Trailer Ramps ............

[sparc]

Since this thread has been drug up I'd like to add I still have not purchased any ramps to load my tractor into my dump trailer. One of these days I will buy some though. I did end up making a pair of ramps out of some steel that I had hanging around. I used 2" square tubing with some small angle welded across 'ladder' style, every 6". Boy they are heavy though.

That sounds like the ramps that came with my Maxum low profile dump made by Cam. They are about 5 foot long and i wish they were 6 foot. Heavy yes but rated for 7500 for the pair. I emailed and asked them when i first bought the trailer last year. You can see the ramps stowed on the dump bed in the photos at the link above. They are a ladder style ramp made from 2x2x1/4 tube with 2x2x1/4 angle rungs spaced about 6 inches apart. They are heavy, I'd calculate about 82 pounds each.

This is the response I got last October when I asked about the rating for the D-rings and the ramps:

"11,781# breaking strength per d-ring
7500# rating on the ramps as a pair."

That's all I got out of them, those two lines were their entire response. No "thanks for buying our product", "have a good day", nothing else. It was almost like they didn't want to put it in writing but now that they had been asked they couldn't not answer.

 

[Barthbill]

Thanks for the good ideas here. I have an ornery back, so need to keep the ramps from being heavier than necessary. So any information on the cross-pieces would be very helpful. Does 6 inch cross-piece spacing work pretty well for cars and compact tractors?

 

[Soundguy]

i use pieces of 2: angle ( heavy ) cut and laid across 2 other angles to from my ramps. 6" spacing should work for everything but lawn carts and such with very, very small tires.

 

[dstig1]

Not sure if you saw my post on the aluminum ramps. Here is a direct link. If you want to save your back, this is the way. They are like 30-40 lbs each and plenty sturdy. I love mine. You can't get light and sturdy with steel, but you can with alum. If you need to get ramps made, by the time you are done you will have a couple hundred in steel already. These are a godsend as I have to lift enough heavy objects as it is.

5,000 lb Per Axle Truck Trailer Ramps

 

[Sparrky]

I am a welder and for a number of years I moved equipment for people I worked for. I used white oak planks 3 inches thick and 13 inches wide 7 feet long. I moved backhoes, buldozers TD8, listed weight was 16 thou, and 225 timberjack skidders. I moved a timberjack 230 skidder but found it was more weight than i wanted on the trailer behind the 1974 1 ton international that I had. Never had a ramp break. I could have welded up some steel ones but steel on a frosty morning is slippery.

 

[Kernopelli]

I made my folding ramps out of heavy galvanized grate, much like is commonly used for catwalks and drain systems in paved areas. Local scrap yard had quite a bit for $4 sq ft. I made "hinges" out of heavy angle and pieces of DOM with compatible O.D. and I.D.. Welded the grate side of the hinge and bolted the trailer side so it can easily be removed if needed.

 

[Soundguy]

I am a welder and for a number of years I moved equipment for people I worked for. I used white oak planks 3 inches thick and 13 inches wide 7 feet long. I moved backhoes, buldozers TD8, listed weight was 16 thou, and 225 timberjack skidders. I moved a timberjack 230 skidder but found it was more weight than i wanted on the trailer behind the 1974 1 ton international that I had. Never had a ramp break. I could have welded up some steel ones but steel on a frosty morning is slippery.

the trouble with wood is it can crack and go at any moment. metal (steel) usually gives and bends or gies you some warning. i'm not a fan of aluminum ramps either. seen them stress crack from work hardening from flexing due to being used undersized, and as with the wood.. give way completely with you half way in the air.
evey
I value my hide too much for that when steel is easy... everybody is free to do what they feel safe with...

 

[bcp]

I've always thought steel ramps could be about 2/3 or half the weight and the same strength if they were built as trusses instead of beams.

