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[cvo2007]

OK.  Getting out of this Ohio weather and heading somewhere warm for awhile and want to take my bike with me so need to trailer through the snow and salt.  Purchased an enclosed trailer and a Condor PSTK 6400 that has the quick disconnect.  This thing scares the hell out of me.  Nowhere in the instructions does it say anything about the need to go through a frame or anything except to make sure you use the fender washers.  Are they saying it is alright to just mount through a plywood floor?  When strapping down a 750lb+ bike with the straps pulling forward and the only thing keeping the bike from moving forward is this wheel chock mounted with (2) 5/16" bolts through a plywood floor just does not seem like enough to me.  There are 4 additional tapered holes drilled in the Condor are on the far ends points but if you use them you completely loose the quick release feature.  Besides the instructions do not even address why they even put them there.  With all of the recommendations to buy the Condor can you give me and others some feedback on if you used the quick release bracket and or maybe how you actually mounted the chock.  My trailer has all square tubing and really no way to actual mount directly to the frame. Am I trying to overkill this installation?

[VaEagle]

Not on Condor but you may get some info from these two videos on the Wheeldock setup...
http://www.wheeldock.com/page/home/resources/wheel-chock-information/wheel-chock-videos

[mrdinny]

CVO
I bolted my condor thru the plywood and have never had an issue but it is one of the older types that have the four flat plates pre-drilled.

[owl893]

that is a good vid from VaEagle, that is the concept. That said I had the same concern as you; the Condor has four mounting holes in the "legs", I set up an 8 X 14 trailer with two Condors, offset.  I welded nuts to stainless 4" X 4" plates and mounted the plates (underside) with smaller nuts and bolts in each corner. Overkill, but it I didn't need to worry about it in the mountains. Condors don't move around much with the bike loaded on them. Used D-ring slots on the sides and flip ups in the middle. I made the port side Condor permanent, I made the other one movable from dead center when pulling one bike, to starboard when pulling two. I mounted the port unit 18 inches forward of the other one so that the fairings would stagger. Try to balance the bike (you will need help) so that it isn't too tongue heavy, if you can, tape up the axle(s) location inside and position the bike like you would on a garage jack.  You need some tongue weight so the rig isn't "popping", so place it a little forward of dead nuts balanced.  

When you look in the side view mirrors and see your handlebars sticking through the side of your trailer, you will need to rework things. Hope this never happens, at times, "overkill" is a good thing.

OWL

[Boatman]

I had two of the fixed Condor's and the detachable that you have and had no problems.  They are quality units.  If you can't attach thru the frame and have room, make a 1/4" plate that is about twice as big as the Condor plate for the underside of the trailer and mount thru it-will spread a bigger load over the surface area.  The Condor only mounts to the plate with 2 thumbscrews and the slots that hold the apparatus forwards.

Owl X2..

[cvo2007]

This is why I like this site.  It helps to kick around ideas.  First, I called Condor and talked to someone and their statement to me was that as long as the floor is a minimum of 1/4" that is all that is needed.  Starting to wonder if she meant to say 3/4" but she did state it twice.  I suppose that technically the weight of the bike and the straps are technically holding the bike down.  The Condor or wheel chock is just keeping it from moving forward and sideways and thus it is not what it would take to pull the bolts through the plywood but what it would take to tear the plywood horizontally which would be much greater.  My eye bolts for the tie downs are into the frame.  

I really liked the video and it started some creative juices flowing.  Similar to Boatman's installation, I think I will get a couple of small plates or some large fender washers and weld some nuts and use them under the other 4 locations.  That way I can quickly remove the bolts from up above and not have to crawl underneath and or keep it to a one man project.  I know that this is probably overkill, but well worth the extra few dollars spent for the piece of mind.  Thanks for the suggestions.

[dayne66]

I would not rely on a chock to keep the bike from moving forward....a couple of straps going back are a must!

[WFP]

I have two Condors in my trailer, one the fixed version and one the removeable/dual use.  They are great, I ride in and can step off the bike no issue...BUT, for traveling/pulling the trailer I always tie down the bikes to fixed points in the trailer.  No worries that way.  The Condor does not have to handle the bulk of the load this way.  I do not tie down to the Condor chocks.

My tie down poinnts are all set up to pull the bike in the same direction, forward and into the Chocks.

Bill

[cvo2007]

Great suggestion.  I have 6 eye bolts on my trailer where I was using the two in the rear to wrap through the rear tire to keep it from kicking out, I will just use those two and also run some straps up to the passenger floorboard brackets.  That should help keep everything in-place.  It is going to take longer than the 2 minute video on loading and strapping down your bike that I saw on YouTube, but it should get there with no problems.  I know that everything I have read states all straps pulling forward, I would not think having them pulling both directions would be a bad thing to have just in-case of a panic stop.

[owl893]

absolutely necessary and those are good "hard spots", anytime you can use the frame for your soft ties it helps, and if you've ever pulled up and down through the Piedmont (or similar) you will appreciate those rear pulling straps.

OWL

[Buy early]

I have two Condors in my trailer, one the fixed version and one the removeable/dual use.  They are great, I ride in and can step off the bike no issue...BUT, for traveling/pulling the trailer I always tie down the bikes to fixed points in the trailer.  No worries that way.  The Condor does not have to handle the bulk of the load this way.  I do not tie down to the Condor chocks.

My tie down poinnts are all set up to pull the bike in the same direction, forward and into the Chocks.

Bill

What he said...

[FlaHeatWave]

I would not rely on a chock to keep the bike from moving forward....a couple of straps going back are a must!

I always use 2 straps to the rear, off of the rear foot boards / pegs. Never had a bike come loose when tied down in an 'X' pattern.

[fred786]

I ended up using the 4 tapered holes to mount the chalk to my Race Deck parking pad in my garage so the chalk wont keep pushing ahead or back when loading or unloading the bike.  The chalk just would not bite into the Race Deck without sliding.  Just put the bolts up through and used wing nuts for easy removal.  Left the quick release permanently mounted in the trailer.  I mounted the plate directly into the 3/4" plywood but still use tie downs to front and rear.  Attached is my old trailer and have a new 14X7 Legend Low Rider out of Michigan coming in this week as I needed 7' to now get Trike in. 2 weeks until Florida bound for 1.5 months. 

[owl893]

nice rig Fred, well thought out

OWL

[backroad Mike]

I always use 2 straps to the rear, off of the rear foot boards / pegs. Never had a bike come loose when tied down in an 'X' pattern.

This.

I may be a little anal when tying a bike down, but I'd rather have a few extra straps than a suprise when I open the trailer.