When we imagine the life of an ATV rider, we think of riding into the sunset on our favorite trails. What we don’t consider is the difficulty faced in carrying an ATV up and down the back of our trucks. It is pretty hard to do so, but with the help of the perfect ATV loading ramp, this difficulty no longer remains an issue.
An ATV ramp is a simple device which helps you carry the ATV into the back of your pick-up or truck so that you can easily carry it to your riding trail. The thing is, that there are loads of ATV ramps available in the market. When it comes to choosing the one which is perfect for you, it gets very confusing.
Types of ATV Ramps
There are several types of ATV ramps available. Before we get to making our own ATV ramps, let’s take a look at the ones available in the market!
- Dual-Runner
- Bi-Fold
- Tri-Fold
1. Dual-Runner
Dual-runner is probably the most common ATV ramp you will find in the market. It works perfectly for both 2-wheelers & 4-wheelers. It has two individual ramps and can be easily positioned. Some of the dual-runner ramps also fold in half, but most of them, have a straight design without the folding joints. These need a high level of ground clearance though.
2. Bi-Fold
As compared to dual runners & tri-fold ramps, they are a bit narrow. They can be folded of course and they easily fit most of the ATVs and bikes. They can be easily stored in less space.
3. Tri-Fold
These ramps are big, are pretty capable of holding the weight of heavy vehicles very easily. They are to position & set-up. They are slightly heavy. Moreover, they have multiple segments & folding joints. They can be folded in thirds, which means they occupy less space. The width of these ramps is fixed.
How To Build ATV Ramps
If you want to save money and make a customized ATV ramp, it is not very difficult to do so. All you need are correct tools, the right equipment, an idea about the angles & dimensions required and you are ready to go!
However, it takes a lot of time, especially if you are going to make a ramp from metal. The easiest way to make a ramp is to get wooden ATV ramp kits which have ramp plates, carriage bolts and nuts, and start making a wooden ATV ramp!
How to make ATV ramps out of wood
If you tried loading heavy equipment or ATVs into your truck’s back, you would know how difficult it is without a ramp. A good loading ramp can make your job pretty easy. You can buy good quality ramps from different stores. However, you can also make your ramp at home, All you need are the materials, the proper instructions and time, and you will make good quality, budgeted ramp yourself!
Things you will require
- Sawhorse/ Wood Cutter
- Lumber
- Ramp plate
- Pencil
- Electric drill
- Carriage bolts
- Washers
- Lock nuts
- Wrench
- Self-tapping screws
Steps to follow
Just follow the following steps to make a wooden ramp for your ATV.
- Take a big piece of wood. Measure out the height, width & length which you need. Cut the board into the desired dimensions. Make sure it is solid enough to hold up the weight of your ATV.
- Take the ramp plates and place them on one side of the wooden board. Use the holes inside the ramp plates as templates. Mark those places on the wooden board with the help of a pencil.
- Drill with the help of an electric drill into the places which were marked. Line these up with the holes in the ramp plates. You have created mounting holes for the ramp.
- Now place the carriage bolts into the mounting holes. With the help of a hammer, drive these bolts in until they are in position.
- Turn it over so that you can see the underside of the wooden board. Place the lock nuts & washers on ends of carriage bolts which are protruding on the wooden board’s underside. Tighten these lock nuts by using a wrench.
- Place the ramp on the edge of the truck or any other surface so that the end of the ramp sits flatly on it. Now it is time to attach the self-tapping screws on the end of the ramp with the help of a screwdriver. These screws keep the ramp from sliding off the surface while it is being used.
You can use the ramp as you need. The screws can be removed with the help of a wrench when you need to detach the ramp from the back of the truck. It is pretty important that you make use of self-tapping screws when it comes to making your ramps. If you don’t use self-tapping screws, the ramp easily falls or slide-offs the supporting surface, resulting in serious injury.
How To Make A Folding Ramp In 5 Steps
Sometimes you may not have a lot of space in the back of your truck to carry a non-folding ramp. That is where a folding ramp comes into play. There are several uses of a folding ramp. They are portable, lightweight and can be stored easily.
You can also make a folding ramp at home by following these pretty basic 5 steps. It will take just a couple of hours and will save you plenty of money.
Materials needed
- Wood
- Hinges
- Screws
- Screw Driver
- Drill Machine
- Wood Glue
- Wood Cutter
- Measuring Tape
- Sandpaper( For finishing)
Steps to follow
Just follow these 5 simple steps.
1. Measuring & cutting the wooden boards
The length and the width of the complete ramp depend on you. You need to know the distance from the surface of the truck and the ground where you are going to place the ramp. After you measure this distance, cut the wooden board into 4 separate wooden pieces. Each wooden board should be almost 3 inches in width to support the weight of the ATV.
2. Attaching the Hinges
Lay these boards on top of each other and start connecting the hinges. Once you have correctly joined the boards with the help of hinges, it will open up to form a complete, flat ramp. Now is the time to add support for the edges of the ramp.
3. Attaching the Edges
Lay down the ramp with its face up. Now is the side to attach the edges. Attach small wooden boards, cut to the length of each edge of the ramp. Attach them on both sides of the ramp one by one. Use glue first. Then make them more secure by using screws. This will help in keeping the ATV from sliding off the ramp’s side.
4. Adding further support
It is better to place some additional supports on your ramp. Once you have cut up the ramp to the desired length and attached the cut pieces with the help of hinges, it is better to increase the durability of the ramp. Use extra screws to fix your ramp in place. If you want to attach some extra wooden boards to add more weight and quality to the ramp, now would be the time to do so.
5. Finishing the ramp up
If you want to keep the ramp plain or decorate it up, it’s all up to you. To give your folding ramp a smooth finish, make use of the sandpaper. After that, you can paint the ramp or decorate it any way you want.
It is not difficult to make a folding ramp. You can vary the length of the ramp as per your desire. Once your folding ramp is made, you can easily store it in a smaller space. Make sure you follow all the precautionary measures while you are building the ramp. It will keep both you and the ramp safe from any kind of damage.
Carrying the ATV up and down a truck can be difficult without the help of a ramp. There are several types of ATV ramps available. You can either buy the ATV ramps from different stores or make your own ATV ramp. If you are buying an ATV ramp, then there are certain factors you need to look into before buying the one you think is perfect for you. If you are on a budget, or you like making your things, then you can easily make an ATV ramp at home.
We have briefly discussed all this in the above article. We hope that you will find the knowledge useful and put it to good use.
Happy Adventuring People!