A simplified drawing:

View attachment 275188

 

[Barthbill]

I am a welder and for a number of years I moved equipment for people I worked for. I used white oak planks 3 inches thick and 13 inches wide 7 feet long. I moved backhoes, buldozers TD8, listed weight was 16 thou, and 225 timberjack skidders. I moved a timberjack 230 skidder but found it was more weight than i wanted on the trailer behind the 1974 1 ton international that I had. Never had a ramp break. I could have welded up some steel ones but steel on a frosty morning is slippery.

the trouble with wood is it can crack and go at any moment.

Yes. I wonder if gluing nailing nine 2 X 4s together, side by side, would make a ramp that would not be prone to splitting.

I value my hide too much for that when steel is easy...

I'm guessing I could make wood ramps pretty quickly, with a framing nailer. Quicker than I could cut and weld two ladder type ramps. Maybe cheaper, too. But, then, I'm better at nailing than welding.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Wood ramps make better movies:

As soon as I saw a video posted in this thread, I knew it was going to be good! :laughing:

 

[amelia12]

This ramp works great. It's lightweight and folds into a compact unit that fits nicely.Comes with safety straps so it doesn't kick off the tailgate. For the money this is a sweet deal!

Link removed

 

[Barthbill]

I clicked on the link and didn't see any ramp. Nor could clicking around the page show me one.

BTW, I see both you and the trailer company are in Savannah. Is there any connection?

 

[Soundguy]

my experience with wood ramps come from a few experiences actually using them to load a tractor onto a lowboy trailer a few times. 100% of the time the would split dumping the tractor and operator quickly to the side.. made for bad memories...

everyone is gree to choose their own destiny however.. mine just won't involve a wood ramp accident (again).

soundguy

 

[MESSMAKER]

my experience with wood ramps come from a few experiences actually using them to load a tractor onto a lowboy trailer a few times. 100% of the time the would split dumping the tractor and operator quickly to the side.. made for bad memories...

everyone is gree to choose their own destiny however.. mine just won't involve a wood ramp accident (again).

soundguy

I feel your pain, but there is a huge difference between nailed up 2x4s and a piece of white oak that is 3" thick. The only trouble is that a 3x13 seven feet long would weigh a BUNCH.

 

[Soundguy]

I feel your pain, but there is a huge difference between nailed up 2x4s and a piece of white oak that is 3" thick. The only trouble is that a 3x13 seven feet long would weigh a BUNCH.

i agree... and I wasn't using nailed up 2x4. ( i think that was someone else's post that mentioned that? ). I was using rough cut dimensional lumber at least one of the times, and 'regular' lumber the others. by the time you get a safe enough wood ramp .. at least one safe enough that I would use.. it would be cheaper, lighter, and smaller to have a steel one. ( for me anyway! )

 

[MESSMAKER]

i agree... and I wasn't using nailed up 2x4. ( i think that was someone else's post that mentioned that? ). I was using rough cut dimensional lumber at least one of the times, and 'regular' lumber the others. by the time you get a safe enough wood ramp .. at least one safe enough that I would use.. it would be cheaper, lighter, and smaller to have a steel one. ( for me anyway! )

I agree. You don't pick up a timber like that at Lowe's or The BORG.

 

[Barthbill]

As soon as I saw a video posted in this thread, I knew it was going to be good! :laughing:

All I get is a blank white space right underneath the "Wood ramps make better movies" if I use Firefox. OK in other browsers.

Any helpful hints?

 

[bcp]

Works in my Firefox.

Here is a URL link to the same movie, instead of the embedded link:

How to load a Kubota tractor on a trailer!!! Episode 2 - YouTube

Bruce

 

[Barthbill]

Thank you, Bruce

Your link gets me the Facebook page, with the same movie. However, when I click on the "Play" arrow in the center, it says "And Error Has Occurred".

Also, when I try to read the local newspaper page at The Daily Courier iMag - Developed by [url]www.3DIssue.com. ? Trinity Innovations LTD 2008. All rights reserved.[/url], the image does not appear at the right, as it does on other browsers (and used to on Firefox).

Perhaps, being a computer klutz (as well as a tractor newbie), I should be on a computer help forum rather than a tractor help forum.