Dirtbike hauling & Boat towing

[Meatwad]

Today marked my first trip with the dirtbike loaded up in the back. Made a front wheel chock out of a 2x10 and routed all the corner. Its solid back there for sure!

Also dded surge brakes to my boat trailer. Boat and trailer combo is 3400lbs. Tows and stops great, we have good ramps around me and have not had any issues pulling it out of the water.

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[matmondro]

Looking good man. Like seeing that KTM

 

[ZABSMAV]

That's a lot of weight on the tailgate, especially if you hit any bumps in the road. Why not put a two foot wide by 3/4" plywood that spans from the front wheel to the back of the tailgate? That would help spread out the load.

 

[Cancunbadlands]

Lot of weight on the tailgate!

 

[matmondro]

That's a lot of weight on the tailgate, especially if you hit any bumps in the road. Why not put a two foot wide by 3/4" plywood that spans from the front wheel to the back of the tailgate? That would help spread out the load.

Not even close to tailgate weight capacity with a dirt bike. OP will be just fine.

 

[Oscar Andersen]

Mavericks have a good payload rating and tail gate can take it , only weak link are the tailgate cables as they will stretch and you will find your tailgate tilting down some. I have a winch mounted on a drop in unit made to fit the 2x6 board slot that I use to drag ATV's , Excavator dig buckets , engine blocks up a trip fold ramp with skid plate sliders and all works well , as shown the winch battery I mounted on top of the 2x6 steel winch tube as one drop in unit and only charge the battery a few times a year .Have to make up some stronger tailgate straps as factory are junk . YES1 I work this truck -not for looks -My real truck is a Tundra 4x4

 

[ZABSMAV]

Not even close to tailgate weight capacity with a dirt bike. OP will be just fine.

One needs to account for the downward force when the vehicle hits bumps or pot holes, or is driven on washboard dirt roads. The tailgate weight rating is for a static load, not dynamic loading.

 

[Oscar Andersen]

If I really cared about possible bending the tailgate during a bounce from pothole or washboard I would make a 2x2 angle iron Fram to reinforce it . In spite of Fords beer can thin metal on the tail gate I have been inside the tailgate trying to p[ushoiut dents from backing into stuff and Ford has a lot of webbing inside the outer panels that do a good job of stiffening it up an not possible for me to get access to push out dents[ now Bondo job] . The tailgate let down straps are the weak link as Ford cheapened those up so I will make a pair from good cable . The Maverick is NOT a long term truck as its "everything software" build will be its total fail factor . So if you find an old Ranger with a good frame and driveline just gut the maverick and drop the maverick Body shell on the Ranger frame {Sport Trac } ??

 

[JorgeBarEst]

Nice set with the boat.

 

[matmondro]

One needs to account for the downward force when the vehicle hits bumps or pot holes, or is driven on washboard dirt roads. The tailgate weight rating is for a static load, not dynamic loading.

Agree with you on that principle, but still doesn't apply to this situation with a bike due to it's light weight (won't even come close to 500 lbs dynamic load). If you had a load of bricks on the tailgate, or another object with much more mass, then yes that would be a concern.

 

[themartymac]

I like your cutout board solution - simple and clean. I was thinking of something similar, but maybe incorporating a cheap locking wheel chock for my big KTM.

And for the general audience, even with a big adventure bike, I wouldn't be worried about the tailgate. As soon as you pull the straps tight to compress the front shocks like pictured above, you bias the weight to the front at-or-forward of the pivot point. The straps make it harder for the bike to pivot rearward, AND the bikes rear shock still works to soak up the bumps so the tailgate wouldn't get a giant shock load.

BTW, Most tow companies only secure the tires/a-arms/axles when flat-bedding or dolly-towing a car these days, as leaving the car's suspension in play helps reduce the shock load on the truck or trailer. The only reason it doesn't work as well with bikes, is the lack of lateral stability.

 

[SeatDeletes]

Firm believers that the Maverick is the ultimate moto rig. Quick rides to the trail or track are so much easier then loading into my super duty and i save gas for my bike. Having the back seat available for gear bag inside and still have space for your 100lb dog is just a bonus!

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