Landscaping Flip Up Ramp

[GaryBDavis]

I'm going to build a landscaping type flip up ramp on an old 5x10 open frame trailer I'm rebuilding. This was the first trailer I bought almost 20 years ago.

Anyway, I'm not sure what material to use on the frame. I'll probably use 3/4 #9 flat expanded metal for the covering, but can't decide on material selection for the gate frame. The gate will be a typical 4' long and as wide as the trailer bed (about 60"). I'm planning on using 5 verticals made from 2"x1/8" or maybe 14ga with 2 1/2x1/4 or 3x1/4 angle for the top and bottom. The lawn mower weighs around 500 lb with a 200lb rider.

I want to hit that sweet spot between being strong enough not to bend over time, but not be too heavy.

Feedback appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Are you sure you want to do this to a good trailer. It will cause tons of wind drag, more than you can ever imagine and you are out of luck if you want to haul something 1" longer than your trailer. If I were you I would get a good light weight set of aluminum ramps at Harbor Freight.


Just my 2 cents.
Chris

 

[JiminGa]

sounds like your going to build a better ramp than I have on mine, and I've put my JD 2305 on mine several times with no problems, even with a 400 lb tiller attached.

 

[radman1]

Are you sure you want to do this to a good trailer. It will cause tons of wind drag, more than you can ever imagine and you are out of luck if you want to haul something 1" longer than your trailer. If I were you I would get a good light weight set of aluminum ramps at Harbor Freight.


Just my 2 cents.
Chris

Wind drag is not an issue because he is using expanded mesh for the covering. He won't realize the gate is up.

I have a 6x12' trailer that uses a 2x2x1/4" angle iron frame and 2 vertical supports. This is a total of 4 verticals (each 4") and a top and bottom (each 6' long in my case). I wouldn't go any heavier or more iron due to the weight. The hinged part on the trailer 3/4" welded to the trailer and frame of the gate with a solid bar running the width of the trailer and pinned on each end.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Are you sure you want to do this to a good trailer. It will cause tons of wind drag, more than you can ever imagine and you are out of luck if you want to haul something 1" longer than your trailer. If I were you I would get a good light weight set of aluminum ramps at Harbor Freight.

Well Chris, I seem to collect trailers. I have a 29' GN flatdeck, 18' open frame, 5x10 enclosed, a 14k hydraulic dump gooseneck and a few others. So, this one will be a dedicated lawn mower trailer. You can never have enough trailers you know

 

[RancherSam]

Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know if you can buy the hinges that connect the ramp to the round bar on the trailer online? It would be a pain to fabricate them yourself if you don't have the right bender and dies.

 

[Rara Avis]

Trailer Parts Superstore - Doors / Door & Ramp Gate Hardware

 

[AlanB]

I will chime in a bit on this one.

I usually make mine with Square tubing. Weight vs strength works well for me. Normaly 1 1/4 but have done some bigger and some smaller.

I usually use 5 uprights as well, and try and space the middle two (the ones on each side of the center one) about the centered of the expected tire track.

For occasional use, the ramps have some advantages. For us, commercial lawn cutters, a ramp is incredibly safer and easier to use, all the safety rhetoric in the world about not working tired and when you only have about 6 months out of the year to make about 20K worth of equipment make money, there are going to be times when you are operating tired.

The expanded metal will put more drag on it then you would imagine.

For hinges, I usually use the 3/4" tubing and a solid piece of 3/4" stock. Two peices of tubing per hinge, one full length peice of round stock welded into one peice of tubing. Use a peice of 1/4" or so strapping to make a spacer to space the tubing off the trailer frame so you have clearance. Put them both on in the same orientation and it makes it easy to slide off when you don't want it there. (Diamonds too long example)

INSURE that you have a positive means of holding it in place. I built one for a customer with strap arms that he put up to hold it on, thinking they would hold it from side shifting. The tailgate shifted off the pins going down the road and dragged it with the strap arms. None of us were happy, but thankfully nobody was hurt. We went back in and put in a stop pin that you dropped in place to keep it from shifting sideways when you did not want it too.

I would also really suggest a tailgate lift of some type. I fabbed mine from garage door springs, and they work really well. I wanted to adress some of the problems I saw in some commercial ones. (I wanted sheaves to run my cables on) Look at something like gorrilla lifts, or back savers or there are several others out there. They really help your back.

Good luck, let me know if you want to see specific pictures of something.

 

[newt92]

Wind drag is not an issue because he is using expanded mesh for the covering. He won't realize the gate is up.

I have a 6x12' trailer that uses a 2x2x1/4" angle iron frame and 2 vertical supports. This is a total of 4 verticals (each 4") and a top and bottom (each 6' long in my case). I wouldn't go any heavier or more iron due to the weight. The hinged part on the trailer 3/4" welded to the trailer and frame of the gate with a solid bar running the width of the trailer and pinned on each end.

Mesh gates create more drag than you think!! Years ago I had a 1/2 ton Chevy w/small V8 and a 18' utility trailer (side rails) w/ 4' gate, I was going to a auction running on the interstate, I had to run it up to 70mph in 4th, then shift to 5th set cruise at 65mph and would only hold it until a slight uphill then would lose it. After the sale I had someone help me remove the gate, lay it on the trailer, tie it down and came home the same route at 65mph, the only way I could tell the trailer was there was seeing it and the rougher ride.

I have 3 trailers 2 with stand-up gates and one that I can lay down on the deck. Install the hinge pins up higher and the gate can flip past center.

Photo 1 shows this
Photo 2 shows 1/2 gate down and the other flipped over. I also have two 3' bars to allow me 4 stand up positions of the gate also.

 

[pennwalk]

I have a 7x10 aluminum Karavan trailer. Sometimes I wish the ramp stowed on channels under the trailer sort of like the ramps on U-haul trucks. Most of the time the fold up ramp works fine. Probably everyone wishes their trailer was 6 inched longer at one time or another.

Chris