Hauling a Polaris Ranger in a dump trailer...

[jcmseven]

Steve,

Davis Trailer on 209 has some single axle trailers that would work great for your Ranger. I found a 6x12 single axle trailer that worked great for my Gator, and I am now letting my dad use it at his place. It was nice because there was plenty of room for the Gator, but the trailer was not too large. It also pulled well behind even my dad's 1/2 ton truck and only weighed about 600# empty, making it a great double as a lawn trailer to pull behind the UTV. Last time I was there, Tommy did not have as much inventory as he usually does, but he did have a high number of those smaller, simple trailers and very good prices. You might be able to pick up one of those at a reasonable cost. Hauling your new machine "right" is important and I share your concern about trying to use a trailer that does not really fit the application to attempt getting the job done.

John M

 

[westbrooklawn]

Just a point about securing the front of your trailer so it does't raise as you drive on... whatever you do to tie down the front, make sure you have some way of reminding you to "unlatch" it before you go to use the dump function... don't ask me how I know!

 

[forester2]

Just curious; what size axle is on your 5x8? Mine is 3500# and I'm planning on modifying it to carry a RTV

 

[Diamondback]

John,

I know Tommy well. Bought 2 equipment trailers and dump from him. I'll call him to see the price range. Since I already ordered the ramps (link below)we'll give em a try and see how it goes. Already looks like I'm in the trailer business at my place now.

UTV Ramp


westbrooklawn,

Promise I won't ask how you know. I'll put a tie down strap up front which is right beside the hydraulic control for the dump. Surely I won't miss that. On this same subject...with the pivot point so far back on the dump trailer, do you really think it necessary to secure the front of the bed to the frame? Could the weight of operator and the UTV cause the bed to raise...hmm...nah...we won't have a "hey ya'll watch this" moment. I just secure it.


forester2,

Pretty sure it's at least a 3,500 lb axle. My grandfather had it made years ago by a fella who built huge heavy equipment hauling trailers for a living. Can't imagine him using anything less. Is there a way for me to tell for sure that you know of ?

Thanks all, Diamondback

 

[desertmike345]

I put my Mule into 4wd low, lock the differential, put the ebrake on and put a 2 inch rachet tie down at each corner of the trailer and tie to the center side supports of the Mule. My trailer has stake pockets along the top so I use those as tie down points. You may need a flat bottom trailer at some point so I don't know about welding D rings on the bottom. Don't forget to secure your ramps to the trailer somehow. Drill a hole and use a pin or use a strap to keep the ramp from sliding off when loading.

Mike

 

[rdbrumfield]

I did a trailer that is kind of an all around unit. It tilts, has sides that fold down or can come off easily. You can put the campgear in, fold the sides down to make a flatbed and put a couple of quads on top.

I built a cradle for the pickup to haul my rincon. it just slips in and locks behind the bumper, no bolts or straps. I have hauled it on 1300 mi trips no straps or chains. You would have to roll the truck to get it to come out. Here are a couple of picks. I did post this sometime back, but though you might be interested.

 

[forester2]

DB: Look on the hub for a # or on the axles themselves. If its a Dexter its easy to cross ref. on their web site. Also, if you've ever replaced bearings and races these should be an indication of axle model and capacity.

 

[Diamondback]

Well today was the day...time to lock and load! Got her all lined up

She went up and in without a hitch. Here's how it looks

Even the ramps stored nicely between the tires

And here she is all ready to tie down.

The ride up and in really wasn't all that eventfull. Not nearly as bad as I led myself to believe. Once I got it loaded and hoped off to get a pic or two, I noticed that I had totally forgotten to secure the bed to the frame! I suppose, in theory, it makes sense that enough weight on the back could cause the front of the bed to tip up causing a problem. It appears in this case the weight was fine (or maybe I just got lucky). Still, I plan to secure the bed from now on to be on the safe side. That is, if I can remember.

One more side note...dismounting (I call it that for a reason) and getting in the unit after it is loaded in the dump trailer may not be for the faint of heart. There is a bit of wall walking involved and I would recomend caution when the side rails a wet.

Well, let's go install those d-rings. After seeing it in the bed I'll be using 4 d-rings, two in the front and two in the back, mounted on the side walls about 7 inches up from the bottom (no scientific reason, just sounded lucky). Thanks to all that followed this thread and added to it. Lot's of great folks here.

Diamondback

 

[Skyco]

You might even consider these-
Fastrap Tie Down System WC001
I have some I used to secure my Rhino on a flat trailer. The really nice part is with the wheels secured the suspension on the unit can still work and absorb some of the jolts. You really only need them on the back and that sure eases the tie down process.
I've carried a Rhino I used to have as well as my BX24 in my dump trailer. I usually tilt the trailer up some to load, takes some of the pucker factor out by decreasing the ramp angle.
BTW that looks like a Southern Sales trailer...I have a 6x12 14k lb one.

 

[2fast2]

Regarding your trailer "dumping" if you load your Ranger as you did, weight biased toward the back, I think if you look at your dump hydraulics you'll find they are two way, meaning you actually use hydraulic pressure to bring the piston down and lower the box. It won't open on it's own if you have a little weight toward the back, plus, your hinge point for your box is probably the extreme back of the box which means the entire weight of the box and the cargo are in front of the pivot point. It won't tip up on you.
If it mattered, you could back the Ranger into the trailer and that would put the weight more forward in your trailer.
Regarding the tie down anchor points, my trailer came with the d-rings welded into the floor at the heavy steel frame corners before the thinner sheet steel of the trailer floor. Since you get to choose where to put yours, make sure you're happy with the locations with your Ranger in the trailer, so your straps will run like you want them to. Also, you ought to mount them as low as possible to hold the machine down into your trailer. You're legally responsible to secure your load properly and if you ever get pulled over on the interstate they'll probably look at that, if only to be nosey. I use my 10,000 pound DOT rated straps which is WAY overkill but I own them so why not? Bought them at Sams or BJs or somewhere for not too much but they are DOT marked.