Ideas for Tie Down points in back of Dunnydore ute

[Simo63]

Plan A - Buy a cheap caravan and convert it into a race transporter.  FAILED

Plan B - Have the wife come along for the weekend and tow the race bikes behind her car whilst I tow the caravan behind mine - FAIL -
Long story short, the wife can no longer accompany me to the nationals next weekend leaving me with the dilemma of having to tow the caravan down and get the bikes there myself. 

So Plan C then - I've rushed out and bought a cheapish commodore ute with a big arsed towbar to put the bikes in.  Was looking at F trucks but just didn't want to spend that much $$ cos I'm a bit of a tight arse  .

My question is that the it's a styleside ute (not a cab chassis with a tray) and I can't see any really good tie down points aside from the ridge that runs around the outside of the tub but that looks pretty weak to me.  Also it has one of those tub liner things so that makes it even harder to see where to put tie down points into the back tray area.  What have others done in this situation ??  No smart arse comments about buying a real ute or anything like that   

I need to squeeze 3 bike in as well as I'm supposed to be bringing one down for someone else .... geez I hope they all fit 

I was thinking of making up something that bolts to the floor?    Has anyone else done this already .. any hints/tips/ideas?
Has to be pretty simple because A) I am simple and B) but also because I've only got this weekend to sort it out.

Any ideas please?

[worms]

should of bought an australian made ford ute

i can put 3 bikes in Di's tub ute if I have too, simple I had a rack made that fits along the top front ridge of the tub with3 verticale wheel locks, 2 in forwards one in backwards, go racing, just that she wont let me drive her ute, its her ute

worms

[mainline]

Those 4wd or ute supply places sell bolt-on tie down plates.
If you got a welder and the time you could make them.
Put those U shaped bolts? with both threaded ends inside the tray of my old ute. Put them on the side of the top rail with decent washers on both sides and an extra nut threaded all the way on first to lock against the nut on the other side of the panel. This assumes the commode has removable panels on the inside of the tray walls for access?

[chrisdespo]

Simo63 i know what you mean I just got rid of my dunnydoor great ute VY 6pack or something but try and tie anything in and *&^$%$# me you ^*^%^# of a thing. Builders ladder racks the alloy kind front one looks like a sports bar kind of rear one removable just leaves two big tubes in rear corners. mine had rope lugs on front bar and you could get two bikes in no worries with rear one removed a third may fit in backwards i'm not sure, and could be tied to back tubes. Mine were made by ECB i think, every second commy ute has a sethave a look at one and see if you can make that work. cheers

[oldfart]

Had a VR and VS ute and found the hooks on the side where more than adequate on long hauls  - eg Brisbane to Newcastle and back .....



 

[Noel]

Hi,
Just a thought looking at oldfart's,
have you given consideration to the tow bar and open tailgate issue??

Also maybe you could put a bike across the draw bar of the Van.

cheers
Noel

[mustanggrahame]

I think you will find that it is illegal to drive with the tailgate fully down. In Victoria the police need to be able to see the number plate from a 45 degree angle. Just another problem for those little toy utes 
Cheers, Grahame

[oldfart]

Number plate is not located in tailgate in these models...
I travelled with the tailgate up againts the rear bike tyres using the rear and side hooks as lace points.
This ole girl was bullet proof and also realiable  well over 400,000klm when we parted company .....For build quality I recon  it shits on my current model ( Ve ) of which is a toy.

[Noel]

I'm not sure the number plate is an issue if he is towing a caravan

Noel

[frostype400]

I have a new xr6 ute but with a carry boy canopy soyupu can sleep in the back and just tow a trailer with the bikes.

Here is a pic I am sure you'd find a cheap canopy for the Holden too.

[albrid-3]

Gee, Frosty, You have grown up quick sinces I had last been you with your father. nice ute.

[brent j]

My Extra cab Hilux had minimal tie down points so I bolted UNISTRUT track to the inside edge of the tray side, at the top. You can't run a bed liner but you can put as many or as few tie down points as you want where ever you want.
10mm eye bolts lock into the UNISTRUT nuts and can be moved around.

PM me your mobile number and I'll text you some photos (if I can work it out!) I'm in Brissy now and will be at the Nats but I realise you want this now.

I've also seen UNISTRUT used inside a van and on the floor of a trailer, handy stuff

[Tim754]

 1 Sell it ,
 2 Buy early One tonner  with steel tray.*
 3 Drill and anchor or bolt or weld or super glue or maybe just use the already fitted tie rails on tray as tie down anchors.
 4  Done

* (Bonus no fooking digital computers under the bonnet to shit themselves, leaving you knackered on side of road , then having to pay some GMH/ Ford / Jap or Euro crooks $420 per hour !!!(TRUE!) labour charge to not fix!

Frosties photo has a nice blue tonner with a tray in the back ground. They are far more practical than any tub type ute... But perhaps I am showing bias

[Ted]

Can you take the bars off 2 bikes and put them in caravan and the remaining 2 bikes in ute?

Or you could buy this off me.....substitute van for my long range fuel tanker 

[misfit]

Well my bike transporter is an XB falcon ute (which looks really great with a couple old bikes in the back). In the tray i have six steel plates screwed under the floor in the back corners, in the sides of the tray and in the front corners. These have holes drilled in each which have had a thread tapped in them, and i have screw in loop things that go in these. Dont know what they are actually called but its the same things that screw into the front of truck bullbars. Works great!