Anyone modified their truck camper to fit Dirt Bikes?

[Willsfree]

Bus roof looks solid, but my van roof is already spoken for with kayaks and a rocket box.
What do you think would be a better solution than a hitch carrier on a swing hitch?
I think the swinghitch might be awesome for my purposes. I'll cross brace everything to keep it tight.

 

[njtacoma]

I would like something like you’re talking about as well, so curious what you come up With.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Lance's comments threw this whole thing out of whack.
I'm not sure why I feel like I need to explain myself, but here goes:

Sometimes I take my freshly restored pop up camper on weekend jaunts, or weeklong trips to places like Glacier NP or Yellowstone (where soft sides are permitted), where I do nothing but hike and fly fish.

Sometimes I take my 5th wheel to the same places, where I do nothing but hike and fly fish. It gets me access to places where only hard-sides are allowed. But it is a MAJOR PITA sometimes and really restricts where I can take/park it.

The major problem with towing a trailer is that I cannot take my drift boat, where I would float rivers like the Missouri, Yellowstone, Madison, Flathead, Swan, etc. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I wished I had my drift boat while driving past several legendary rivers. I'm very fortunate to line in MT, and this is a very "1st World" problem.

And finally, there are days where I would like to take the camper to the race track and my bikes, or even to places like Lewis & Clark Nat'l Forest, where TONS of people are out riding their machines.

My 12 yr old son just expressed to me that he would love to go to MOAB with his dirt bike. The option there would be to haul the bikes in the truck camper, and tow my drift boat, fishing and camping along the way. (not riding dirt bike at every camp site we stop at). The bikes are there for specific trips. Not EVERY trip.

///This is why I asked about other options///

Just because I said I was wanting to bring it all, doesn't mean I plan to ride everywhere where I camp, nor did I imply that I didn't hike or truly appreciate the great outdoors.

I'm a 6th generation Montanan. I get it.

So, can we GET BACK ON TRACK HERE?

Just out of curiosity and not sure if anyone asked but, could a small to medium sized toyhauler RV work for you?

Have that instead of the pop up and 5th wheel for all trips and would still leave the tow vehicle for kayaks?

10 Best Lightweight Toy Haulers on The Market in 2024

When you need to bring several RVing equipment and toys, it's possible your RV will carry too much weight.

www.rvingknowhow.com

 

[UHAULER]

Carson Rebel 14' toyhauler

 

[Dirt Rider]

Cancel culture alive and well I see, careful not to offend the snowflakes!
But as to your question I am curious also, as my camper has a rear mounted tire I would need to have some sort of an extension to clear it if using a hitch mounted bike rack, not sure if it would support it, or if there is a better design. Saw people mounting a hitch to the front with a bike on it, anybody try that?

 

[Mfitz]

Cancel culture alive and well I see, careful not to offend the snowflakes!
But as to your question I am curious also, as my camper has a rear mounted tire I would need to have some sort of an extension to clear it if using a hitch mounted bike rack, not sure if it would support it, or if there is a better design. Saw people mounting a hitch to the front with a bike on it, anybody try that?

I was going to suggest the same thing. Front hitch, maybe custom reinforced with an extra receiver. No need for the swing away, no heavier than a snowplow. Plus, you can keep an eye on it! Might have to rig up some aux lights if it blocks the headlights.

 

[IdaSHO]

We rolled like this for a couple of years, dragging the little Honda Trail around.
Worked well.

It used a custom elevating rack that was integrated into the hitch.
Hitch and bike together weighed about 250# as I recall.

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

Thread being monitored for trolling and other comments that are not in the spirit of expedition portal.

 

[slepe67]

For me, I have the truck, drift boat, and dirt bike (s).

I guess if you had 10,000 campers with my exact configuration, you'd get 10,000 replies. There can be no "end-all, be-all" answer to anything, especially when it comes to preference.

One weekend, I might just grab the camper and just go camping. The next, I might take the bikes to the mountain OHV areas.

This spring, my son wants to go to Moab. I was thinking about taking the bikes and drift boat, doing some fishing in Utah, (then leaving the boat at a friends place in Salt Lake) then proceed South to the riding portion of the trip. I could also see myself doing this closer to home in Montana. Again, there's a time and place for everything.

As for my situational needs, I think a 6-12" taller (custom) "Project M" would be the way to go. This would get the bikes & gear in the truck, some can go in he back seat area. The boat gets towed.

But who can tell? I might use it once and realize I don't like it. LOL

 

[Blackjackbender1]

View attachment 640474
Rakattach shows a motocycle on hitchswing for standard hitch mount.
I have sent them an email to verify that it will be sufficient for my sub 300 pound 250cc bike.
I know that they were trying to design a model specifically for motorcycles, but perhaps hit a roadblock for liability.
I believe they sold their hitchswing design to Thule for bicycles and gear.
Does anyone have any idea for building or designing a better solution than this?

This is how I handled it.

 

[slepe67]

Rather than spending $10,000+ to modify someting and find out it wont work...

There are a plethora of these in Central Montana. This isn't in that bad of shape, and is selling for $700. I couldn't half-****** a build for less than that.

I really like the simplicity of the Scout Campers, and was wondering about gutting the interior of the camper above, widening the door, and modifying it for my needs? If I get to a point where my WIFE is happy with a truck camper, then I may consider buying new. (as of this writing, she still insists on using the 5th wheel for our "family" outings.

Then again, a person could just get the dual-bike rack for the bumper hitch and buy something nice and shiny to put in the bed of the truck...but that's not why we're in the Expedition Portal!

 

[mangymarmot]

Working on getting motorcycle rack higher and more stable. Added 2 receivers to main hitch for 3 point rack and 14“ risers to improve departure angle. Need to finish up welding tabs for tie downs.

 

[mangymarmot]

 

[mangymarmot]

Added front carrier…..