Ramps

[theoldwizard1]

I am getting older, weaker and hopefully smarter ! (I got 1 hernia and don't need another.)

I have acquired some heavier outdoor/shop equipment (5 hp rototiller, 5000 watt 11hp generator, 2hp 20 gallon "portable" compressor). Any of these may need to get loaded into my full size van. All have wheels.

Show me what you use to safely/easily load heavy things into your pickup/van. What ever you use has to ride along so that the item can be unloaded at the other end.

(I live in suburbia with a tiny lot and a 2 car full of "stuff". If I had the space to store it, I would just buy a small "landscapers trailer" with ramp !)

 

[TWX]

I'd probably bring the hoist with me and use it instead.

I've knocked around getting one of those bumper-mounted hoists that goes on the truck, but since it's only a 4cyl Nissan I don't think the truck is adequate enough to do that. But, it would be less to load and unload that way...

My regular hoist comes apart fairly easily, and each piece, while weighty, isn't so heavy that one person can't lift it.

 

[Zeke]

I have moved literally tons and tons in my PU. I use scaffolding planks. If I have to, I'll place blocks mid span. If I can, I back up to something going up hill or back into a gutter so the planks are more level for both loading and off loading.

Transitioning onto the planks can be tough, so I have scrap ply wood for the ends. Some has a bevel or two. Transitioning at the tailgate can be a problem too if the item doesn't have nice size tires on it (and how many things have nice size tires?). 1/4' plate bent and bolted to the end of the plank solves that. you can still use the plank as a plank w/o removing those.

It's good to keep a pair around. They aid a lot of times even if it's a temporary work space on horses.

 

[jamesemery728]

I have an older version of one of these. They are designed to roll (fit) into the bed of a pickup truck with the tailgate closed. Mine is made of aluminum and is very light. The blue platform is an optional item. I just built a wooden skid for mine. It is very handy for working on lawn mowers, pressure washers, etc because you can roll them onto the platform (skid) and jack them up to working height. Don't let the price scare you off, I have seen them on Craigslist for much less. Very handy for loading and unloading items into a truck.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_21084_21084

 

[KenB]

Hard to beat a couple of aluminum ramps, but small or folding utility trailer might be your best bet for ease of use carrying the types of things you mention. Hang it up on the back of your garage to store it. Northern Tool and Harbor Freight have very inexpensive options. A tilting bed makes ramps unnecessary, but you'll have to shop around for a small trailer with that feature.


Ken

 

[dirttracker18]

I bought a set of these a while back and love them.

They fold up well, are light and have the hump in them for lower profile stuff like garden tractors and motorcycles.

I have had them about 5 years now with no issues. Bought on sale and not at the price listed here.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_15771_15771

I think I got mine at HF but I don't see them listed there anymore with the hump?

 

[2manytoyz]

I have an electric hoist in my garage, mainly to lift the hard top off the Jeep, but it can be used to lift heavy gear in/out of the truck... but only at my shop.

But the solution seems obvious to me... Why not use a utility trailer with a built-in ramp? While I do have a truck, when moving heavier/bulky items, the trailer is a much better choice. BBQ grill, washer/dryer, fridge, etc, all have traveled in the trailer, rather than the truck.

 

[Warrenator]

Lowe's has some ramp ends that are just a piece of aluminum that fits onto your piece of 2X8 or 2X10 plank, they suggest Oak is strongest but mine is a piece of quality Douglas Fir, the only wood we can get around here anymore. Good for about 300 pounds plus me walking on the ramp. Works fine, the ramp ends have a rubber piece that helps it stick to the truck tailgate or bed, comes with all hardware including little pins to drill into the truck bed to keep the ramps from coming off. $20 Reese Ramp Top kit
http://www.lowes.com/pd_21705-29318...pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=ramp&facetInfo=

Works great on my truck, have put some very heavy things up there, it helps if you park the truck facing downhill. I did eat it last week, coming down the ramps with a 250 pound bin of horse poo, fell and skinned my knee. Mommy!!!!

 

[mmhouse]

I use a set of these. If you wait on a coupon you can get them for about half the regular price...

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-steel-loading-ramps-44649.html

 

[KEH]

Just loaded a rear tine garden tiller on my pickup truck this PM to take to daughter. I rejected the $79.99 Harbor Feight ones because I don't forsee using ramps that much. It was well built with the bent plates at the end to fit over a tailgate. Couldn't get the plates alone.

I dug some hickory lumber, 1 x 8 rough, out of the pile and sawed them equal length, about 7 or 8 feet long. Parked the truck on a slight slope and layed the ends on the tailgate. They supported me and the tiller. The difficulty in transitioning from ramps to truck bed for a riding mower is dragging the deck at the end of the planks and this is where the metal pieces would be nice. I didn't have any problem with the tiller.

