Hiace bike ramp

[pkplex]

Gidday,

Bought a hiace supercustom van a few sleeps ago because I needed to cart bikes around.

But I need some kind of ramp gizmo to load the bike on.. any ideas where / how I can bodgy one up?

Last resort would be a large plank-o-wood, but are there any other ready made things which I could use on the cheap?

Cheers

[Gremlin]

Plank of wood is the cheapest option (you don't define what's cheap/expensive).

Buying a metal folding ramp, more expensive, how much depends on what you want. MX ramps are cheap, have a lower weight limit (around 100-150kg). I have one from Repco, often on special around the $100-$120 mark. Bi fold, 340kg weight limit and arched at the top to assist with low belly pans clearing the top of the ramp. Too sharp an angle at the top and bikes bottom out.

If you haven't done this kind of thing before, get mates to help until you get comfortable. Tie the ramp off to stop it moving as well (or stick a bolt through the top, lot of options)

[Tazz]

To lazy to look if ramps were included but Torpedo 7 has a big sale ending today.

[mossy1200]

I have a lite ace van about 1991.

Last load was a k100lt touring bike. Had to remove the screen to get it in.

I have a folding ally ramp and have made a wooden piece screwed onto the top that locks in on the bumper.
280kg bike loaded by myself no issues.

[pkplex]

Plank of wood is the cheapest option (you don't define what's cheap/expensive).

Buying a metal folding ramp, more expensive, how much depends on what you want. MX ramps are cheap, have a lower weight limit (around 100-150kg). I have one from Repco, often on special around the $100-$120 mark. Bi fold, 340kg weight limit and arched at the top to assist with low belly pans clearing the top of the ramp. Too sharp an angle at the top and bikes bottom out.

If you haven't done this kind of thing before, get mates to help until you get comfortable. Tie the ramp off to stop it moving as well (or stick a bolt through the top, lot of options)

Ahhhh so like this thing here then: http://catalogues.repco.co.nz/#view=product&itemId=65731208&saleId=6573 ?

[pkplex]

I have a lite ace van about 1991.

Last load was a k100lt touring bike. Had to remove the screen to get it in.

I have a folding ally ramp and have made a wooden piece screwed onto the top that locks in on the bumper.
280kg bike loaded by myself no issues.

IIRC Hiaces are a little taller than liteaces? Regarless, I need to cart an R6 and possibly a ninja 250... should be ok I guess, Cheers

[pkplex]

To lazy to look if ramps were included but Torpedo 7 has a big sale ending today.

Thanks, will have a geeze

[mossy1200]

Usable height inside is about the same as my work 2009 Hiace.
The liteace is 4wheel drive. Its deck height is very high but its a tall roof model.

The ramp is 8 years old and going strong. Wouldn't want go with a plank as a long term solution. Ok if its a occasional thing in the dry.

Also the ramp has a slight arch shape that stops the belly out when one front wheels on the deck but the rear hasn't got there yet.

[nodrog]

A laminated scaffold plank that is past its used by date is cheap, will take a retardadly high weight load, and will last forever.

[pkplex]

I reckons I will just flog the one from repco.

So assuming I can get a bike in me van, any tips on tying it down?

I am guessing some kind of put the bolt back that was used to bolt the seats type deal is required.. with some kind of.. gizmo to latch tie downs onto ( have not even looked at the seat bolts/mounts yet ).

Any optimal positions? I ideally want to leave one row of seats in ( as in the front most seats ).

If possible I would also like room for an elephant, and a matress, and perhaps a bbq, and for the arrangement to increase both the horsepower and monetary value of the bikes transported.

Cheers

[mossy1200]

I reckons I will just flog the one from repco.

So assuming I can get a bike in me van, any tips on tying it down?

I am guessing some kind of put the bolt back that was used to bolt the seats type deal is required.. with some kind of.. gizmo to latch tie downs onto ( have not even looked at the seat bolts/mounts yet ).

