Bed Tie Downs and An Idea I have....

[betterthanstock]

Leave the bed alone.



Use a pair of steel car ramps, adapted to go under the bottom of your ramps. (weld some support studs or whatever)



Or plastic ramps, attached with some bolts/studs/wingnuts etc.

 

[steved]

Leave the bed alone.



Use a pair of steel car ramps, adapted to go under the bottom of your ramps. (weld some support studs or whatever)



Or plastic ramps, attached with some bolts/studs/wingnuts etc.

Or you could get some ramparts and make your own ramps out of 8 foot 2x12s... add a piece of 1x1/4 strap as a "bridge" to stiffen the ramp and it would be strong enough for any 4-wheeler.



My 8-foot ramps are 2x8 outdoor wood, and they hold a 600 pound two-wheeled tractor with minimal flexing. My dad's ramps are 2x12 pine, with a bridge, and they won't even flex with the same weight.



But you are probably trying to avoid hauling larger ramps around...



steved

 

[steved]

I'm still concerned you're going to be "pulling" the weight down on the ramps (and the tailgate) if you hook low... as I already noted, I bent my tailgate doing what you propose...

steved

 

[BigPapa]

Time for a trailer if you ask me.



Scott

 

[BHenn]

A trailer is in the future for sure.



I like the test idea of running a rope between the hooks. I will run a ratchet strap between and hook to it with the ATV at the bottom of the ramps and see what my contact point on the tailgate is.

 

[cojhl2]

A trailer is in the future for sure.



I like the test idea of running a rope between the hooks. I will run a ratchet strap between and hook to it with the ATV at the bottom of the ramps and see what my contact point on the tailgate is.

Yer gonna pull that bed together!!!!!!!

 

[4 wheelssmoking]

I would not suggest this if I had not tried this my self. It will work and should not damage any thing. I would keep the load below 500# per cleat just to be safe. I use a trailer now, and would highly recommend this as the best long term option

 

[JGoss]

I bought my 8' aluminum ramps at the local dealer. They are very well built. I think I paid around $140. 00 for it. My Polaris 700 is pretty heavy, and they do just fine. I can't close the tailgate with the 4 wheeler in the bed, so the 8' works well.

 

[bighammer]

Why not back the truck up to a hill, or down into a ditch to load and unload? If you look for the right spot, you can make life a lot easier and SAFER. Winching or driving up a steep ramp is just asking for trouble and so un-necessary.

When I bought my motorcycle, I had no ramp. I backed up to a small hill at the edge of the road, (retaining wall end became a slope down to the curb) and the tailgate was about the same height as the turf about a foot away. (he seller and I were able to lift the front wheel and then the rear up and in)

For the unloading at home, I backed into a shallow ditch between the edge of the road and our neighbor's cherry orchard. There was hardly any step at all and I was able to roll the bike out myself with only a small scrap of 1/2" plywood.

As far as tying it down, put a log or timber down in the front to block the front tires. Something high will bow the front of your box pretty easily. Your fron ties don't need to be that tight. You just don't want it rolling back wards when you take off.

The rear ties are more important, but with the front blocked, are really only to keep it from flipping over (or out) in an accident.

 

[FHerman]

Everyone here is talking bed strength and beefing the tiedowns. Maybe I'm jus an old country boy, but we always used leverage to our advantage versus fighting mean old mister gravity. How about a cheap fix? take a couple 6-8 foot 2 by 8's laying one on each of your ramps, with the upper ends about two thirds up from ground level, thereby reducing the angle of attack, which also reduces the stress on all the other hardware. The longer the boards, the more the angle is reduced. Carry them with you, cut to fit your bed length if you want I suppose, we jus let em stick out. Having a board handy also helps getting unstuck from all kinds of goo.

 

[betterthanstock]

Some more do's and don't's.



YouTube - Unloading ATV from Truck



YouTube - Loading the Vinson on the truck Take Two

 

[BHenn]

Ok, did a little mock run with the winch rope attached to a ratchet strap strung between the tie down cleats at the front of the bed. This simulated the pull-point I would like to install. I will say that while pulling slightly on the point the bedsides at the cleats would bow considerably. I am thinking this is a bit exagerated due the strap and think with a bar holding the bedsides out the bow would be reduced. I did pull enough with the winch to slightly move the ATV up, and the bedsides really puckered. However, at this point I do not feel the bedsides are strong enough unless plating were used, as mentioned in a previous post. Thank you for that advice. Now I am thinking that I may place a piece of plate steel under my toolbox in the middle of the width of the bed. Perhaps a piece measuring about 8"x8", bolted to the bed at 6 points. Then fab a pull-point to this plate, and get the pull-point up to the bottom of the toolbox. I would mount a clevis to this point.