KEH

 

[Steevo]

I also use the arched-ramps. Mine are not continuous surface, so small wheels will not make the climb, but anything with a pneumatic tire has easily been driven, pushed or winched up the ramps.
I got mine from Home Depot:
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

They have many options with more solid surface for smaller wheels.

 

[PeterT]

I recently bought a trailer and bought some $199 5' alluminum ramps for it and they appear to be really nice.
The trailer I bought doesn't have a 'lip' on the very end to hang the ramps from. I am would like to find a piece of 3/4" angle iron and have it welded on, but I cannot seem to locate the angle iron.
I also considered bolting on a piece of 3/4" black gas pipe,,
Any other ideas, where can I find the angle iron? WHere could I find a welde

 

[yucholian]

http://www.discountramps.com/

 

[MikeGyver]

I use the same method as Zeke. Back up to my incline driveway. Makes it a straight shot into my Toyota pickup bed.

 

[oldcpecdr]

Hey all....Not quite a ramp reply...but I could never find the right set of ramps..

For 50 plus years I have been looking for the solution for hauling stuff too. Have tried pickups, box trucks with liftgates, car trailer, open trailer, regular van...and they all worked pretty well.... BUT...actually being older and weaker and not getting there but having arrived.... I find my 12 foot Enclosed Hauler just about pefect for loading.....ramp style door has loaded fairly large lawn tractor, snow blower, various car engines, moved daughters several times, even a two post lift disassembled and placed carefully. I bolted a HF winch up front and with a dolly or two can load and haul almost anything I can think of short of a car. Trailer bought "pre-owned " after several months looking for 1500... maybe the best 1500 I ever spent.. I thought I would miss the car trailer but can rent a U-Haul Car Trailer for about 50 a day and for occasional use that's a deal...thats my 2 cents..too bad the original poster Old Wizard has no room for a trailer.. maybe you could store some of that "stuff" inside one of these..... Mike B

 

[nzhotrod]

I recently bought these ramps from a local parts store so I could load this crate into the van....

In the crate is a Ford V8 60 horsepower flathead V8 engine ...total weight was 150 kg.....or 330lbs. They worked a treat....

 

[Lippyp]

I made a pair of ramps for my trailer to load a couple of lawn tractors up. They're made from some hefty aluminium angle I had lying around, they started off with a simple plank bolted between two bits of angle, I soon realised they were too narrow so now they have a wide bit of 3/4" ply, it was a bit I had lying around and as it happens I'd mixed mortar on it so its nice and grippy! I used a couple of thin slices of steel angle bolted on the ends as hooks. The pair now make a ramp almost as wide as my trailer.

 

[Andamo]

When I bought my quad I needed a way to load/unload it from my truck. I found a set of long hinged ramps on Craigslist for $60 and they work great. But they're flat ramps and when I tried to load the lawn tractor into the truck, the tractor deck started hanging up on the ramps. So now when I load the lawn tractor, I park the truck in the yard up a hillside to lessen the angle and the tractor goes in much better. Everything works ok, but I'm thinking of mounting a winch at the front of the bed and winching my equipment into the bed of the truck. I think I'd rather be standing off to the side watching the stuff being loaded than actually be sitting on them in case something should happen. Trailers with sides that have ramps are nice, but with licensing and storage they become a PITA.

 

[kbs2244]

When you buy your ramps put a winch in the budget.

You will be amazed at how much easier your life will be with a little 12 VDC winch mounted at the front of the truck bed.
In a van you can mount it to a cross beam placed right behind the seats if you don’t want to just bolt it to the floor.

Don’t be afraid to mount it off center if you feel you need the long center aisle.
Some pulleys with some chain to fasten them will let you rearrange the direction of pull.
I have seen a pulley mounted at the mid point of a van ceiling.
That gave an almost straight line pull for stuff coming up the ramps.

 

[KEH]

Re my post above regarding the garden tiller, I delivered the tiller today, no problems. Only issue is that reverse gear is rather fast to back down the ramps and I turned it around in the truck bed so I coud go down forward. Got off the truck and one hand steered it about half the way down. If I ever have to carry my ZTR on my trailer that has no ramps I'll have to rethink the boards and get some thicker ones or reinforce these.

Along that line, got HF sale flyer for October and it has the above mentioned steel $79.99 ramps on sale for 49.99. Lot no.44649.

Tool chest or on sale. the 56 inch roller cabinet, which is nice, is $749.99. Lot 67681. Other tool boxes on sale too.

50 feet 3/8 I.D. Goodyear black air hose $19.99. Lot 2167.

KEH