Any optimal positions? I ideally want to leave one row of seats in ( as in the front most seats ).

If possible I would also like room for an elephant, and a matress, and perhaps a bbq, and for the arrangement to increase both the horsepower and monetary value of the bikes transported.

Cheers

I took the centre bottom seatbelt bolts out and bolted tags in their place as mine was a 7 seater originally.
I bolted 2 tag up front behind each seat and made a wheel bracket also.
You can just see the rt tag location in top corner of photo.(tag just out of view)

[pkplex]

I took the centre bottom seatbelt bolts out and bolted tags in their place as mine was a 7 seater originally.
I bolted 2 tag up front behind each seat and made a wheel bracket also.
You can just see the rt tag location in top corner of photo.(tag just out of view)

You are a champion and a scholar, Thanks.

Where did you download the tag gizmos from though?

[Gremlin]

Ahhhh so like this thing here then: http://catalogues.repco.co.nz/#view=product&itemId=65731208&saleId=6573 ?
Exactly that one.


IIRC Hiaces are a little taller than liteaces? Regarless, I need to cart an R6 and possibly a ninja 250... should be ok I guess, Cheers
Hiaces vary quite a lot in models. The latest shape alone has 2 lengths, 2 widths and 3 heights (not all combos tho). Previous model had 3 lengths, at least 2 heights, one width I think. Current shape lowest roof has around 1330mm load height, highest roof is 1630mm internal height. Sports bikes are pretty low, but check your requirements. Utes don't have a maximum height, but if your bike doesn't fit inside the van... :lol:

To keep seats inside as well, you need to run the measurements. How long are the bikes, seats need at least 300mm foot space to a bulk head, then you have the actual seat itself, then the bikes behind.

I've just replaced my ute with a Hiace, so have just gone through all those requirements... ended up with this...

[mossy1200]

You are a champion and a scholar, Thanks.

Where did you download the tag gizmos from though?

I made them from plate steel. like a D shape bent at 45 angle with 2 10mm holes for mounting and a 14mm hole for tie down straps.
I then cut the carpet open in a slot and drilled through the surface into the engine bay area. Bolted through with large square washers on the inside to spread the load.

Centre piece is also hand made. I haven't used that in years now as im not racing. If you cant make one PM me and ill have a look for it. I think its in the garage. Its not a necessary item but it was good to have a secure front wheel when taking the bike long distance. made tie down easier also to have the wheel secure from turning.

[Ocean1]

http://www.topmaq.co.nz/item/view/2pc-Steel-Curved-Folding-Ramp-600kgpr?sku=AVRA1920

[pkplex]

Cheers for the help guys, I ended up getting the one from Repco.

I took two of the seats out ( leaving a swively solo one ), and used the from passenger seatbealt thing as a tiedown point ( around the bolt which protrudes out a bit ), and under the drivers seat rail gizmo.. it looked reasonably solid.

And at the back I used the bolts that held the rear seat on as tie down points to tie the back of the bike down. It seems quite solid, all be it a wee bit bodgy.

Almost got stuck pushing it up though, for some reason the rear wheel really did not want to come over the last part of the ramp, and that happened to be the awkward part where I needed to step into the van from off the ground, so a number of wobbly grunts were required :)

If it falls over during transit, then it's all your guy's fault, though.

Cheers :)

[Gremlin]

Some use two ramps, one for the bike and one for yourself. Otherwise, if the step up is a bit high for you, consider using some sort of step, upside down bucket etc

[Tazz]

If it falls over during transit, then it's all your guy's fault, though.


I'm dissolving KB of any liability by suggesting these :laugh:


306595

[pkplex]

No dramas during the trip.

I few thoughts / notes though;

I traveled behind a truck for about 100km. Even when I could pass him, l pulled over and hung behind him ( or the politically correct potential her ) and let all the other cars pass. It was quite relaxing, staying 50 to 100m behind the truck was quite cool, they set a pretty good pace, and you get to learn the roads a bit by watching how they take the corners. They are pretty good drivers. I will get around to installing an antenna into the van soon, so I can use the 26Mhz CB to listen to and talk to the trucks driving to and fro along the way ( I origionally planned on doing this for my bike as well ). Should be usefull for sussing out where the cops, traffic jams, etc are ahead of time.

