oops, triple post!!

 

Greetings,

A simple way to prevent unwanted crashes in your pickup bed is to put an old tire at the front until the ATV is in and off the ramps. If you overshoot your mark, you hit the tire, not the front of the box or your window. Then, if you need all the space in the bed, pull the tire out and ease the quad forward now that its on the level.

 

I did that to my father in laws 2001 Dodge Ram on Christmas Day. We went out ice fishing. He had me drive his Arctic Cat 454 back home. We got back and were going to load the quad into the box. It was kind of dark out, and I drove the quad up into the box. He had a short handled shovel that was laying at the front of the box. The right front tire hit the shovel, and the handle jammed against the front of the box, stopping me from pulling all the way in. I dismount (stupidly leaving the quad in gear) and pull the shovel out of the way. Somehow, with my huge gauntlet chopper mitts, I hit the throttle. When I tried to yank my hand off of the bar, I slipped and fell causing the throttle to gun even harder. My leg went down under the quad between the box wheel well and the rear tire. Then it kinda climbed up on the wooden block he had in the front of the box to prevent the quad from going too far ahead, and drove the bumper through the window, and bent the box end a little toward the cab.
I learned a valuable lesson: Don't leave the quad in gear and motor running and get off the quad if there is a window near by.

I am glad we had already opened our christmas presents!

 

well i feel your pain..But at least you have a ramp...We have to man handle my 600+lbs Fourtrax....that sucks..




1998 Honda Fourtax. all Factory specials and extras...

 

you gotta be kidding!!

 

Well, what a relief.

I got my window fixed. I work at a dealership so I figured I could do it cheaply. WRONG!! They were to busy to even see me. So I went somewhere else. Screw them!!

Here was my mindset. I know that Ford parts are not cheap, ever. So I'm thinking $600-$700. Then someone says, "Tell your insurance company that a branch fell off a tree and smacked the window. Your glass deductible should only be $50." WRONG!! My comprehensive deductible is $500. Now, I'm convinced that I can't get out of this for less than half-a-grand!

On a whim I call a local glass place. Granite State Glass actually, great folks, if you are in the New Hampshire area and you need glass call them. They tell me they can do it the same day and have the truck back to me before I leave work for $275. I practically break into song on the phone with these people. I can't believe they can do it for that much.

It wasn't until my new window was in and I was on my way home that it occured to me that $275 isn't exactly pocket change and this truly was an expensive learning experience.

Great suggestions, I too have the tri-fold ramps and never had a problem until now. Makes my heart beat a little faster every time I load now!

 

GreenRuby, I also haul my green Ruby in a shortbed Ford Ranger. I load it up backwards, the tires will hit the front of the bed before the rack will hit the window, hope this helps.

 

I had a Sportsman 500 that I used to haul in my shortbed Nissan truck. It looked like an elephant on a mouse, but got the job done. I didn't have to worry about the quad going through the glass because the tires would hit the front of the bed, before the stock bumper went through the window.

Well I saw this cool tube bumper that I just had to have.....never even thought about checking the clearance......pulled in the bed......right through the back glass....and yes....safety glass does make a mess. Every time I vacuumed the truck for months, it seemed I would find more glass.

I reported it to my insurance company(Metropolitan)and I even told them what I did. They said no problem, we'll send someone out to replace it at my home. It seems, here in Kentucky, that there is a law of some kind that glass breakage is zero deductable, and cannot be held against you so they can raise your rates....Even if I broke it out.

 

I have a Nissan pick-up also except that i have an army steel box I use as storage for off-roading stuff. Anyway this box is about 5-6 inches high and so when I load my quad the front tires rest on it and it also elevates the front end and keeps the front-end further away from rear window. Should work with any truck.

 

I recommend getting full glass protection option ( and thereby zero deductable) on your insurance. I pay $36 a year for my F150 but I have replace two windshields ($300+) and a back window (not sure the cost on that one) so I know have gotten my money's worth. I put it on all my vehicles.