Adding length to loading ramps

[boggen]

trailer i have came with i want to say 10 foot ramps. they guy that built the trailer used it to pull his stock cars. and with low clearance on them. i am assuming it was needed.

it was made out of say 3/4" maybe 1? square stock metal. and then welded each ram up. to basically look like an extension ladder. then welded a light grating over that.

i do know they weight a good amount would say, 80lbs each. maybe 100lbs each.

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you could prolly contact any local trailer dealer. or contact trailer company, and possibly switch out/trade in or buy a longer set of ramps.

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at your place of business / home. i would make a loading ramp. pour a concrete footer for some concrete blocks to set on. with some rebar in them. then fill up behind the short wall with some dirt. so you can back trailer up. and if need be put the ramps down (if ya backed up trailer off angle a little bit.

you might get away with just some dirt and ramps.

granted above only solves business / home. but hopefully were ever you going, has a hill side you can back up into, to unload.

 

[Chain Bender]

I use aluminum ramps and had the same problem, so I welded a piece of 3" diameter pipe to the bottom end to raise it just a little. Really worked well, and along the same principal as using a block, except I don't have to mess with anything except the ramp. If you decide to add to your existing ramps, consider putting the extension at an angle instead of straight, and it will allow for a shorter extension.
David from jax

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That makes sense and would use a lot less materials.

meanwhile. I nailed three 28" pieces of pressure treated 2X12 together and cut them in the middle at a pretty sharp angle. Provides a 4.5+" lift to the end of the ramp. Each weighs about 15-20# and were made from scrap laying in the wood pile. Will try these for awhile or until I forget and drive off and leave them somewhere or they bounce off the trailer on the road.

Thanks for all the input.

Chain Bender

 

[chucko]

adding length is easy. Just put some kind of support legs at the end of the old ramp let's say about a foot tall and then add the new rampss to the end of the old one. You can even make the new one fold up and over the old one

 

[Jay4200]

I needed to get a solid 6" of lift so that my backhoe would clear the ground. The required ramp extensions would've been too long to make flip-up storage practical - I would've had to double the length of the ramps.

I ended up making some sub-ramps out of 2x12s that lifted the base of the trailer ramp and extended the effective ramp length. I put handles on them so they are easy to lift and carry.

This way, the front of the tractor doesn't start to climb the trailer ramp until the rear wheels are up on the wood, eliminating the 'hoe bucket grounding problem.

JayC

 

[Chain Bender]

I needed to get a solid 6" of lift so that my backhoe would clear the ground. The required ramp extensions would've been too long to make flip-up storage practical - I would've had to double the length of the ramps.

I ended up making some sub-ramps out of 2x12s that lifted the base of the trailer ramp and extended the effective ramp length. I put handles on them so they are easy to lift and carry.

This way, the front of the tractor doesn't start to climb the trailer ramp until the rear wheels are up on the wood, eliminating the 'hoe bucket grounding problem.

JayC

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How far off the ground are your ramp supports directly under the end of the trailer? Looks like your rear springs are going to take a heck of a load before the weight starts to shift forward onto the front axle and bumper. Looks to me like about 8-9 inches before the supports hit the ground and start carrying any weight. How many boards did you nail/screw/glue together? I count at least 4.

CB

 

[sandman2234]

XXXXXXXXXX

That makes sense and would use a lot less materials.

meanwhile. I nailed three 28" pieces of pressure treated 2X12 together and cut them in the middle at a pretty sharp angle. Provides a 4.5+" lift to the end of the ramp. Each weighs about 15-20# and were made from scrap laying in the wood pile. Will try these for awhile or until I forget and drive off and leave them somewhere or they bounce off the trailer on the road.

Thanks for all the input.

Chain Bender

Thanks for the vote of confidence.... a piece of 3" aluminum pipe weighs very little and can be bolted to the end of the ramp so you don't forget it. My donor MIGHT have been an old street sign pole somebody crashed into. Don't remember for sure!!
If you decide to do the
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to the end of the ramp, be sure to throw a reinforcement down the side to keep it from bending, or just make it a box affair. If the pipe will work, it weighs less.
David from jax

 

[Djames55]

I would just dove tail about 2 ft of that trailer and problem solved. Just cut that angle iron on the side only not all the way through bottom . Then cut the decking boards. Weld a 1/4or 3/8" diamond shape flat bar piece to the side you cut. make it about 6" long and the same size as the side of the angle iron. Then add a flat piece of 1/8 x 6" across the decking boards to keep them in place. Use carriage bolts to hold decking boards to flat piece of metal. weld it only at the angle iron at the side of the trailer. If you need to ever replace the decking boards you just grind the welds off. Replace the boards and re-weld. If you need pictures of my trailer I dove tailed I will try and post some. Just let me know.

 

[Skyco]

A simple solution I've used a few times- take a set of car ramps, the ones used for pulling a car on for, say, an oil change. Everyone has those probably...the plastic ones are really light.
Pull the back of the tow vehicle up on them, voila, much lower rear of trailer for loading.