New Ramps and Hitch.

nonstop · April 7, 2003

I made both, the ramps last weekend, and the Hitch B!tch this weekend.

I can now secularly get the bike on with my job box. :thumb:

HillHound · April 7, 2003

Nice looking jobs!

Did you use steel or aluminum for your ramps? I've seen those hitch brackets for sale somewhere. I think the name was Louisiana Gaurd Dog. The only difference was that it had a 2" hitch reciever welded to the bottom so you could still tow a trailer with it installed.

Ever think about mouting a cheap electric winch on or under your tool box so you could winch it up the ramps and not have to ride your quad up the ramps? Always thought about that because I've had so many close calls riding my ATVs into the back of pickups. My F250 is even worse since the back end rides up so high. Usually I use one of my trailers but every so often I still put it in there.

MountaineerTom · April 7, 2003

Looks good. Keep an eye on your tailgate cables, especially with the weight of the Vinson on there. They are notorius for breaking.

woyster_00z71 · April 7, 2003

MountaineerTom beat me to the punch about the tailgate cables. I wonder if anybody makes a Heavy Duty cable replacement? Might be something to look into.

Otherwise, it looks great. That hitch might need some paint though.

B.J.

HillHound · April 7, 2003

Looks good. Keep an eye on your tailgate cables, especially with the weight of the Vinson on there. They are notorius for breaking.

The hitch could carry the atv's weight off the tailgate if he could adjust the clamp at the bottom to put a little bit of upward lift on the ball. :thumb:

The way it is now, at least the atv won't go anywhere if the cables break.

MountaineerTom · April 7, 2003

That's true.

nonstop · April 7, 2003

Thanks for the tips, guys.

I was a little concerned about those cables too, but I'm pretty sure the ball and hitch will keep most of the weight off the tailgate, especially when hitting bumps.

I haven't decided what to do about paint yet. Black, Yellow?

What do you guys think, I'm thinking about putting the name Hitch B**ch on it. I can see the cops now. lol

I laugh every time I say that name.

Shaners · April 7, 2003

Pretty clever hitch set-up... I don't think I've ever seen one of those before!!! :thumb:

cowboy02 · April 7, 2003

My vote is for Yellow on the hitch....... Or paint it to match the color of the truck....

The SPEEDY · April 8, 2003

Ever think about mouting a cheap electric winch on or under your tool box so you could winch it up the ramps and not have to ride your quad up the ramps? Always thought about that because I've had so many close calls riding my ATVs into the back of pickups. My F250 is even worse since the back end rides up so high. Usually I use one of my trailers but every so often I still put it in there

For some reason loading the thing scares me more than getting it on two wheels around a turn. Theres just somthing about 600lbs on aluiminum that doesn't sit right with me.

General Lee 01 · April 8, 2003

Ever think about mouting a cheap electric winch on or under your tool box so you could winch it up the ramps and not have to ride your quad up the ramps? Always thought about that because I've had so many close calls riding my ATVs into the back of pickups. My F250 is even worse since the back end rides up so high. Usually I use one of my trailers but every so often I still put it in there.

What kind of close calls?

My Grandfather has a 16ft Beavertail trailer, and I was unloading his old Bolens yard tractor off of it (when we load vehicles on-offthe trailer, I'm the cone that gets to driver them on\off the trailer, seein as how he gets to drive the truck,it'sonly fair ). The way he parked the trailer, I had to either turn while on the ramps, or back into a tree. So I turn on the ramps. The front wheels slipped of the edges and the front end made a nice bang on one of the ramps, andthat got me some attention.

I've got atleast 3 or 4 good stories about me and my grandfather with machinery, wanna hear?

nonstop · April 8, 2003

Nice looking jobs!

Did you use steel or aluminum for your ramps? I've seen those hitch brackets for sale somewhere. I think the name was Louisiana Gaurd Dog. The only difference was that it had a 2" hitch reciever welded to the bottom so you could still tow a trailer with it installed.

Ever think about mouting a cheap electric winch on or under your tool box so you could winch it up the ramps and not have to ride your quad up the ramps? Always thought about that because I've had so many close calls riding my ATVs into the back of pickups. My F250 is even worse since the back end rides up so high. Usually I use one of my trailers but every so often I still put it in there.

Ramps are made of 6ft lengths of bed rails, the kind you sleep on. (steel), the rungs are made of 14" lengths of rebar, the stuff used in concret re-enforcement.

Notice in the pic that the full weight of the bike is on the ramps. This is kind of my own test to see if the ramps can hold the weight, which they do with out fail. even with my fat a$$ bounching on it. They also have an arch in the rails, probally due to the heat during welding. The arch goes the right way.

I also cut and welded a 2" peg at the buttom of each rail so the ramp can not kick out.

The hitch is just made of plain ole square tubing 2" and 1 1/2.