CHEAPEST WAY TO BUILD LOADING RAMPS

[Aussiebushman]

The price of second hand roller conveyor is prohibitive and anything nearly right in size is interstate adding a couple of hundred for freight to the cost, adding up to over $1k - just for one-time use. I need 2 ramps each around 8' long and 8-12" wide and with strong side frames to roll close to a ton off the ground onto a trailer.

Obviously the sides can be steel channel or maybe even 1" thick X 10" deep plywood. The rollers might be 1" water pipe but each will need some kind of bearing plus an "axle" This all gets costly and a lot of work. I guess I might get by with a solid plate heavily greased or coated with sump oil instead of rollers. I can't think of any better solutions

Has anyone built or adapted anything similar for loading onto a trailer please?

 

[texasranger556]

What are you loading? On to what?

Have you considered a hoist, forklift, winch, tilting trailer, etc?

 

[Sysop]

For a one time use, and for only a ton, it seems to me you are overthinking things and seeking complicated solutions to a simple project.
Jack whatever it is up, put some moving dollies under it, strap it to them, then use a come-along to drag it up some basic ramps onto the trailer. Jack it up, remove the dollies, tie it down, off you go...

 

[pmsmechanic]

Or even simpler just hire a cherry picker. (small folding crane) By the time you have something built to just use once and all your time you'll be money ahead to just hire the job out. Find a private guy who want to make a bit extra on an evening or a weekend and your done!

 

[Renze]

We moved my fathers garden shed a few weeks ago, the Egyptian way, by pushing it off the floor with a crowbar and putting six 1 1/2" pieces of pipe under it. Then we pushed it a yard aside and repeated in reversed order.

 

[M5farms]

a strong tree limb or tripod and a heavy duty come a long or chain hoist get it in the air and back the trailer under it

 

[M5farms]

Ive also lifted heavy tanks over 2000lbs with my backhoe . lift to clear and drive out from under it set it straight on the ground

 

[flyerdan]

Depending on the size / bulk of the item you need to get on the trailer, I'd second the shop crane idea, they can lift up to 2 ton and can be had for cheap on craigslist often. Or you might find someone with one sitting idle in the shop that would help out for a couple bucks. Once one end is up on the trailer it can be rolled on pipes or peeler cores into position while picking the back end up.

 

[JerryK]

Get a big enough tractor and lift it up with the FEL.... A ton is not a lot of weight, but you have not stated how big or awkward the thing you want to roll onto the trailer is... Unless those down-under tons are supper heavy... and we are talking apples and oranges

 

[Aussiebushman]

I was too embarrassed to admit earlier that this has been caused by a major F#%kup on my part. The "object" to be recovered is a 20' catamaran that was being put into the farm dam so I could complete some work on the trailer and get it inspected for registration.

This operation has been done before but this time, there was obviously prior damage causing a hole in the underside of one or both hulls, so when it came off the trailer, the stern sank leaving just the bows on the bank. With the hull(s) now half full of water, there is no way to get it out and back onto the trailer without winching it up a ramp.

This place is very far from town so hiring a crane would cost a fortune and it would never get in via the farm tracks
Yes I can drag it out with the tractor but that will not get it onto the trailer without ramps

With ramps, it can be winched up the incline until the water drains from the hulls. Then the holes will be visible and can be repaired before the boat is winched the rest of the way onto the trailer.

Back to the original question - maybe greased 10 X 2 planks plus sides to prevent the hulls slipping off might be the cheapest and most practical solution?