I have a trailer 6.4 inches wide and 14 feet long (77"x14") with drop down tailgate.
On occasion I need to haul 3 atv's 1 Honda rancher & 2 Foremans. Each ATV is 4 ft wide. So i need to load them from the sides or haul them sideways. Here is a pic of a trailer like mine except I have a mesh gate.
Whats the best way to load them and unload them sideways on the trailer.
I was thinking of cocking them sideways as best I can up the ramp. Then I can then use a hand winch to get them sideays all the way up the trailer front of the trailer. Do you think this would work?
If I use my ramps and drive over the sides it scratches the bottom of the frames. Which I am trying to avoid also.
I only have to load two in straight, but here is a suggestion...
You might want to try ATV dollies
These usually come in a four-piece set that will support up to 1,000 pounds. Each dolly has four 2" heavy-duty ball-bearing casters, allowing you to roll bulky items around easily on flat surfaces. The wheels rest in 10in. x 13in. pockets. This way you can push them or turn them any way that you need. They generally run around $60.00 - $70.00 a set.
They can be found at Cabela's and places like Northern Tool etc...hope this helps!
I had this problem a few times... i know what you're saying...
Shortly after this I bought a flat-bed trailer to avoid the problem but there is a way to do it and take the strain out of it and not tear up your equipment.
When you set the ramps up to the side of the trailer, when you reach the end of the ramps there's a 1 ft. (or more) drop off into the trailer bed which can damage the atv and trailer.
My solution was to put auto ramps (the metal or plastic ramps you commonly find at wal mart that you drive up onto to change oil in a car or truck) place them inside the trailer corresponding to the regular ramps... so that when you get to the end of the first set there's just a small drop off and you roll gently down into the trailer.
Once the bike is in, take a bottle jack and lift the back of the bike up... then remove the ramps and let the bike back down... then do it again with the next one.
It sounds like a pain in the butt (and it is) but you do what ya gotta do to get the machines there.
This coming from a guy who once had 5 dirtbikes (and 5 riders) in a 15 passenger van once just so we could all go riding.
I've seen trailers going down the road with the front bike's tires sitting on the front railing of the trailer, then each bike behind it with it's front wheels on the rear rack of the bike in front of it.... sometimes... you just want to GO!
i had that problem once. we rode the front tires up then backed it up on the railings and so on and so forth. that might work with u. it worked 4 us.
justin
Ramps would be my suggestion. Unless you get one in the back of the truck. I have seen people stack them on the tires of the bike beside it. Didn't look very stable though.
One guy I rode with actually cut part of the railing off the front so he could put his bike on the front sideways. Seems a little extreme to me but I guess it's ok if that idea doesn't bother you, or that's all you use the trailer for.
