what would you do?

[deepNdirt]

On this trailer I traded for last month it has no loading ramps, I've been getting by using LVL beams, yesterday while scavenging through the scrapyard looking for materials to build ramps I noticed someone had scraped a trailer with ramps, so for a little more than what the materials cost I wound up purchasing the ramps instead

I could have built the ramps to match the provision of my trailer, It already had the 2-1" steel bars on the rear to hing ramps from,
But now I'm thinking of doing something all together different to install these ramps,
As I stated the trailer has approx. 20" bars welded into place at the rear of there is 3' of space between the bars limiting me to not loading anything with a lesser wheel spacing such as handtrucks etc,etc,
The ramps are 19" wide, I'm thinking about simply cutting the bars completely off from the trailer and starting over by installing a new bar completely across the rear of the trailer and having the ability to slide the ramps together if ever need be....what would you do? Can anyone provide information and pictures of this type application? to give me some idea on how to attach the new bar, when I removed the ramps there was a 2" bar I could pull a pin from one side and the bar could be pulled through, although this would require having to cut larger than 2' holes in the brackets that held the bar, I don't see any reason for removing the ramps ever once installed, can someone perhaps explain why I might would need to do so?
Thanks!

 

[Diamondpilot]

One concern I would have is if you have such a long bar to slide the ramps on how will it hold up? I could see it bending very easily loading my tractor, trucks, or my friends BobCat.

This is why I love my slide in ramps so much. They are strong, easy to used, out of the way, and totally adjustable via the full length track for them on the rear of the trailer. Mine are the type that slide in from the rear, not the side. Simply pull the pin, slide them out, lift up the trailer end to the track and done. In place in 10 seconds each.

Chris

 

[jlsmith]

One concern I would have is if you have such a long bar to slide the ramps on how will it hold up? I could see it bending very easily loading my tractor, trucks, or my friends BobCat.

This is why I love my slide in ramps so much. They are strong, easy to used, out of the way, and totally adjustable via the full length track for them on the rear of the trailer. Mine are the type that slide in from the rear, not the side. Simply pull the pin, slide them out, lift up the trailer end to the track and done. In place in 10 seconds each.

Chris

Agree. Mine is the same way. Unless im loading something with out a FEL I dont even use my ramps tho.:thumbsup:

 

[deepNdirt]

One concern I would have is if you have such a long bar to slide the ramps on how will it hold up? I could see it bending very easily loading my tractor, trucks, or my friends BobCat.

This is why I love my slide in ramps so much. They are strong, easy to used, out of the way, and totally adjustable via the full length track for them on the rear of the trailer. Mine are the type that slide in from the rear, not the side. Simply pull the pin, slide them out, lift up the trailer end to the track and done. In place in 10 seconds each.

Chris

What you have sounds like a great idea if youthfull and strong back, However the older I get the worst my old back becomes and do not like having bend over and lifting heavy things,
These ramps are heavy constructed and not the typical 2x2 iron as others i have had, these ramps are of C-channel and have 2x wood bolted to them and i would estimate 75-80 lbs each, I have been thinking of a way once installed to do something, and I'm sure it has been done before, perhaps someone here might even have their trailer setup with one?................. what if the trailer had a 3/4 inch steel pipes running the length of the trailer welded to both sides at the top rail, this would be 16 ft. insert a steel cable into each pipe and attach them to the ramps,
On the front of the trailer fabracate a sort of wench, ( would be nothing more than a 2" pipe) that run the width of the trailer across the top rail install a crank handle on one side ( probably drivers side) and have the cables attached to this 2" pipe, I now would have a way to crank up and let down the ramps without having bend over:thumbsup:

 

[deepNdirt]

here is some pictures of what I am contemplating,
another thing that I thought about was how the pipe that attached to the crank and goes to the other side of the trailer can also double as something could roll a canvas or some material that could cover when transporting mulch, etc,etc, Just a thought

 

[TonyF]

One concern I would have is if you have such a long bar to slide the ramps on how will it hold up? I could see it bending very easily loading my tractor, trucks, or my friends BobCat.

This is why I love my slide in ramps so much. They are strong, easy to used, out of the way, and totally adjustable via the full length track for them on the rear of the trailer. Mine are the type that slide in from the rear, not the side. Simply pull the pin, slide them out, lift up the trailer end to the track and done. In place in 10 seconds each.

Chris

I would make the ramps with legs that support the weight, my current equipment trailer is done this way. It uses a 1.5" diameter bar so the ramps can slide to adjust the spacing. If you load something heavy, you'll most likely want to support the rear of the trailer anyway.

 

[TonyF]

..., I don't see any reason for removing the ramps ever once installed, can someone perhaps explain why I might would need to do so?
Thanks!

I've hauled logs and other long bulky stuff where I've needed to remove the ramps. I'll try to post some pictures tonight of my setup. Its exactly like you describe.

 

[tractorboy5500]

here is some pictures of what I am contemplating,
another thing that I thought about was how the pipe that attached to the crank and goes to the other side of the trailer can also double as something could roll a canvas or some material that could cover when transporting mulch, etc,etc, Just a thought

If you do it this way, you can either put a pad eye or a saddle in the middle to help support the bar, this will keep it from bending.:thumbsup:

 

[flusher]

Or use 5-ft long aluminum ramps like these

5,000 lb Per Axle Truck Trailer Ramps

I use the 10-ft long x 16" wide aluminum ramps for my 2004 Isuzu NPR stakebed.

 

[TonyF]

Pictures....