On the ferry ride I was watching people walk while the boat was swaing around. Then I thought that perhaps sailors could drink more booze and remain upright because they are used to walking like a drunkard on unstable ships.

There was a truck driver driving from wellington who had a fetish for climbing right up the arse of the next vehicle. Like, a few meteres at 100km hr. I saw some tiny wee hatch back being dwarfed by the truck as I overtook them. Later on, said truck started doing the same thing to me, complete with outrageously high low beams. So then it turned into a try and escape the truck without breaking the speed limit, which was kind of cool.

My hiace's lights are _shit_. Very very dim, so much so that the previous owner should have given me a bag of carrots with the purchace. And also, Unsure if it was a dirty windscreen ( it was cleaned not a week prior ), or if its just the angle of the windscreen, but oncoming cars seemed to blind the shit out of me. Like, 'what the fuck, I can barely see the cats eyes and road markers let alone the actual road' type of deal. Perhaps some better lights will help this, but it was pretty outrageous.

Four wheels are fat. I have not driven four wheels for any reasonable distance for some time.. I kept on forgetting that I cant just slip through that gap, overtake that guy, drive straight through those particular twisties, etc.

[pkplex]

Oh, and motorbikes. I check my mirrors often, and do head checks when moving lanes, but fuck me, a couple of times a bike appeared from what seemed to be nowhere. Not while I was changing lanes, but what looked like a clear road behind me, on two occasions contained a motorbike, which only became apparent when I saw a light in my right hand mirror as they went to pass me.

Oh, and camper van assholes who never pull over despite ample opportunies to relieve the worlds longest queue behind them.. well, they are assholes.

[Tazz]

My hiace's lights are _shit_. Very very dim, so much so that the previous owner should have given me a bag of carrots with the purchace. And also, Unsure if it was a dirty windscreen ( it was cleaned not a week prior ), or if its just the angle of the windscreen, but oncoming cars seemed to blind the shit out of me. Like, 'what the fuck, I can barely see the cats eyes and road markers let alone the actual road' type of deal. Perhaps some better lights will help this, but it was pretty outrageous.

Pull em out, wash em out with some of that Dynamo stuff or anything that is non aggressive on the lens, dry em in the oven (not at 200 degrees :laugh:) and throw some better bulbs in em. If they are the mostly standard H4's you have heaps of options (I used to use truckstar ones but I don't know if they come in 12v).

In the unlikely scenario they are sealed units, bin em and get some semi sealed.

The only thing worse than having lights so shit that when you're dipped with traffic coming towards you the only part of the road you can navigate from is the white line to your left, is being on a narrow road with no white line in the same situation :laugh:

Good luck!

[pkplex]

So i go to get a wof, and pow, quite a bad brake imbalance.

Go to pit stop to get them to have a geeze. And the bearing seal whatsit had shat it's self, and pissed oil into the brake drum.

So a bearing, a seal, a machine, new brake pads and what not, and $650 ish later, wof passed. And then RUC.. damn. $120 ish for the priviledge of moving 2000 km.

Fucking vehicles. I knew two extra wheels was a bad idea.

[Gremlin]

So a bearing, a seal, a machine, new brake pads and what not, and $650 ish later, wof passed. And then RUC.. damn. $120 ish for the priviledge of moving 2000 km.

Fucking vehicles. I knew two extra wheels was a bad idea.
Handy to move your bikes tho, or mates. Just had mine back from a customary service upon buying (you never know what the previous owners have done). $1500 later, and engine oil, both diff oils, transfer case, transmission flush, wheels rotated and aligned etc etc...

Then again, just got the Hornet back from service as well, new front discs, pads all round, chain and sprockets... $1400 later. Any number of wheels will cost...