Hauling scooter in pu plus pulling TD

[Aaron Coffee]

My scooter is about 6 inchs to long to shut tailgate on pickup, the TD with the deck on front is out of question as is new build (at this time). Was thinking of making a wedge shaped tailgate, narrower at center(just a little wider than scooter tire. Thinking of making it out of square tubing(could get it at work for scrap price), looking at my tailgate the bracket that attach it to the box are attached by bolts, so I could get brackets off of junk tailgate. Will try to get pics to show what I mean. This is a 98 Dodge Dakota club cab, and a 86 Honda Helix 250 scooter. New pickup out of question also.
Thoughts, ideas? oh, I guess I failed to mention the desired outcome which is to haul the scooter with me when I go camping.
Thanks
Aaron

[greg755]

Get rid of the tailgate and buy one of those nylon cargo nets.

You can always pit the tailgate back on if you really need it....

[Roly Nelson]

Any chance of putting it in the truck bed on an angle? Also, perhaps a device to raise the front wheel over the tail gate might solve the problem. A replacement bowed pipe-welded tail gate might work as well. Just my 2 cents.
Roly

[Nut]

If the tires of the scooter fit in the bed of the truck, just take the tailgate off and strap the scooter down real good. We do that all the time. The straps are holding the object, in your case a scooter, in the truck not the tailgate. And you can still put more stuff in the bed in front of the wheel humps and it will stay pretty good.

[Aaron Coffee]

Roly,
I think a bowed pipe tailgate is what I'm thinking of. Once all this snow goes away, i will try putting it in at an angle. Have thought too, of taking tailgate off, putting scooter on center stand and letting rear wheel hang in mid air, tieing it down good of course. Just kind of in my winter-cabin-fever-I want to do something-but its too darn cold out-phase.
thanks

[bittmann]

Wish I had a picture of the thing....Dad-in-Law has an F150 that's too short to swallow his bike.

We made a u-shaped "channel" out of channel iron braced with angle, added a wedge in the front to be a front-wheel stop, all long enough for a Harley Ultra to comfortably fit inside of. The front had a "T" section that reached out for the front bed hold-down bolts, with a hook on each end of the "T" for a set of front tie-down straps. The underside rear of the channel had a brace that bolted down to the factory rear bumper to provide support. The very back had a hook on it to attach a ramp. Only concession is that we have to pull the vehicle license plate and move it to the rear "brace".

Pull off the tailgate, bolt down the channel (moving the license plate), roll the bike up the ramp, tie it down good in the front and well enough in the back to keep it from moving around, hook up the trailer, and go. Absolutely rock-solid dependable, and no interference with the trailer even at a full-lock turn.

[firemaniac]

Something I am considering for when I carry my bicycle in the truck (Toyota mini short bed with tool box mounted inside) is an extension for the ball mount 12 to 15 inches and leave the tailgate down with a commercially available bed extender, if you are Die hard Dodge fan, former Dodge addict myself, I think Mopar has one.

Only thing I would add to the ball mount extension is a pair of chains and turnbuckles to prevent left to right movement

[Aaron Coffee]

Bittman,
That is exactly another idea I have had. I think we have a bunch of diamond plate steel at work that I could get for a reasonable price. thought about using some 4 inch c-channel but it is too narrow for the scooter tire, so was thinking instead of 12 ga, steel bent in a u. I'd like to make it so I could haul the scooter or my motorcyle. Supposed to be nice(40's)this weekend so will get out and get some measurements taken.

[Gerdo]

You could remove the tailgate, drive the scooter up the ramp in the middle of the bed, lift the scooter and slide a block under the frame allowing the rear tire to hang.

OR. Build a C channel that goes from the front to the back. Have the ramp hook onto the C channel, drive it up and strap it off. It would be best if the channel was bolted to the truck bed. If not it would want to flip when driving up.

OR. Build a short C channel that is braced off the hitch. Take a ~2" id tube, slide it onto the hitch draw bar. Welded to that tube is a riser tube and welded to that is the C channel. Then when the ramp is hooked to the channel it will not move. It'll rock some but not a big deal. (I have done something simmilar, I get a picture and post it.)

[Aaron Coffee]

Think I have decided to go with the first idea I posted a homebuilt tubular steel tailgate, just have to decide what size and guage of tubing to use(round or sguare). Guess will have to pick my brothers brain on this, as he has built racecars off and on over the last 15 years, besides I'll probably have him weld it up.
Thanks