 

[deepNdirt]

Or use 5-ft long aluminum ramps like these

5,000 lb Per Axle Truck Trailer Ramps

I use the 10-ft long x 16" wide aluminum ramps for my 2004 Isuzu NPR stakebed.

View attachment 213030

Interesting how aluminum can be strong enough to hold this amount of weight, although is it 5000 lbs per Ramp what it means? Not sure I quite understand the suggestion of axle weight has to do with the ramps

 

[deepNdirt]

Pictures....

Yes this is how the ramps were connected to the trailer i got them off from,
I've been working on installing them today I have the old bars removed and the new bar installed all the way across with the ramps on the bar and supported in the middle, although is Tack welded on for now so that I might see how they lift and slide from side to side, so far so good and they can slide within 6" of each other giving close enough if ever need to roll hand trucks up them:thumbsup:
I'll more than likely weld them up so they cannot be removed, I'm sure I will regret it later when need to haul something longer and needing to remove the ramps maybe if ever need be I could simply let it stick out between the 2 ramps

 

[flusher]

Interesting how aluminum can be strong enough to hold this amount of weight, although is it 5000 lbs per Ramp what it means? Not sure I quite understand the suggestion of axle weight has to do with the ramps

It's 5000 lb per axle, not per ramp, and 8500 lb max with the vehicle completely on the ramps. Most two-axle vehicles have more weight on one axle than on the other.

Here's how these ramps are rated

"Rated at 5,000 lbs per axle. How Do I Determine Axle Capacity?
The best way to determine your vehicles axle weight is to drive the heaviest axle on a scale. Normally the front of your car, SUV, or pick-up truck is the heaviest axle weight because of the engine. Not recommended for forklifts, steel track vehicles or skid loaders weighing more than 5,000 lbs."

 

[moored4]

Could you make a cat eye bracket to hold the bar and put cotter keys in both end of the bar so you could slide the bar out if you ever wanted/needed to!

PS Sorry! I didn't read all the post!

 

[deepNdirt]

It's 5000 lb per axle, not per ramp, and 8500 lb max with the vehicle completely on the ramps. Most two-axle vehicles have more weight on one axle than on the other.

Here's how these ramps are rated

"Rated at 5,000 lbs per axle. How Do I Determine Axle Capacity?
The best way to determine your vehicles axle weight is to drive the heaviest axle on a scale. Normally the front of your car, SUV, or pick-up truck is the heaviest axle weight because of the engine. Not recommended for forklifts, steel track vehicles or skid loaders weighing more than 5,000 lbs."

So basically the weight capacity for these ramps would be 4250 lbs. each max.... this is still quite impressive for aluminum,

 

[deepNdirt]

Does anyone know how to go about bracing up a trailer? here's what I have and not that i think there is a real problem.... but I just don't like the fact that I can shake the trailer by putting some weight on one corner,
me standing on it and slightly bouncing I can shake the complete trailer, kinda like you would see in a movie with a overpass bridge in an earthquake,
I've been looking around underneath for any problems or broken weld and cannot see anything out of the norm, No trailer I've ever had in the past had this much movement from corner to corner, I'm just looking for some way to rigid it up a bit more

I know this isn't the heaviest of duty built trailers but I wouldn't think it should give at the corners this much,
it seems like now that I have these heavy ramps on the rear corners makes it even more noticeable,

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Does anyone know how to go about bracing up a trailer? here's what I have and not that i think there is a real problem.... but I just don't like the fact that I can shake the trailer by putting some weight on one corner,
me standing on it and slightly bouncing I can shake the complete trailer, kinda like you would see in a movie with a overpass bridge in an earthquake,
I've been looking around underneath for any problems or broken weld and cannot see anything out of the norm, No trailer I've ever had in the past had this much movement from corner to corner, I'm just looking for some way to rigid it up a bit more

I know this isn't the heaviest of duty built trailers but I wouldn't think it should give at the corners this much,
it seems like now that I have these heavy ramps on the rear corners makes it even more noticeable,

Triangles.

Add some bracing at an angle to what is already there.

 

[Soundguy]

could use 2" pipe or similar, and attach the ramps also using pipe as slidedable.. and then make then flip up or flip over.

could also simply make them with angle iron tabs to fit over a square box channel, and then put under traier storage boxes too.. perhaps end slide outs.. or side slide outs.

soundguy

 

[RoMad]

Back to the ramp question; I recently bought an old car hauler and put a set of ramps on the back that fold up. Because some of the cars my sons have and work on have ground effects I did not want to put braces under the ramps. I can back into a ditch and the ramps are nealy level when down. I also wanted to be able to slide them close enough to load my lawn tractor if I wanted.
My trailer is not here so I can't take any pictures, but here is what I did.
I used a piece of 1" round rod for the rod on the trailer and welded pipe with slightly over 1" ID on the ends of my ramps.
I attached the round rod on top of the steel on the back of the trailer with a 2" long weld on each end and about 4" in the center. I left about 1/4" clearance between the rod and the top of the steel. The pipe on the end of the ramps is about 1/8" wall thickness so when nothing is on it the pipe barely clears the top of the trailer steel. I can slide the ramps easily from all the way out to just a few inched apart.
When I drive up on the ramps with a heavy load the 1" round stock flexes enough that the pipes on the ramps are resting on the steel of the trailer.
So far I have loaded my ck 20 a few times, my lawn tractor and a 1/2 ton Dodge quad cab truck. They are still working great. If anyone is interested I can take pics tomorrow.