In this post I dive into how we secure four motorcycles in a Grand Design Momentum 397TH RV, using the Pit Bull Trailer Restraint System. I also made a YouTube video about it, check it out here.
American company Pit Bull Products, originally known for sport bike stands, introduced its patented method for bike transport in 2007: The Trailer Restraint System (TRS for short). Today, it’s a top choice among racers and track enthusiasts globally.
Pit Bull Founder Charlie Van Valkenburgh, a former motorcycle racer, also designed parts for the International Space Station.
How it works
This system works by attaching a frame to the rear axle of the bike, which then clips into a plate bolted to the floor. The bike is securely held in place with both wheels resting on the floor. No chocks. No straps.
One thing every motorcycle-hauling RVer does regularly is load and unload their bike(s). There’s a variety of systems available for securing motorcycles of all sizes, from 250cc dirt bikes to large baggers, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. Initially, for our two sport bikes, we relied on wheel chocks with ratchet straps attached to Canyon Dancers for travel. While this worked well, especially considering it was our first experience transporting bikes, we found drawbacks. Maneuvering heavy chocks, climbing over straps, and the need for both of us to be present to comfortably secure each bike into its chock wasn’t ideal. It got the job done, but we were never completely satisfied
When we decided to add two dual sports to our collection, we knew the chock and strap system wasn’t going to scale to four bikes. We began researching alternatives. That’s when we discovered the Pit Bull TRS.
Installation
In typical RV adventure fashion, we installed the TRS in a bit of a panic. After picking up the bikes from two separate towns in northwest Texas, we had just one day to do the install and get back on the road for an event in Arizona. Stress levels were high that week!
Thankfully, the installation process is fairly straightforward.
Be sure to check your floor thickness, so that you order the correct bolt lengths! Don’t be us and realise almost too late that you ordered the wrong size!
- Determine where you want the plate to go (measure 3 times!).
- Drill 4 holes.
- Screw a bolt through each hole, tightening with a locknut on the underside of the floor.
- Celebrate a job well done!
The challenge for us was figuring out where to place the four plates in our 13’ x 8’ garage space. We experimented until settling on one bike positioned east-west and the remaining three north-side alongside each other. Unlike flatbed or enclosed trailers that give you access to the underside of the floor, our toy hauler’s floor has an insulation layer and two 30 gallon fuel tanks to get around. Fortunately, there was an accessible spot in between the fuel tanks. This required cutting a hole in the coroplast and manoeuvring a hand inside the cavity under the floor to tighten the nuts on the plate screws. Not an easy task in the cold and dark of a chilly Texas January night! Luckily, installing the east-west plate was relatively straightforward due to its immediate accessibility.
We also had to account for the size of the washers where they came close to potentially overlapping with I-beams. Measure everything three times! There is also the option to use the oversized washer they offer, which is a plate that spans both bolt holes instead of two separate washers.
Benefits
No added forces on the bike in transport. The TRS is designed to work with the tires resting on the floor, with no forces required on frame or suspension parts. This design prevents damage caused by strap tension during trailer movement. It allows the suspension to absorb shocks how it normally does.
No need for straps. No straps means less tripping hazards and storage requirements when not in use. This also massively reduces the time it takes to secure a bike once it’s loaded!
No chocks. Traditional wheel chocks are often heavy, bulky and inconvenient to store. Sometimes that doesn’t matter, for us they took up quite a lot of space. Every system has something you probably need to store when it’s not in use. The TRS is no different, but I found it much neater to stack against a wall.
Easy to use. You do need to be comfortable moving your motorcycle around on your own, however I found that having the skills to adjust its position in confined spaces is actually a great skill to have regardless! I am able to load and unload all four bikes without help. This means if one of us is moving the RV, we can take care of loading or unloading the bikes. In fact, I did this for the Grand Design National Rally when I moved our rig to the event solo. Check out that video here.
Ideal for small spaces. The TRS can be placed wherever the bike fits, without the need to reserve space for additional chocks, tie-down frames, or straps. We travelled 12,000+ miles with four bikes without compromising our ability to access every part of the garage.
Drawbacks
Installing in an RV. You have to drill holes in your floor for the plates. Aside from the frayed nerves that this might cause, RV’s often have cavities with internal systems running through them under the floor. It can be tricky to figure out where/how to locate the underside of the floor to attach the washer and nut to the bolt securing the plate.
Not 100% universal
Because the pin holding the frame to the motorcycle’s rear axle is bike specific, not all bikes are supported. If you’re interested in this system, check out this PDF from pit-bull.com (correct as of 9 Feb 2024) to see if your bike is on the list.
Closing thoughts
For transporting bikes in a flatbed or enclosed trailer, the TRS is the best system. A lot of RVers have motorcycles not supported by this system, however if your bike is and you’re willing to install the plates in your RV floor – I highly recommend this system! It gave us the opportunity to have four bikes and be able to load everything in just 20 minutes. A few times when we really had to hustle, we got it down to 15 minutes!
Regardless, always choose the system that works best for your bike, your setup and what makes you feel most comfortable about transporting your cherished two wheels!