2" x 12" x 8' wood boards for TEMPORARY ramps?

[mbuskuhl]

Anyone try or know if (2) 2" x 12" x 8' wood boards (from Home Depot/Lowes) would work as temporary ramps on a dove tail open car hauler? - Vehicle weight is 2500 lbs. I'd hate to try it and have a ramp snap. Anything shorter than a 8' ramp and I think there would be clearance issues getting the car on the trailer.

Thanks!

[dickita15]

If I had to use wood ramps like that i would have a center support at 4 foot.

[RacerBill]

If I had to use wood ramps like that i would have a center support at 4 foot.
[/b]

And if you are using over dirt or grass, put a plate of some sort under the support to keep it from sinking.

[Jeremy Billiel]

I have done this as well and even with wood underneed supporting it I still crack mine all the time. I really need to just buckle down and buy a decent set of 8' ramps for my trailer.



Everytime I look though its disgusting how expensive they are.

[lateapex911]

I use a 2 x 10 for my ramps (2500 lb car). And mine are easily 10 or so long.

But,,,,remember, wood is bendy on the flat, but stiffer on the edge. So I got (2) 2x4s for each ramp and glue (Gorilla glue) and screwed them to the side of the 2x10s. Like a C channel on it's side. Or an upside down U, with shot legs. I use hinges with looong screws that slip into bars on the trailer to lock them at the trailer, and shaved down the section at the back to mate well with the ground. I added non slip tape for traction. They tale 30 seconds to set up or break down, and you don't have the issue of supports that fall out or are the wrong length for the terrain you are on to deal with.

Result is a pretty long but light ramp, 12" wide, dirt cheap and easy to build, and has lasted years with no issues. Be selective when buying the lumber, and get the straightest tightest grain you can.

[RacerBill]

My trailer came with two 4' ramps, steel, built to lift tractors/front-end loaders. Could not handle the car easily and were very heavy, so I got two ramps from www.discountramps.com. Better built, lighter and longer. 6' for $220 plus shipping.

[MMiskoe]

My dad loads his ITS Z-car w/ a pair of wood ramps, no center support. I'd say they're 2x10's, about 7-8' long. I do konw they are not just run of the mill softwood. These things weigh a ton. My guess is they are hemlock.

Matt

[dickita15]

wood type is a ggod point, think staging planks rather than framing lumber.

ah and jake is right his long wood ramps are very rigid.

[Lael Cleland]

But who can drive a car on finished hard wood. it should be a sin.

[Jeremy Billiel]

This year I am doing what Jake did although based on his shadetree machanics at the ARRC I am having second thoughts.... LOL

I will look at discount ramps as well, but my trailer only has like 4 ft ramps and I don't have room in the trailer for longer ramps so I would have to put them in the truck. No biggie, but it would be nice to put in the trailer.

[lateapex911]

This year I am doing what Jake did although based on his shadetree machanics at the ARRC I am having second thoughts.... LOL

I will look at discount ramps as well, but my trailer only has like 4 ft ramps and I don't have room in the trailer for longer ramps so I would have to put them in the truck. No biggie, but it would be nice to put in the trailer. [/b]

I knew that would come back and bite me in the ass! LOL.

(You'll appreciate this story. I was trying to get my trailer in my driveway, and it's flat out impossible to back it in and get it out of the way, but I saw a chance if I took out some small trees on the border, so I could come in from my neighbors side. So thats what i did. Of course, he's no maintenance star, so the ground was covered in leaves. i walked the path, sizing it up, and as the ground was frozen, decided to go for it. Tight fit, up a hill, everything needed to go right.

Well, remember the wood I got in Atlanta? Thankfully Gregs friend decided against taking it, because when I was nearly on my property, the trailer came to a stop. Seems somebody thought it would be cool to bury a bathtub...open side up...in the yard RIGHT where the trailer wheels were. Two jacks, half an hour of digging, and repositioning, and those peices from Atlanta saved the day! It was ugly!)

[Doc Bro]

Jake,

Probably better that it was open side up....imagine if it was open side down with this huge air void. The trailer would've broken the tub and you would've had a bigger and deeper hole to work your way out of.

R

[IPRESS]

This simple cause I built it with no help to make my 4' ramps work better. I got two & 1/2 feet of 2X12 topped with another two foot topped by one foot. Bolted together makes a graduated rest for my 4 foot steel ramps. I just throw the wood ones behind the front wheels and use them as chocks while towing. People have loaded FMs on my trailer with this setup, so I am pretty sure the new airdam should not scrape. Short ramps are great.

[mbuskuhl]

Thanks for all the great suggestions and responses.

Mac - are your 2 x 12's set up like this?

-----------------------------------
XXXXX-------------------XXXXX
XXXXXXXX----------XXXXXXXX

....disregard the X, that's just air. It's the only way I could get it the lines in that pattern to display!

If you have a pic that would be great, any setup that can put an FM on an open trailer without much work, storage issues, or money would be great.

[RacerBill]

I will look at discount ramps as well, but my trailer only has like 4 ft ramps and I don't have room in the trailer for longer ramps so I would have to put them in the truck. No biggie, but it would be nice to put in the trailer.
[/b]

My trailer is an old utility trailer with 2' high side rails. There is a space between the side rails and the aluminum wheel tracks. I just slide the ramps in there, one to a side, and fasten down to the side rail.

[Daryl DeArman]

To keep the ramps as stiff as possible you need them as short as possible.
To keep the ground clearance from being an issue you need them as long as possible.

The compromise would be to cut them 1" shorter than your wheelbase, that way the wood will never be supporting the entire weight of the car.

[IPRESS]

Mark they look like this


XXX_________xxx
XXX______________xxx
XXX_____________________xxx

Keep in mind, I use them to go under my 4ft steel ramps that hang on the back lip of the trailer when loading. The wood ramps make the angle less steep and allow loading cars with splitters. Depending on your car you could make the wood ramp like mine (only a couple of feet longer) and flip it over and it would work fine. You can get those metal ramp ends to go on the 2X12 at Tractor Supply. I think if you did it like below it would work.

XXX_________________________________xxx
XXXXX_________________xxx
XXXXX_______xxx

Put the ramp end on the top right (xxx), and move the bottom boards in a little so the top board hits the ground and you should have plenty of support. Maybe a little heavy, but that keeps people from stealing them!

[AntonioGG]

When I used to tow my car, I would jack the trailer and hitch up..but that was a pain.
So I bought some of those Rhino plastic ramps and drove the rear Explorer wheels onto them. That straightened out the ramps with respect to the trailer and solved the clearance issues.

I also used to take advantage of natural terrain, like at that track parking the trailer on a slight depression so the ramps would be level with the road and trailer.

[Joe Harlan]

2x10s with 2" angle bolted on both sides full length make for some really decent inexpensive ramps long term. I did a set for a frend and then when he had more money we coated them with black bedliner now they are nice and have traction.