In the attached pictures (pics coming, I am getting an error trying to post pics, !@#%$&*) notice the winch rope in relation to the tailgate. I would drive the ATV maybe halfway up the ramp, and THEN attached the winch. This is a very comfortable distance up the ramp. This way the winch rope is several inches above the tailgate. With the winch now attached I SAFELY finish loading under winch power and some ATV drive, slow and steady.



So now the questions is would the plate anchored to just the bed be strong enough? Or shall I make two identical plates with matching mounting holes and attach top and bottom, capturing the bed between? Or my third option: drill thru the bed and thru a crossmember under the bed and bolting thru bed and crossmember? Capturing the crossmember and getting all lined up with bolts sounds and looks tricky to me.



Keep your thoughts coming please... . Now I have read several posts elsewhere of people getting killed loading/unloading ATV's.



Brent

 

[BHenn]

Pictures

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This is the point on the ramp that I hook up the winch rope.



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Same point on the ramp showing rope not contacting truck



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Further up ramp, this would be assisted by winch power.



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More of the same, just close up of rope.

 

[MAleshire]

The system you originally have suggested will put the primary load on the anchor points on each side of the bed. This will be the focus no matter how beefy the stock you use. I wouldn't trust them to hold in the long run, particularly if you are pulling dead weight up that ramp. If you rip the anchors out you'll have a real mess. I'd suggest using a removable setup using the stake pockets as the anchor points, but the tool box is in the way. I think you're quick fix is to modify the ramp.



Skip

 

[steved]

See how your pulling into the ramps??

You will probably buckle those ramps with only a few pulls... been there, done that... got a bent tailgate to show for it.

You need that anchor point up at the top of the rails, so you're pulling UP on the front of the ATV, and not pulling it into the ramp.

IMO, I'd build a anchor that mounted to the top of the bed rails...

steved

 

[BHenn]

Steve,



I am all ears. How would you build an anchor on top of the rails? The method I am thinking is a bar running in front of the toolbox with angle iron on the ends, bolted to the bed rails. I don't know if that would be strong enough.

 

[steved]

I was thinking about building something like a flattend "U"...



Probably similar to what you're thinking. Place a piece of angle on the rail under the toolbox (the "L" following the inner lip of the bed) that extends to the back (on the rails) just past the toolbox. I'd weld the cross bar to the pieces of angle.



This way, you have 24"s of bed (in my case, the tool box is 24inches wide) to get hold of on each side that is hidden by the toolbox. You can drill through the toolbox and angle to serve both as a anchor brace and tiedown for the toolbox.



The only real exposed piece is the crossbar.



Don't laugh to hard at my drawing, it was the quickest way I could think of getting my point across!!



steved

 

[BHenn]

Okay, I am liking this idea. I never thought to go under the toolbox sides. holes are then hidden under box. Maybe 3 bolts per side thru the box, angle, and rail? Thinking 3/16ths for all steel hardware. Weld on a clevis point similar to what folks use on bumpers. Attach clevis, maybe shoot the whole assembly with a bedliner-in-a-can and done. It could even look nice. Also would protect from the ATV plowing into the toolbox. I am loving this idea. No worry about this being a strong enough point to pull from? That is my only real concern. Heck, I plan on keeping this truck for quite some time, might as well make it my own and drill some holes. Thanks for the drawing also, as now I can see the idea.



Thanks,

Brent

 

[steved]

I'd probably opt for all 1/4" steel material. Probably four bolts through the box/angle/bed... probably 3/8-inch grade-5 hardware with fender washers. The stiffer the crossbar, the less flex it will have (the tendency to pull the bedsides inward), the better.

For the attachment point, I was simply going to use a piece of bent 1/2 inch rod, with an opening large enough for the cable's hook. Something that can be bent in a press, or in a vise with some heat. You could also use an HD muffler clamp "U"-bolt for the "ring"... not as "custom", but functional.

You could also add some additional tie points to the crossbar, because if your truck is like mine, you can't easily access the cleats under the box.

steved

 

[cojhl2]

Frankly I think you guys are making a big issue out of nothing.



As was suggested earlier, load at a ditch or depression or use longer ramps or both longer ramps and a depression. Then with a little run drive it up.



To unload push it off down the ramps making sure it will not hit anything and not get away.



To pull this up those ramps you should have the pull cable at least parallel with the ramps. That means a high hookup, then when the ATV breaks over the tailgate the hookup will be too high.



My 02 for free