How to Tie Down Dirt Bikes in a Toy Hauler

Is there anything better than being able to set off on the wide open road for days at a time with open trails before you and all your bikes behind you in your toy hauler? Of course, before you can enjoy the freedom of going on a weekend-long ride, you have to secure your rides in the toy hauler. So how do we tie down our dirt bikes in these things? 

To tie down a dirt bike in a toy hauler, riders can use straps and cords in addition to D-rings, tie-down bars, wheel chocks, track-rail systems, or the Lock-N-Load transport system. Each of these systems, except the Lock-N-Load transport system, requires the additional use of straps to keep each bike secure. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the different ways you can mount your dirt bike, and which method might be best for you, I’ve got you covered below. 

How Many Dirt Bikes Can Fit in a Toy Hauler?

Toy haulers are designed for comfortable living as well as storing our dirt bikes, so there will automatically be less room for multiple dirt bikes (seriously, who has the willpower to only buy one?). 

If we’re creative with the space, we can get anywhere from 3-6 dirt bikes inside. You can get six bikes inside if you don’t intend to use all of the living space. (Who needs a hallway?) The question we have to ask ourselves is this: Can we cook eggs while doing acrobatic moves around our rides?

If you intend to use the trailer as a living space as much as storage space, it’s hard to fit any more than three bikes at the far end of the hauler. How many bikes you can fit in your toy hauler will also depend on the transport system you choose. With transport systems like the Lock-N-Load and some Tetris skills, you can fit more like four or five dirt bikes as you can squeeze them much closer together.

This brings us to the most common hassles we deal with when loading dirt bikes. 

Common Hassles With Loading Dirt Bikes

There are several common issues we have to deal with when loading our dirt bikes into our toy haulers:

1. There isn’t enough room
2. A mess of straps and cords
3. Working without a kickstand
4. And your transport system doesn’t work

Not Enough Room

There isn’t enough room for you to maneuver around your bike, or bikes, or there isn’t enough room for all the dirt bikes you want to take and you’re forced to leave one or two behind. 

A major factor of this problem is the amount of cords and/or straps that you have to use to secure your bike(s). Another factor is that the hauler you own and bought five plus years ago doesn’t meet the storage needs you have now. 

Mess of Odd Straps and Cables

When you’re mounting several bikes you end up with a tangled web of straps and cords everywhere. Not only do they limit how you can move about, but by your third or fourth bike you can start running into trouble trying to secure them as you run into the other straps you secured. It would be nice to not have them at all, or if we do have to have them, have a way to keep  them out of our way as much as possible. 

Working Without a Kickstand

Most dirt bikes don't come with a kickstand, so when we try to secure these kinds of bikes in the hauler we have to lean these bikes on ourselves and make sure it doesn’t fall while we attempt to swing the straps around and secure them. It’s funny when our buddies do it, not so funny when we have to. 

Faulty Transport system

If you’re not reading this because you’re looking for a good transport system, then you’re looking for a system to replace the one you have because your bike is too large and heavy for the tie down system you’re trying to use. For larger dirt bikes it takes more than a couple D-rings and two straps to get the job done. 

How to Load Dirt Bikes in a Toy Hauler

There are numerous ways to tie-down your precious cargo in a toy hauler. Determining the best will be up to you and your needs, but I think I have a good idea which one you’re going to really like using. 

D-Rings

D-Rings are what are usually pre-installed on toy haulers. They will certainly get the job done with smaller bikes but you’ll encounter the usual struggles: lack of room, a tangle of webs, etc., along with another problem. The pre-installed D-rings are almost never in the places you need them. So the first thing you can do is purchase more D-rings and install them where you want. At least this solves a common loading placement problem.

Bolt-it-on Systems (Tie-Down Bars)

Tie-down bars that have been made famous by the company Bolt-it-on, are actually easy to use because you can use the pre-existing D-rings to secure the bar and adjust the segments on the bar to secure different models and sizes of bikes. 

Still, even the tie-down bars require straps that stick out, which makes strapping three bikes a bit of a hassle. And you have to get the bikes off the bar and then take the bar off to get the bikes out of the hauler.

Wheel Chocks

On their own, wheel chocks don’t secure your bike, but they do prevent the front or back tires from turning and moving out of place when you’re just using two straps and D-rings. A wheel chock won’t change the strap web or give you more space for more bikes, but it is that extra security you need without having to purchase an entirely different mounting system. 

E-Track Rail Systems with O-Ring Anchors

E-track rails systems are a really great solution for several common loading and mounting problems. Not only do you get to adjust where exactly you mount each bike, you can fit more bikes sideways, side by side with a few O-rings and straps that are parallel to the bikes. That means the straps aren’t in your way either. 

Risk Racing's Lock-N-Load Transport System

What if I told you there was something even easier to use than strapping your bikes one by one to the rails, doesn’t require any straps or other tie-downs, takes the pressure off your fork seals, can be removed if needed, and can be adjusted to suit whatever bike model you own, regardless of the size and weight? I always like to save the best for last. What? My team and I spent years and years designing this. Of course I’ll have a slight prejudice! 

Yes, our Lock-N-Load and Lock-N-Load Pro transport systems take care of all the most common dirt bike mounting issues we have. It’s easy to place, use, store, and adjust. With a simple raising and drop of the rubberized jaws, your bike is locked in place and isn’t going anywhere. 

What to Look for in a New Dirt Bike Transport System

Whichever new mounting method you choose to tie down your dirt bike(s), there are four things you should consider before you buy it:

1. You’ll be safe the whole time you use it
2. The mounting method is durable for heavier bikes 
3. Your bike will be secure without a doubt
4. It doesn't put any unnecessary strain on parts of the bike
5. It’s convenient to use
6. And it’s an actual improvement to what you had before

In Short