Re: (ET) ET into a pickup truck? Drop pins through ramps

[Pieter Litchfield <pieter_litch yahoo com>]

I have a tilt bed utility trailer which works pretty well.  However, 
the ET cannot climb on under its own power, so I use ramps and a 
come-along to help it up.  For a pickup, I'd guess you would want to 
use at least 8 foot long ramps - and the pins as suggested in the 
post below make great sense.  I have some 2 x 10s with aluminium ramp 
ends (NorthernTool.com) with pins, but rarely use them since I mostly 
haul stuff on the lower trailer.  I also have some folding steel 
ramps which are quite a bit stronger.  To load into a truck, I'd look 
for a steep bank so that the ramp angle is as low as possible, and 
use the strongest ramps you can find.


At 02:51 PM 5/28/2007, you wrote:
> My utility trailer is only 1/2 as high as a full size pickup, but I 
> had one of
> my ramp boards slip also.
>
> So, I drilled a hole through each ramp, and a matching hole into the 
> trailer,
> and dropped a couple 5/16" carriage bolts in (no nuts required).
>
> These Electraks weigh as much as 950 pounds or so, so I made heavy duty 
> ramps:
>
> I use triple thickness 2*10s for my ramps - three pieces stacked, carriage
> bolted together, then beveled on upper and lower ends.  The drop pins 
> ensure
> quick width spacing to match the Electrak, and they prevent that ramp being
> pushed out, as previous post mentioned. And, they allow quick, easy change 
> of
> spacing for other implements.  Otherwise, use OAK if you only want a single
> thicknesss of 2*10 or 2*12.
>
> I have often used a Come-A-Long / lever/ratchet action cable puller to 
> pull a
> dead ElecTrak up the ramps (or control it as you move it down again), AND 
> to
> tie the machine down to the trailer.
>
> You REALLY don't want 1000 pound mass on wheels moving around in 
> your truck or
> trailer.
>
> Good luck with moving your Electrak - but as the other guys suggested, be
> EXTRA careful.
>
> John
> E-20's, Commuta Cars, etc.
>
> On Monday 28 May 2007 11:12:46 am Thompson, Geof wrote:
> > Hi
> > DO NOT DRIVE AN ET INTO A PICKUP TRUCK. unless you can drive it in
> > straight from something like a loading dock. In which case I'd still
> > push it in. The only safe ways to load a tractor  form the ground are to
> > winch it in, or if you have a crane lower it in. And the same way out,
> > if you driving them on or off, the risk is too great, things can go bad
> > very quickly and you could end up dead or missing parts real fast.
> > I am not over stating this. I've seen tractors go over, ramps buckle,
> > and even seen the tractor drive over the fender and roll out of the box.
> > So far all I seen is pretty nasty damage to the tractors and the trucks,
> > but it was only luck that the operators are here to tell the tale.
> >
> >
> >
> > Geof Thompson
>
>
>
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