities to dart out awful fast. That was really the only thing I was thinking of with the bike.
Ignore the people that think you're less than the beautiful man you are. I'm a woman with good taste. I recognize how cute and how talented you are.
This video isn't showing up in my subscriptions I only seen it because it was recommended on my home page. I've heard of this happening but never seen it myself. Hopefully this doesn't mess with your views
This was actually intentional on our part.
RUclips gives us a little checkbox that we can check or uncheck to "notify subscribers and publish to subscription feed"
According to my research, if you do a video that is pretty different from your normal content that you have reason to believe a good chunk of your usual viewers may not find super interesting, to leave that unchecked. This video was very "How-to" as opposed to our typical "Daily Life Vlog" and quite a bit shorter.
The theory is, if youtube "pushes" video to your normal subscribers and they don't click on it right away or they start watching and click away more quickly than normal....the algorithm assumes the video is awful as opposed just being a different type of content that your standard audience may not enjoy as much and then youtube just stops showing the thumbnail to anyone at all. (insert sad trombone noise)
So in this particular case - it's all just an experiment on this side of the screen and not a conspiracy where youtube is trying to hurt us in some way or other. -J
I like the video and thanks for the extra content this week
You're welcome! -J
Great Video I have a royal Enfield Himalayan, we have a truck and travel trailer and am thinking about doing the same thing. So your video was a great help. Thanks.
Your welcome! Thanks for watching. -J
Love this video! The hubby and I are looking at ways to transport our bike. Thanks for shar😊ing!
Remember! Do your own research! 🙂 -J
I’m myself would highly recommend running a wire and switch out with the plug and get your light bar with magnets and put on the front of your carrier for a night to give you more light long as it’s below the headlights it should be legal
Oooo... Magnetic light bar. I like that! That's less work than some other options I had considered. -J
Won't hurt fork seals using tie downs or every bike ever ridden on dirt and most on the street would be leaking, people doing doubles, triples and whoops especially. Even riding up a gutter is worse than using tie downs.
It wasn't that I used the tie downs...it's that I cranked them down....wayyy too much. Then it's sitting compressed for hours on end. I don't ride the bike that hard and I blew a seal in travel so I'm pretty sure I cranked it down too much. -J
Obscuring the headlights and signal lights would be against the law in almost any state. Others may have already suggested using snow plow lights to help mitigate that issue.
You mentioned your coolant temp is higher now, you should also consider your exhaust gas temps (EGT) going through your exhaust gas recirculating (EGR) valve. In a diesel the coolant helps to control those temps and keep the engine. I would expect that while towing with this mount, especially on hills, your temps are way above normal. If your DPF system is in re-gen mode while towing, the temps could easily exceed safe limits.
You could improve air flow by having your welder add a 3-4" wide flat bar, set at an angle, to the bottom of the rack between the square receiver tubes to scope air up toward the rad. Also, remove your front license plate bracket since it isn't in use and only restricts air.
Thanks for the tips!
Our signal lights actually aren't obstructed. You can clearly see them from the front.
We replaced the entire EGR system in 2022 and manually cleaned the DPF filter in 2023. But the truck has 250K miles on it so I don't think those repairs were related. It is possible so if we have to do it again before we get another truck it may be the case.
We've ridden this way since 2021. -J
This was interesting! We dont have a motorcycle but I enjoyed watching how you do this. Love your truck btw. 😊
She's gotten us from point a to point b for going on 5 years! -J
I think you could adjust the wheel chock to the next “tightest” position, and the bike would be quite secure while you put the straps on. Might be worth a try, that’s what I did with my Goldwing on a trailer.
I'll have to look into that. I don't know that I'd ever fully trust it without at least 1 strap on there though! -J
Good information thank you 👍🏻👍🏻😎😜😂🤟
No problem! -J
Guess I am just old.. Used to see motorcycles and spare tires attached to the front of trucks all the time when I was a kid. Granted, they were dirt bikes not nearly the same size.
I’ve seen some pedal bikes up there and I know of one other RVer who used to have this setup. But I believe you 100% it wasn’t too long ago when people did more stuff! -J
Adam and Abby from Abomadventures have a similar carrier for his motorcycle on their dodge truck.... Pretty cool useful also..
Sweet!! I'm going to check them out! The only other creator I saw doing this for a while (they since switched to a different setup) was the CumminsCamper. -J
Question #6: Have you taken this setup to a CAT scales and actually measured the front axle weight as you drive this rig down the road? That would be with both of you in the front seats and the trailer hooked up, etc. I would be curious regarding what your actual total and split numbers are, and how they relate to the Ford manufacturer's sticker ratings for the vehicle.
I have not gone through a CAT scale. -J
@@OpenRoading You should visit a certified scale for many reasons, with the primary one being safety. It isn't expensive. First scale is generally under $15, and the second "rescale" is much less, basically both for under $20 at most truck stops. I have used them at Love's, Pilot, and Flying J locations. Edit: The procedure is extremely simple, it is pretty quickly accomplished, and you'll get valuable information. I would be happy to fill you in on how to do it. Lots of admiration for what you're doing and your content on the channel. BTW, getting a video of a scale visit would be a great episode for you!
