Forum Discussion

Hardtime01's avatar
Hardtime01
Explorer
May 06, 2013

Attaching etrack to floor

Just bought a work and play 30fl from Lazydays here in Florida. I want to use the etrack system to tie down my Road King, and my wife's Can Am Spyder. It has been suggested that I can use lag bolts and just screw the etrack to the floor without going all the way thru the frame. Suggested that I put a lag bolt every third hole and that this should hold the bikes. Any ideas good, bad, or ugly. This would simplify the install of wheel chocks and tie down points, but I will admit I would have better piece of mind with the etrack being bolted all the way thru the frame, which would require dropping the fresh water tank. Any advice?
Toy Haulers
  • Ts1's avatar
    Ts1
    Explorer
    May 19, 2013
    I removed the under liner and drilled through the floor / e track every 6 bolt holes. Placed steel uni-strut along under side and then bolted tight. Uni strut and etrack equally spread the load. Used automotive rubber undercoating to seal tight and replaced the under liner.
  • shagan77's avatar
    shagan77
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    I used similar inserts as gmc6000 did for my chocks in my TH, that way I can easily pull them out. Didn't use etrack in my TH, but did in my car hauler. I mixed up lag bolts with 1/4 inch washers/bolt/nyloc nuts where-ever I could gain access to them from underneath. And for the lags also added gorilla glue to the pre-drilled holes.

    In my TH, I replaced the factory supplied lags with washers/bolt/nyloc nuts for all my tie-downs. A 1000 lb bike is a lot of stress on little lag bolts. And yeah, I'm probably guilty of over-engineering the solutions but nothing ever moves....
  • aemedic's avatar
    aemedic
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    jetboater454 wrote:
    A lot are installed with lag bolts due to no access under the floor.Use 1 1/2 to 2" lags,predrill the hole,fill it with epoxy,install the bolt.Go about every 6" staggering the bolts on each side.That's what I did in the show car hauler.


    This is what I did but I only rely on the e-track to hold my 650 dirt bike and the 4 wheeler. When I haul the V-Max I also use a titan chock as well as the factory tie down locations. I've hauled this way for 10 - 15k miles. My only variation was to use every other hole or so...
  • jetboater454's avatar
    jetboater454
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    A lot are installed with lag bolts due to no access under the floor.Use 1 1/2 to 2" lags,predrill the hole,fill it with epoxy,install the bolt.Go about every 6" staggering the bolts on each side.That's what I did in the show car hauler.
  • 1L243's avatar
    1L243
    Explorer II
    May 08, 2013
    I would not trust lag bolts, if the Hog falls over on the Can Am it will get expensive. I used 1/4" carriage bolts with big fender washers on the bottom. I went every other hole just at the ends and then a bolt about every 6 to 8 inches. I ran three tracks. I have a 30WR and my water tanks were not in the way BUT it's a good idea to look before you drill.

  • Fishbreath's avatar
    Fishbreath
    Explorer II
    May 07, 2013
    All of the tie downs on my toyhauler are bolted directly to the steel frame. The builder used some type of self-tapping, lag bolt. When I replaced my vinyl flooring, I replaced all of the self-tapping bolts with the same sized (1/4) bolts. The ones that I could access were finished with Nyloc nuts.
    Although the lag bolts into the wood structure might be sufficient, I would attempt to get at least a couple of them into the structural frame.

    Good luck with your project!

    Bill
  • Dirtclods's avatar
    Dirtclods
    Explorer
    May 07, 2013
    We did my buddy's rig with lag bolts every third hole or fourth hole easy to do and there still holding fine five years later.
  • Y-Guy's avatar
    Y-Guy
    Moderator
    May 06, 2013
    For what you are hauling, I wouldn't trust lag bolts. I didn't go all the way through but I had ATVs that the wheels were on top of the e-track, but your Road King won't be and that's a whole lot of weight depending on wood screws. Is there any way to move the track so you don't have to drop the water tank?
  • lap527's avatar
    lap527
    Explorer
    May 06, 2013
    We put bolts, nuts and washers about Every 6 holes. Near the end of the etrax the bolts were closer because wanted to make sure we hit stringer. It was a lot of work but bikes are secure. We haul 2 softails. Love the etrax with the clips, we tie coolers and almost anything down.

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