CRXSiR

im building a ramp for the bike to put up in the truck..its a lifted f250..6" lift..i measured it all out..the ramp is going to be a folding 12' ramp so it has a steady incline instead of being too steep..the only thing i cant seem to figure out is how to attach the ramp to the tailgate..went to home depot and they didnt have anything there to accomidate..anyone have any ideas on how to do so? thanks
Mike

kawie636

the make a ramp building kit. they should have it at home depot though its made for lawnmowers

CRXSiR

ya those ramps are pretty decent price..but only 8' long..which is a little too short..makes it too steep..

wolfey971

after you build a ramp, attach a pull tight strap to the ramp about 1 foot off the tailgate, attach the other end to the hitch thats stock on the truck, and pull tight, the ramp wont go anywhere, take 2 minutes to install/remove and it wont cost you that much.

if you are looking for a way to have the ramp rest on teh tailgate, I guess it all depends on the material you are using.


what are you building out of ? to cut the over all length during storage, I would build a folding alum. if you need 12', cut it in 1/2 and now its 6' and easier to stow away. (food for thought)

CRXSiR

i was gonna go with a 2" thick X 12" wide X 12' long board..cut in half..then it will be 6' when folded..use 2 heavy duty hinges..2 locking pins for 1 on each side to take the stress off the hinges..thats it..cost me about $50 to make..i dont have access to tools to making my own aluminum ramp..but i guess i could do the strap thing..makes sense..just figured there was something i could buy to put on the end of the wood to make it just sit flush on the tailgate so it will be an ease to roll on and off..like a metal plate with some kind of teeth/grooves underneath to grip..or even a hook system..just not sure where to buy the hook type stuff..

wolfey971

seriously, have you ever walked on a trailer with a wood deck right after it rained, or after walking in some wet grass..... wood is the worst idea because its so slipperyand it flexes too much. if you do build one out of wood and you brace it, the thing is going to be so heavy it will take 2 guys to move it.

also would bows too much for a 400lb bike. adn teh heavy duty hindges wont hold up over time.

with your truck having a 6" lift,, you are going to like a 2 ramp setup, 1 to roll the bike up, the other for you to walk up while holding the bike, plus more than likely, you are going have to use bike power to get teh bike up the incline, you wont be able to push it up by man power alone or it will kill ya.

I feel your need for longer ramps, the 6'ers just dont get it. what you really need to do, is think about buying a trailer with a fold down tailgate, and pull it behind the truck, it may cost a lil more money now, but you will be way better off.
I have some ideas if you insist on building some, but think about the options.... you might need to build 2 ramps, doubling your costs, by the time you get done, you will have enough in it to possibly buy a lil trailer.
like I said earlier, wood isnt your best option.

dkutin

I use a folding aluminum ATV ramp. It sits flush on the tailgate and has straps that attach about 2/3 of the way up the ramp that I can hook to the underside of the back bumper to secure it. Without those straps pulled tight, the ramp tends to slide up the back of the tailgate creating a severe angle and big lip when you get to the top. The great thing about the ATV ramp is that it is wide enough to allow me to put my feet down if needed when riding the bike up the ramp. I normally load up and unload by myself, and I found this to be the best solution to date.

Now you may need something custom to lengthen the ramp with how high your tailgate is on your truck, but if you are going to build something I would take some time to look at the existing ramp options so you can steal the best of their designs. A single 12'' wide board is going to be a bitch if you are loading and unloading alone. You are going to have to ride the bike up the board, which will be slick as hell if it is wet, with no room to put your feet down or correct if you go off center.

There are a bunch of design examples here: http://www.discountramps.com/?gclid=...FRJ4xgodvz40FA

stealth gti04

my dad just bought a little 7ft trailer down at lowes and it only cost him $650, we have already loaded my bike (cbr600) and his (harley) in it no problem. it has a little pull down ramp on it u can easily walk it up or ride it up no problem. this weekend im going to attempt on putting 3 bikes on it. it has a loading capicity of 2000pounds so it will carry a lot of things lol

CRXSiR

i planned to build 2 ramps total..just was throwing up what i had in mind as an example..the 2"thick board is pretty thick/heavy duty! the ramp will be about 50lbs..just was praying for no rain so it wont be wet..this was all suppose to be for my trip coming up to NC..(june 19th)i cant not take my bike this time..lol..last time being up on those roads was killing me to not have the bike..so it HAS to come this time..plus the fiancee said it had to as well..lol..dont have $600 to spare on a trailer, since im saving for wedding/honeymoon stuff as of now..i guess i can just take my chances..i found a loading dock near the house, can load it that way without a ramp..and can find a ditch/hill to unload up there..soo that will be the free route..thanks very much for ALL the info/help guys! i appreciate it!

SayWhaa?

just get 5 friends and lift it.

otherwise like wolfey said a wooded ramp is a horrible idea. if you're a good welder or know of one build your own metal ramp