What is the best way to secure your Buddy to a carrier?

hcstrider · Post by **hcstrider** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:05 pm

What is the best way to tie down your Buddy when transporting it on a carrier or trailer?

The recent discussions on how much weight the rear rack can support and cracks in the plastic body panel where the rack mounts to the Buddy has me questioning the way that I tie down my Buddy when I am transporting it. I secure it by attaching straps to the to the rear rack but it sounds like the rear rack may not be a good attachment point because the straps may be putting too much downward force on the rack. I have to admit that I am paranoid about my Buddy falling off of the Versa-Haul carrier as I drive down the road so I ratchet the straps pretty tight. This picture shows how I tie down the Buddy when I am transporting it.

Rather than attaching the straps to the rear rack, is there a stronger/more secure part of the Buddy where I should attach the rear straps?

Thanks.
Wayne

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:31 pm

I use a tilt a rack that is very similar to a versa hauler. I use a canyon dancer on the bars and a long thin tiedown over the seat and around the tilt a rack. I just use an old towel to keep the strap off the plastic (sometimes!)

chuckt2 · Post by **chuckt2** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:44 am

I tie the fron of my scooters down similar to the photo, using "canyon dancers" on the front, but on the back, I run a single ratchet strap thru the slot holes in the rear wheel to the tie down points.. It securely ties the back down without any undue stress on either the seat or the rear rack. I actually use a product similar to Canyon Dancers, but the effect is just the same, keeping the straps away from the body panels. Although I would like to think this is an original idea, the dealer that sold us our two scooters helped us tie down to the trailer after our purchase, and that is the way they did it. Hope this helps.

chuckt2 · Post by **chuckt2** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:49 am

After posting, I noticed the third strap over the floor board. This is counter productive. The front straps are designed to utilize the spring pressure to keep the straps tight. The strap over the floor board reduces that spring pressure, and over a severe bump, could cause the front strap/straps to come loose. One man's opinion.

hcstrider · Post by **hcstrider** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:57 pm

Thank you for the recommendations on how to more securely tie down my Buddy to its carrier. I will experiment with these suggestions this weekend. I am sure that your recommendations will prevent me from damaging my rear rack/plastic panel.

After thinking about chuckt2’s comment on the strap I wrap around the Buddy floor board and the carrier, I tend to agree that this doesn’t add anything. It seemed like a good idea but I can see where it would detract from the front springs keeping the front straps tight.

Bryce-O-Rama · Post by **Bryce-O-Rama** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:37 am

I'd recommend a Canyon Dancer on the bars instead of hooking the straps directly to the grips. Saw a Buddy grip come off in that situation once.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:19 am

I think chuckt2 has the right idea about the rear straps, too. We've seen too many broken rear racks and other damage caused to the back due to weight or too much pressure.

ryder1 · Post by **ryder1** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:36 am

I know the paranoid feeling when I use the Versa-haul. But it sure is easy to put on and take off.

We use a bar harness for the front. The rear we put the hook from the ratchet strap directly on the rack near the bolt then the other hook on the versa haul. I mentioned my concern to the dealer about doing this but he said it shouldn't be a problem.

The tension on the front really has to be taught. The Buddy should not move at all--sturdy when on the versa-haul. The excess strap is tied or woven to the strap in the event the ratchet would let loose.

It's a 30 mile trip to the dealer and the Buddy is just as tight as when I left home. I naturally avoid potholes and the like while driving. Freeway driving 70 mph for part of the way. The wind doesn't seem to make a difference.

I do check on it while driving, but what could I do if it did come loose? It would be too late and the Buddy would be road kill.

hcstrider · Post by **hcstrider** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:54 pm

I wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions. I have incorporated the suggestions into my new method for securing the Buddy to the Versa-Haul carrier. The picture shows how I have secured my Buddy over the past month for 2 recent camping trips.

Front attachment: a Canyon Dancer strap is used on the front which attaches to the grips and allows me connect tie down straps to the Versa-Haul’s front tie down points and tighten the front 2 straps very taut.

Rear attachment: as chuckt2 suggested I run a strap through the slot holes in the rear tire and attach the ends of the strap to the Versa-Haul’s rear tie down points. After doing this the rear top of the Buddy still felt wobbly so I attached a second rear strap to dampen the wobble. I tried BuddyRaton’s suggestion about looping a second strap across the seat but since the Versa-Haul’s rear tie down points are behind the Buddy this second strap kept sliding off of the seat when I tightened the strap. Instead what I did was loop this second strap between the seat and the body: there is a lip in the under seat storage that prevents the strap from sliding back. This second strap is not very taut, maybe about 10 pounds of pressure so it doesn’t put a lot of force on the body panel but it is enough to stabilize the rear from wobbling.

This method works great with the Versa-Haul carrier and it should work great for the trailer I am going to get in the Spring. By Spring my wife and I should each have our own Buddy and I am looking at something like the Trailer-In-A-Bag to transport both Buddies when we go camping.

ryder1 · Post by **ryder1** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:03 am

The Versa-haul does make a carrier to carry two scooters/Buddy's

hcstrider · Post by **hcstrider** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:05 pm

Thank you for the recommendation. I considered the VersaHaul double motorcycle carrier because it carries 2 motorcycles/scooters. With a carrying capacity of up to 600 lbs. it could very easily carry 2 Buddys.

The limiting factor which prevents me from using the VersaHaul double motorcycle carrier is the carrying capacity of my RV. I currently have a Class III trailer hitch on my RV with a carrying capacity of 350 lbs. (350 lbs. tongue weight). My VersaHaul single motorcycle carrier weighs 70 lbs. and my Buddy weighs about 240 lbs. so their combined weight of 310 lbs is under my trailer hitch’s 350 lbs. limit.

Unfortunately my RV doesn’t have the carrying capacity to carry 2 Buddies on a VersaHaul. I took my RV to Jiffy Hitch in Baltimore to see if I could upgrade to a hitch that would carry more weight like a Class IV hitch. After looking at my RV the manager at Jiffy Hitch explained that frame of my RV could not carry that additional weight so the Class III hitch was the maximum that my RV could carry. I really love how easy it is to carry my Buddy on the VersaHaul carrier but when I purchase a second Buddy I am also going to have to switch to a trailer for transporting them.

ryder1 · Post by **ryder1** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:20 pm

This is going to be a helpful post for others trying to carry two scooters.

Should almost be a separate post with this info.

One person was actually able to fit their second scoot through the RV door and transports it inside the RV when they head south for the Winter; the second one is transported outside the RV.

Thanks again for the info on hitches.