Your truck bed may be capable of hauling a wide range of items, including lawn equipment, ATVs, golf carts, and more. But not everything can be easily lifted into the truck bed so that you can haul it safely. This is where truck bed ramps come in. Truck bed ramps help you easily load anything that your truck bed can haul.
What makes a good truck bed ramp? It should be sturdy, easy to use, safe, and rated for more weight than you think you’ll need. It’s always better to err on the side of more weight in case you need it versus having not a high enough weight rating when you do need it.
Types of Loading Ramps
There are three main types of loading ramps: folding ramps, non-folding ramps, and curb ramps. Folding ramps consist of two or more panels that can be easily manipulated to the required position for loading. They also quickly fold together for easy storage. These usually come in bi-fold or tri-fold designs that may fold vertically or horizontally.
Non-folding ramps are ramps that don’t fold. These might be one panel or multiple panels. They can also come in curved or arched styles. If you’re loading equipment with low ground clearance, it’s best to get a curved or arched ramp to keep the equipment from bottoming out.
Curb ramps are small ramps that assist with lifting something over a curb. These aren’t typically used for loading into truck beds. As you might expect, loading into a truck bed requires a longer ramp than loading onto a low trailer or over a curb.
Loading Ramp Buying Considerations
What you plan to use the ramp for should point you to the type of ramp you need. It’s also important to remember that any time you’re hauling equipment or large items in your truck bed, you should have a bed liner installed. Truck bed liners like DualLiner protect against moisture and damage from impact.
There are various types of ramps for different purposes, including transporting recreational vehicles like ATVs, dirt bikes, or snowmobiles. They’re also useful for transporting lawnmowers or other lawn equipment and loading things into your truck bed using a hand truck.
Loading recreational vehicles will require a much sturdier ramp with a high weight rating versus loading things like lawnmowers or bulky items via a hand truck.
Ramp Size and Surface
Along with the weight rating, the ramp size is also important. The ramp needs to be wide enough to fit whatever you’re loading with some extra inches on each side in case of slippage. Most truck bed ramps are made of steel or aluminum.
Steel ramps are generally quite strong, but they can also be heavy. Aluminum ramps are lighter and easier to maneuver for frequent loading and unloading.
The ramp surface is another factor to consider. Many ramps feature some type of rough surface to prevent slippage, but there might be a risk of tripping if the bumps are too big. A flat non-slip surface is ideal for bad weather conditions.
Ramp stability varies depending on the type. Usually, the plate end connects the ramp to the truck bed and these connections vary from flat, hook/plate, or pin-on. The ramp foot should also be stable on the ground and the options also vary here from stub, knife, or roller feet.
How To Safely Use Truck Bed Ramps
Truck bed ramps may look simple to use on the surface, but they can present some safety issues. To start, consider the ground clearance of whatever you’re loading. ATVs and dirt bikes usually have high ground clearance and should load easily on most ramps.
However, tractors and lawnmowers can be more of a challenge on a more or less flat ramp. This is where curved ramps may be a better choice.
Always make sure your loading ramp is secured to the vehicle before you start loading something. An unfastened ramp could easily slip under a heavy load and cause both you and the equipment to fall. Don’t tie the ramp down to plastic parts on your vehicle.
The ramp should be secured to sturdy parts like the inside of the bumper, the receiver hitch, or any part of the frame.
Before you load, make sure that your ramp isn’t oily, wet, or greasy. Know your maximum weight rating and don’t exceed it. Try to minimize the angle you have to work against by parking your truck lower than the area you’re loading from.
It’s also worth noting that RWD vehicles have the potential to flip backward at a steep enough angle. If you’re loading a RWD vehicle, try doing it in reverse to avoid this risk.
Top Brands
There are quite a lot of brands that make loading ramps, including Magliner, Titan, Highland, Erickson, bROK, and Black Widow, among many others. Let’s take a look at three top brands with a solid variety of types to choose from.
Titan Ramps
Titan Ramps makes several types of loading ramps, including Aluminum Arched ATV Ramps, Motorcycle Plated Loading Ramps, Skid Steer Ramps, and Aluminum Dual Shed Ramps, among several others. Most ramp styles come in different lengths, such as the nine-foot and eight-foot versions of the ATV ramps.
The weight rating can vary as well. The nine-foot ramp supports up to 900 pounds per ramp, but the eight-foot ramps are rated for 1,000 pounds per ramp.
Erickson Loading Ramps
Erickson loading ramps include popular styles like tri-panel folding ramps, steel ramps, non-folding ramps, folding ramps, and curb ramps. Most types come in a few styles that are useful for different situations. For example, the tri-fold ramps come in a standard style or a style specifically for snowmobiles and ATVs. These ramps are rated for 1,500 pounds per ramp.
Erickson folding ramps include several styles such as mild arch aluminum ramps and steel mesh ramps. These have different weight ratings as well, so it’s important to check what you need.
Black Widow Ramps
Black Widow ramps are available for a wide variety of applications, including ramps for golf carts, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, ATVs, motorcycles, and more. You can easily sort the ramp choices by picking what you need them for.
Otherwise, the selection is fairly typical with extra-wide ramps, folding arched ramps, extra-wide folding ramps, three-piece arched ramps, and many more. These come in various lengths and weight ratings, so you’ll want to make sure you know what you need.
Before loading anything into your truck bed, it’s important to protect your factory finish with a truck bed liner from DualLiner. The experts agree. Bed liners from DualLiner are the best in the industry for comprehensive protection and easy installation.
