How to get Snowmobile into (and out of) lifted PSD??? - Diesel Forum

RgdL · 12-26-2005, 12:50 PM

Just made an impulse purchase and got a new snowmobile. I have no room to store a trailer so I will be hauling it in the bed of my Truck. Can anyone give me some ideas of ramp systems they've seen or used that might work. My taigate sits at 43" high. I have a shortbed so whatever I use can't be more that 6.5ft long to have it fit cleanly inside the box.

Here's a pic: Sled in Truck

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JonG · 12-26-2005, 02:13 PM

check northern hydraulics( www.northerntool.com ) they have some cool aluminum ramps that fold and they hold some serious weight they might have something that you could use [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smokin.gif[/img]

Poltax · 12-26-2005, 05:47 PM

Having had sleds for many years....get a small 2 palce trailer. You can also get so it would work as a utility trailer as well. However if your firm on not using a trailer then make sure you park next to a snow bank and drive the sled up the back side into your truck. Or hope all your ridding buddies will help you lift it in. This of course will cost you a few liquid refreshments. The problem you will have with a short box and lifted truck will be the steepness of the ramp. Steep and speed will sooner or later mean you will put a ski thru your back window. There are several alum ramps that you can get at any motorsports dealer, or mail order thru Dennis Kirk or HPE. Costco sometime has them as well.

See if one of your sledding buddies will let you store the trailer at their house if they have the room. Especially if they are the ones that talked you into this.

Dan C · 12-27-2005, 12:31 AM

You are going to need a ramp over 8 ft long to load a snowmobile into a truck that high. I haven't seen any thing commercially made that folds up. A deck over the box system might be a good choice. A custom made ramp that folds up is a option. I have seen a cusom made ramp that folds up that would fit into your box.

In my 30 years of snowmobiling I've seen as much damage to sleds being loaded as I have in accidents. I started out doing what you are considering and after the sled ended up on top of me I bought a trailer.

Sample · 12-27-2005, 11:02 AM

Small atv winch mounted to front of bed, can use a steep ramp since you won't have to worry about tipping back or too much speed and going through the back window of truck.

JW350 · 12-27-2005, 12:05 PM

I use two 7' arched ramps to load a Yamaha Rhino in the back of my truck. I can't imagine doing this with a snowmobile. You'll probably need ramps between 10' and 12' long... Try Googling "atv ramps". Good luck.

Brian_W · 12-27-2005, 12:58 PM

If I have to haul my sled around in my truck, I have a ramp that is about 6 feet long, weighs about 150 pounds, its just wide enough for the skis. Just get a little running start and up in the truck. I don't bring the ramp with me any where since its so big. I usually find a snowbank to load the sled. I agree a trailer is the way to go if you can.

Copper · 12-27-2005, 05:55 PM

Northern has those little 4x8' folding trailers that work well - loading it in a pickup is a pain. You can't "ease" into anything like you can with a 4 wheeler.

AJG · 12-27-2005, 09:45 PM

If you go with anything aluminum, add some kind of plastic or wood where the skis make contact. The carbides on the skis grab into aluminum very well and will stop your forward progress up the ramp, most likely leaving you laying in the back of your truck after you go over the bars. I have thought about going to a flat bed so I can haul my sleds around without a trailer, with the added bonus of getting a fiver for the summer and being able to keep my lift.

ShotWho · 12-28-2005, 06:53 PM

Don't forget the Headache Rack unless you like replacing the back glass.

I popped my F-150 back glass with a 4-wheeler a few years ago. Added some cutdown 4x4 post in the bed to stop the tires but I don't think that will work with a sled.

kfjensen · 12-28-2005, 07:02 PM

Got room for a small loading dock? Just another option...though if you dont have room for even a 2 place trailer (which you can find for dirt cheap or build) then I doubt you have room for a loading dock.

RgdL · 12-28-2005, 07:04 PM

Well, I may have found a solution. Went and picked up a ramp system a friend used to use. I'll take pics tomorrow but there's an aluminum rod that attaches to the edge of the tailgate. Two 5ft aluminum C-channels hook on the rod to guide the skis. A center section about 6ft long hooks to the rod for the track to run on. It's still going to be steep, and it would be a challenge to try and get the right speed and momentum in order to get the sled up, but yet brake fast enough to avoid going through the front of the box.......or worse yet the rear window. So I went and bought a 2000lb winch which I'll mount to the front of the box. Hopefully it will be enough. As far as getting the sled out of the truck, it has reverse so it shouldn't be much of a problem.

timberjack · 12-28-2005, 08:58 PM

Hi, glad you figured a solution, or at least some of it.

My trucks don't sit as high as yours, the tailgate's are about waist high on me, no lifts, just 33" tires. Anyway, i will usually try to find a plowed up bank, they usually abound in parking lots of the staging areas. Drive the sled up on it, and back in, drive the sled on the back of the truck. Voila.

No snowbanks? Well, surely you don't sled alone? With 4 or 6 good samaritans, you can lift the whole machine into the bed in one shot. We've done that many times, but it's not helpful if you're the last one back to your truck and they all left you in the dark already. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I also used to load and unload my machine in the local club's staging areas. They always had a ramp setup at each one, sometimes an angle iron model, and even a loading dock at the main yard.

Nowadays, when i don't want to use my trailers, i'll use the same ramp i load my atv with. It's a 6.5' long, 48" wide aluminum ramp that folds in half. If it's too steep, i'll try and find a hill to park in front of, then lay out the ramp, and sometimes it's nearly level.

You shouldn't have any trouble if you use the winch to bring it up slowly and evenly. It does take a practiced operator to keep from hitting the front bulkhead too hard. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Good luck and good sledding. Have you got much snow there? We've only get about 6", and it's dropping due to the warm weather. It's going to be a poor season, but being a logger, it's been a great winter for working so far, so i'm conflicted. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Ken

RgdL · 12-29-2005, 07:09 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Good luck and good sledding. Have you got much snow there? We've only get about 6", and it's dropping due to the warm weather. It's going to be a poor season, but being a logger, it's been a great winter for working so far, so i'm conflicted.

[/ QUOTE ]
I hear your dilemna. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] We had a couple good snowfalls in early December and despite the recent warm weather the groomed trails I've been on are still in decent shape. We need more snow or the trails are gonna get chewed up soon. Nice temps for outdoor work though huh?

I don't have any concerns about loading the sled anywhere I go.....there's always a way just as the many examples you stated. I'm just worried about loading it from my backlane at home. It's pretty tight quarters and backing up to a snowbank is not an option. But I really think the winch is going to be the trick. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

rcdallas · 12-30-2005, 01:31 AM

Easy...

Pickup Crane