So last weekend I was loading my sportsman 500 into my truck. I have a Dakota so the Sportsman has to go in the truck backwards. Thetruck is tall too, so it makes for a steep climb.

I use ramps to load. These ramps are not quite wide enough for my Mudrunner equipped SP500 to fit into (where the tires run on the lateral bars)?

Several times I have slipped off the ramp, but it is just a matter of putting the quad in low and powering down off the ramp and retrying. Well on Saturday I got the rear tires on the tailgate and the ATV spun all 4 tires. Pitching the quad to the right and bucking me clear off the quad to drop the 4 or 5 feet to the pavement below. As soon as 'touched' down I expected the Fat Basta*# to mash me into a grease spot on the pavement, so I rolled onto my back immediately and sure enough here comes the SP500. I kicked out my two legs to brace the machine (or a least slow the mashing procedure) expecting to have my legs driven up my A$$. Luckily the ramp was supporting some of the weight and I held the rest. I was trembling when I got out thinking of what could have happened.

I eventually pushed the ATV up on the ramp to where it would stay. Then it was time for damage assessment. I was fine, except for a severe lack of flesh covering 2 inches on either side of my elbow and a bruised hand. The SP500 (Fat Basta*#) was unscatched. Then I found the worst of the damage. My truck was marred bad! The top corner of the truck box above the taillight was pushed in about 3 inches. I could have cried.

So it looks like I will be out $500 for a deductible. When I called the insurance Co. I got some interesting stuff too. They tried to get me to go to the Doctor. Then he asked if I was driving the quad and I said yes. He well it is the fault of the quad and it's owner is responsible for the damage to the truck. I said I am the owner. He said then your responsible for it yourself. I said it's insured too - with you! OH. In the end they will cover it no problem.

So I am of to get some estimates!

SP500 in NS

 

Life is much simpler with a good trailer!

 

A tilting trailer is better . . . unless you overrun it and drop the front wheels of the quad onto the tow bar.

I was going to slow to do any damage . . . excluding pride.

 

Yes a tilting trailer rules for atv loading, i also have run it over the end LOL no damage done. I have almost done the same thing laoding onto a freinds truck.

 

SP500
Becareful you may have to pay that deductable twice.
A guy I work with ran into his daughters car with his which had the same ins. co.. To get them both fixed he had to pay a deductable on each vehicle.

Hind sight you don`t need to fix the SP so you should be OK.

98 Scrambler 500

 

We had a similar situation here, with the tires running along the outer bar of the ramps. Not only does it not allow for much margin for error in your steering, the lugs on the tires can't get as much bite as they could on the crossmembers. I urge everyone who has ramps on the narrow side to do one simple thing: unbolt the 2 halves, and put them where the center of the wheels will run. Also, use a tie-down to secure each half to the tailgate. Don't risk severe personal injury, or worse yet, damage to one of your rides.
Farmr
PS some people I know of have added little extensions to the ramp center. Works, but makes folding it difficult. Simpler to just use it unbolted & stack them one by one.

 

we ride with a guy that has a mag 500 and he uses a toyota tacoma for his tow..loading the quad in the front tires wont fit between the wheels wells so he has to ride up over them,he needs a little momentum..anyway he showed up last sunday to go riding and his back window was smashed out..laughing(i knew what happened) i went up and asked him what happened,he said last nite loading it he must have had to many cocktails,he put the bumper thru the back window,i know it must have sucked but all i could do was laugh at that..i to have been victim,once with my magnum loaded in tailgate open the strap broke,luckily the ramps were bungeed to the bottom of the quad as it rolled out the boards went with it and cushioned the fall by hitting the tailgate on its way out..it landed on all fours and rolled to the side of the road,luckily it was a side road 2 blocks from my house..i parked the truck and rode the quad home and walked back for my truck..the quad used to only be held by 2 straps one forward and one backward,now i have 2 and 2 plus an extra over the back tires,i dont think it`ll go anywhere now..i try to be real careful not to mash up anything but its hard,trailer is definitlely better but not in my budget right now,maybe someday

 

I have yet to have the quad fall of the ramps yet, but I forgot to bungee the ramps to the bumper and when I got to the top of the tailgate, I had to goose it a little and it nocked one ramp off. Fortunatley, the atv was on the tailgate enough as not to fall over backward, but the ramp put a nice ding in the tailgate on its way down . After looking at the damage the atv is doing to my new truck bed, I am buying a bigger trailer next spring that will carry both atvs.

 

The front of my bed is bowed in due to me hitting it one too many times. I now have a trailer.

 

Can anybody recommend a trailer manufacturer. I would like to get one for two atvs.