Adding a ramp to trailer. How thick should the metal be?

[lyrikz]

I have a 14 foot trailer that i want to add a ramp on the FRONT of the trailer overhanging the tongue. I want to put one of my 4 wheelers on it. IT will free up more room on my trailer.. What size metal do you guys recommend i use.

This is a horrible drawing of what im trying to do.

SOmething like this. THe quad weights 390 pounds. Obviously it would just be the front end. Just enough room to get me a few extra feet so i can put on another quad and a few other items.. THe ramp will be removable. ANy tips?

 

[Ebag333]

My concern would be weight distribution. The weight of the ramp plus the weight of the ATV will be significant. Since the axle is already located quite far back, the amount of weight added to the tongue will be huge.

How are you planning on balancing that? Your trailer tongue weight should be about 10% of the total trailer weight, loaded or empty. So if you have 5k lbs total, your tongue weight should only be 500 lbs.

Just looking at how far back the axle is located, you'll have a hard time keeping the tongue weight at around 10% as it is.

 

[lyrikz]

Thats not my EXACT trailer. My trailer has the axle more centered. WHen i load the trailer i have my quad which is bigger will be directly in the back i will have it loaded as evenly as i can.... Tonque weight on my landcruiser shouldnt exceed 500lbs right???

 

[Ebag333]

Tonque weight on my landcruiser shouldnt exceed 500lbs right???

The 80 series is rated for about 5k in the US, 7k in the rest of the world. I personally wouldn't want to pull much more than 3k up hills. You didn't say what you have, so....

I always tend to go with overkill when ever I build something that's going to be important. Like my quarter inch thick belly/skid plate. (Which I've actually bent, so maybe it's not overkill....)

Some thick box or angle iron should be fine, but I'd probably end up getting some quarter inch angle and welding quarter inch strap for the decking.

 

[lyrikz]

My trailer is 8x14. Kinda small. Single big axle. I dont know the exact weight. i was going to use 2x4 3/16 bottom then some 1/4 angle for the top and sides and the ramp. Thing thats solid enough?

 

[Ebag333]

Sounds like overkill to me.

 

[lyrikz]

Sounds like overkill to me.

overkill= good right. I mean the quad is going to be on it, then its going to be STRAPPED down.

 

[fj40charles]

If it were me, I'd buy another trailer. You'll end up putting too much tongue weight on it.
Also, will you have enough clearance so it does not hit your tow vehicle?

 

[lyrikz]

If it were me, I'd buy another trailer. You'll end up putting too much tongue weight on it.
Also, will you have enough clearance so it does not hit your tow vehicle?

THink so??? Damn. You dont think i can load it correctly to keep the tonque weight down??? Also, the ramp is going to be in the middle of the tongue, not up near the ball.

 

[Ebag333]

THink so??? Damn. You dont think i can load it correctly to keep the tonque weight down??? Also, the ramp is going to be in the middle of the tongue, not up near the ball.

Well, how much does your ATV weigh?

Figure maybe 100-150 lbs for your ramp weight.

Almost all of that weight will be added to the tongue weight, which means that you would need to add an equivalent weight to the rear of the trailer. Or, are you willing to move where your axle is located under your trailer?

 

[lyrikz]

Well, how much does your ATV weigh?

Figure maybe 100-150 lbs for your ramp weight.

Almost all of that weight will be added to the tongue weight, which means that you would need to add an equivalent weight to the rear of the trailer. Or, are you willing to move where your axle is located under your trailer?

Ya, im puttin the heavier quad in the rear and the ligther one in the front. then in the middle i iwll have the rest of my gear and my little boys quad...

The vehicle im going to be towing with 90% of the time is my 05 Yukon XL denali. Occasionally i iwll tow with the 80... That make a difference?

 

[Ebag333]

What you tow with will make a little bit of a difference, but not much. You still want the trailer tongue weight to be around 10%.

How about this, load up the trailer with roughly what you're going to have on there, without the light ATV on the tongue. Tow it to a scale (we have tons of 'em on the side of the road for commercial trucks) and weight the trailer, then weight just the tongue. Come back with those numbers, how much your light ATV weighs, and you'll know if this is doable or not.

 

[lyrikz]

What you tow with will make a little bit of a difference, but not much. You still want the trailer tongue weight to be around 10%.

How about this, load up the trailer with roughly what you're going to have on there, without the light ATV on the tongue. Tow it to a scale (we have tons of 'em on the side of the road for commercial trucks) and weight the trailer, then weight just the tongue. Come back with those numbers, how much your light ATV weighs, and you'll know if this is doable or not.

Ok, how do i weight just the tonque?? SO pull on the scale, unhook the trailer and drive the truck off and weight just the trailer??? I can probably do this tomorrow. lol.

 

[Ebag333]

Ok, how do i weight just the tonque?? SO pull on the scale, unhook the trailer and drive the truck off and weight just the trailer??? I can probably do this tomorrow. lol.

Yup, pull the trailer on the scale, unhook the truck, weight the entire trailer (tires and tongue jack on the scale).

Hook the trailer back up, move the axle off the scale, disconnect the truck, now you're just weighing the tongue weight.

Come back with those two numbers, the weight of the light ATV, and we can talk about how feasible it is.

 

[lyrikz]

Yup, pull the trailer on the scale, unhook the truck, weight the entire trailer (tires and tongue jack on the scale).

Hook the trailer back up, move the axle off the scale, disconnect the truck, now you're just weighing the tongue weight.

Come back with those two numbers, the weight of the light ATV, and we can talk about how feasible it is.

Sounds good. Im assuming i have to do this at night when they arent open????

When my trailer is fully loaded now, i can lift the tounge. ITs REALLLLLY hard, but i can do it. ahaha...

 

[Ebag333]

Sounds good. Im assuming i have to do this at night when they arent open????

The ones we have here by the side of the road are rarely in use. Many of them go weeks if not months between use. Trucks need them however as bridges have weight limits, and drivers may rarely (or never) travel on some of the back roads around here. No idea about your area.

When my trailer is fully loaded now, i can lift the tounge. ITs REALLLLLY hard, but i can do it. ahaha...

That's the old school way I've heard of some people judging the trailer tongue weight. If you can move it yourself, then it's fine. There's actually some truth to that as you can lift much more weight using a counter weight and pivot than you'd be able to via a straight dead weight lift. Try picking up 300 lbs by yourself, for most of us that'd be difficult if not impossible. But using the axle as a pivot point, and the tongue as a long lever, now you can lift that same 300 lbs.

That only works up to a point, of course. If you have a 20k lb trailer, you're not moving the tongue on your own no matter what.

 

[lyrikz]

I will get some weights an dlet ya guys no.