Nice set up im' going the same road F350 w a truck camper and Honda 300L Rally, less weight & so was going to the lighter version of your rack, was the sway a deal breaker?? as I'm trying w/out your custom fab/welding . Going to dry run close to home . Thanks as must bring alll the toys~~~flat tow jeep act...Happy biking as I now have 3 just like potato chips =) Best Jp
Haha! I don't have enough money for this kind of potato chip! 😂
TBH I never put the rack on without the modifications. It was just something I saw with our normal bike rack and I was just trying to head it off at the pass. -J
Do you have the upgraded front suspension and axles for snow plows? If not that is a lot of extra weight on the front axels they were not designed to handle.
Not that I'm aware of - however, she doesn't sag pretty much at all when I put the bike on and we've been going this way since 2021 and I haven't seen it drop any further. Had tie rods done 2 years ago and the mechanic thought the suspension looked good at that point.
I do need to get my cab mounts re-done but that's unrelated. -J
@@OpenRoading have you taken it to a scale when everything is hooked up? I would be more worried about breaking an axel then the springs sagging. Especially if you are taking that setup to Alaska.
@@duffmatthew Have not as of yet - and I'm not saying you are wrong, something could fail tomorrow. But we have driven this on roads that are much worse than what we will experience in Alaska (from my research) over and over again. -J
What does your fully loaded truck/RV/motorcycle weigh on the CAT Scale?
That would require me driving across a cat scale.... 😂
Something I should do. Something I have not gotten around to doing since we first started RVing and I did it wrong.
The truck is nearly 3 tons without the bike so I'm assuming passengers, spare water, and bike push it up between 6,500 - 7,000 lbs. -J
Surprise video? Or new posting schedule.
Had to give others a chance for the first comment award. 😂
Just a surprise video. I don't have the time at the moment to post 2 per week...BUT we are planning a few more bonus videos. One coming in April and it will probably also be on a Tuesday. -J
It's definitely a liability if you were to get into an accident. Could easily be claim it limited your visibility and cause the wreck. Still really cool tho.
I know the legal system will do anything but I have no idea how anyone could claim that. I have much better visibility than a long nose semi who can't see for several feet in front of their nose and I'm being 1000% honest when I say as I drive I see maybe tiny fraction of a percent in reduction of visibility on that right side. I've had animals jump out and never not noticed them.
The passenger is the one with reduced forward visibility, and if the bike were turned around, yeah...super bad idea.
But I really don't think you can get a feel for how un-obtrusive it is until you drive with it. -J
Hopefully going thew Canada won't be an issue.
That is on our mind. But we have a plan should they have an issue. -J
@@OpenRoadingJust have some music by The Tragically Hip playing if you get pulled over in Canada. (Okay, only kidding but they are my favorite Canadian band and most Canadians love them as well.
@@manmachineroam9984 Literally not a terrible idea! I need to get to know the band a little bit so I can carry on an intelligent conversation about them!! 😁 -J
check your owners manual you should be using 15w40 motor oil for what you are doing with that truck
Literally says on the oil cap "severe duty 5W40" so what am I looking for in the owners manual? -J
The primary difference between a 5W40 and a 15W40 oil is the cold temperature performance. At operating temperatures, theoretically BOTH oils perform the same. The advantage of the 5W is upon startup. Bottom line is 5W40 gets to the nooks and crannies faster than 15W40. Once you're steaming along at 200 degrees, both oils provide similar viscosity and lubricity. - From Tech Forum.
@@jamesw2855 Interesting. Thanks for steering me in this direction. I'll do some more looking! Wish they would say "for cold duty" as opposed to severe! 😂 -J
What kind of tread is on your bike? Looks kinda strange?
Worn beyond recognition.... That's the kind. 😂 I'm in a "don't ride the bike much" stage at the moment because it desperately needs new rubber.
Before I beat them down they were Shinko 805s. Big Block 80/20s (Which I drove pretty much 20/80.... but an 20/80 tread would be useless to me off road). -J
Maybe not WD40.
What's wrong with WD40? Has worked great for this application since 2021. -J
This is not new, I’ve done this many times
Awesome! I don't think I said it was new. It's pretty unique - there are not many of us out there who do it this way. -J
Q.6. Why do you need a motorcycle?
Great question! We do a LOT of boondocking up forest roads and out in the middle of nowhere.
When we can, we like to use the motorcycle for quick errands and exploring because the towing suspension on the truck makes those roads SUPER bumpy when not hooked to the trailer. We also have used it to scout ahead to make sure the road we were on was safe for the RV.
Also, potential fuel savings when stationary. (40-60mpg as opposed to 20).
And then…for fun. We like riding. -J
Everybody needs a motorcycle. Some people just don't know it ;)
@@toneystevens5023 haha! fair. very fair. -J
maybe 2 or 3 bikes as my garage is over flowing =) Wind therapy .....!@@toneystevens5023
Definitely not legal in any state I’ve been a law enforcement officer in. That said I wouldn’t have messed with y’all over it.
Hey! I appreciate you chiming in! Would you mind sending me a law (any state) that it falls under? -J
We love your video's but we going to have to buy us some headphone your ding bell notification in the video's scares our dog must hurt her ears.
So sorry that it bothers your pet. I've been turning them down but we really haven't found another notification that we like better than the ding. I know that for us if something ever bothered Trinity we would either keep it at lower volume or watch in a separate room. -J