Trucks that can carry the T7

[TimeMachine]

I thought it was worth a new thread for this. I have been keen to find a solution to carrying my T7 and go travelling and bush camping with my dog. Due to the types of terrain here in Australia being either steep or sandy, I did not want to always use a bike trailer. After much consideration and 10 months waiting for my truck to arrive, I can finally confirm the T7 fits inside the Mitsubishi Triton (L200) Club Cab tub with the tailgate closed. It was going to be close and I was sweating that it would fit. It does, and is millimetre perfect. This car only comes with 4 tie-down points in the corners so I put some stainless tie-down points in directly above the wheel wells and centre behind the cab. 

 

It is a bit of a lift to get the bike up that high so bought an excellent ramp that is 40cm wide and 3.2m in length. This makes it very easy to walk the bike up using the engine and clutch, although the step up from the ground onto the tailgate is a challenge. I am using a wheel as a step-up, but will find a suitable box to use in the future. Note that I am 192cms (6' 4") with long legs so its easier for me. At nearly 2m (6' 6") my son can put the bike on the back in one swift movement and just step straight into the tub while he is doing it. Bastard.

 

While I was researching this, I found there is little to no information on what bikes fit into what trucks, or how people are doing it. I have concerns about the safety of running a moto style carrier that mounts on the tow bar due to the weight distribution, especially for the lighter trucks (and heavier bikes). And the T7 is so long it would stick out both sides of most smaller trucks. If you have a good solution or another truck that fits the T7, it would be great to see what you have.

[Landshark]

The T7 will fit into a Ford 2017 F-150 5/5 ft. box.  Like yours, fits in kinda sideways.  However, I just use a trailer as I don't need to transport the bike over such rough terrain.  

Nice truck!  No bumpers?  Looks weird without a rear bumper.

[TimeMachine]

2 minutes ago, Landshark said:

The T7 will fit into a Ford 2017 F-150 5/5 ft. box.  Like yours, fits in kinda sideways.  However, I just use a trailer as I don't need to transport the bike over such rough terrain.  

Nice truck!  No bumpers?  Looks weird without a rear bumper.

Thanks Landshark. Removing the rear bumper is quite common here in Australia to avoid it getting destroyed on the first rocky climb. It is so common that the aftermarket make things like tow bars specifically for no rear bumper, like fitted on mine. It's an acquired taste, and now the original bumper and the massive overhang it creates looks odd to me.

[Larson627]

I brought mine home from the dealer in the back of my Tacoma with a 6.1" Bed. Rode it up the ramp in the dealer parking lot, much to my wife's horror lol. Didn't think to try and stuff it in diagonally though, ended up tying the ramp to one of the tie downs so it wouldn't tumble out. Having the tailgate close is definitely a plus. Very envious of the trucks you can get a hold of outside of the US! Had a diesel Pajero as a rental in Costa Rica and was in love with the thing. Made my Tacoma feel like a subcompact. 

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by Larson627

[jdub53]

Just a few inches too long to close the tailgate with the T7 loaded straight in when bringing it 300 miles home in my Tundra's 6.5 foot bed, but lots of room when positioned diagonally.

 

[TimeMachine]

8 hours ago, Larson627 said:

I brought mine home from the dealer in the back of my Tacoma with a 6.1" Bed. Rode it up the ramp in the dealer parking lot, much to my wife's horror lol. Didn't think to try and stuff it in diagonally though, ended up tying the ramp to one of the tie downs so it wouldn't tumble out. Having the tailgate close is definitely a plus. Very envious of the trucks you can get a hold of outside of the US! Had a diesel Pajero as a rental in Costa Rica and was in love with the thing. Made my Tacoma feel like a subcompact. 

 

That was brave doing it on a loose plank. I am planning to be able to ride the bike up and bought the special ramp to make that safer, but I wont try it till I have a mounting system to bolt the ramp to the tailgate so it wont move. Nice rig.