Going to purchase the new 500i man when the dealer has them...they've been told that they will have in the next two weeks. (wait and see). I will be needing loading ramps for a Chevy 2500HD. Any suggestions will be helpful. THanks

 

I'm drooling over your truck! What color? Duramax? I went the cheap route, bought the "universal clamps" box kit home made ramp thing, which is just a couple aluminum pieces that bolt onto a 2x8. They work, but the weight of my 'Cat is too much for the ramps. I have to reinforce them with a larger 2x12 bolted through on top. They were very slick in rain or snow and ice, so I coated them with some left over Herculiner bed liner stuff that I painted my trailer with-that worked very nicely-no more slipping! Problem with the new boards is the 8' 2x12 bolted to another 8' 2x8 with the angle piece is kind of heavy for my Dad. I think he's interested now in getting a set of aluminum ramps instead-they're much lighter, and will hold up to 1,000 lbs. per ramp for around $100-$150. That's probably the best way to go-light weight, non-slip, lock down to your tailgate with safety chains to the bed to prevent slipping out from underneath.

Best of Luck,

Mike

 

Hey Mike

Thanks for the reply. I've been reading this forum for the last two months waiting on the new bikes. I've settled for the 500i Manual. I think that big 'ol Cat in the back of the Forest Green, Weld Rims, BFG tires, chrome nurf bar, Line-X Spray on Bed liner, dualed the exhaust, tinted windows, bug gard and last but not least..lifted the front end to square it off. Can't wait to see the 500 in the back. Just don't know how to get it up and in. Thanks for the help. Tim

 

I would suggest getting the longest ramps practical. I have a Ram 250 and if you use those little 6' suckers, it sure is STEEP. I made my own ramps 7 1/2' long. It is amazing how much that extra 18 inches eases the incline.
By the way, I saw the pics for the new 500i (not in person though - yet!, and I must say I REALLY like the way it looks put together.
Good luck on your ride.
Farmr

 

I have a Chevy 2500 (non HD). I have the aluminum ramps from Ohio Steel. They are two separate ramps, and have a capacity of 1000 lbs each. What I like about them is they are curved so when you load or unload the slope change from the bed to the ramps is gradual. They are also long, and work well for a tall truck. They have a good tread pattern which is important to me since I use them in the winter when I plow snow with the quad. The main disadvantage is that they take up a lot of room in the truck when you haul them around. Northern Tool and Cabelas sell them, they're like $140-150 (not cheap, but the security is worth it to me).

Just curious, are you getting LB or SB? The Cat fits better in the LB.

 

I got the SB. I waited for chevy to give bed options on the 4 door. The only problem is they only give one rear end option on the 2500hd. Need some rails that are stable at that angle. Never had to purchase anything like this and after reading this forum...you guys no better than me. Thanks for the direction. Tim

 

You are right, this is the right place to ask these kinds of questions. The light weight, strong aluminum ramps are my choice, you can either get 2 seperate ramps or the one piece folding ramp for between $100 to $150. I want to recommend one thing to you, ALWAYS hook the safety cables to your truck while loading or un-loading. I was un-loading my AC 500 out of my Ram 4 X 4 last fall & had the ramps slip off the tailgate. One of the scariest times I have ever had, the Cat stood up on it's front tires with me looking straight down at the ground. Had it not been for my Dad & Brother being right there to pull the rear rack back down to the truck, I would have went head over heels onto the concrete driveway with the Cat on top of me!!!!

You will find that driving that big Cat up into your High Truck is a little on the uneasy side the first couple of times. Try to keep your momentum up & be smooth. You will also probably have to back it in to keep the front bumper of the Cat from going thru your rear window. I am personally trying to figure out what kind of trailer to get as it is much easier to trailer them than put in the truck especially with a snow plow on.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Lance