How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

I've been doing this for a while now, but had a big problem yesterday. On a downhill bumpy road, my quad bounced forward enough to smash through my rear cab window. That will be a lot of fun to replace [growl].

Anyway, my Dodge Ram short bed has four dock-cleat-like tiedowns, down low in each corner. They're held in place with two screws each. They look like convenience points, and I haven't trusted them with my 800 pound SP700 and SP500 so far. Instead, I've been ratchet-strapping to the holes on the vertical support members in each corner. These are double-wall steel, but they're up high (at rail height) and so they don't secure the quad DOWN into the bed. They leave just enough slack in the straps that the quad can move around a bit (so I've found).

I may end up having to install true tiedown points in the bottom of the bed at the four corners. If I do that, I'll do it right and it will be extra-strong. But what is everyone else doing to secure their quads in pickup truck beds? If there's a handy trick I'd love to avoid modifying my new truck.

Thanks!

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

Pick yourself up one of these: Louisiana Guard Dog ...and quit worrying about it.

They are the real deal and work exactly as advertised.

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

I haul my 360 in my S-10 and had a problem with the way it wanted to move around a little using straps hooked to the racks and the built in tie-downs in the bed.

I bought four 3/8" turnbuckles with a hook on one end and an eye on the other and four 2 1/2" "S" hooks. I secured the quad in place with them by putting the hook of the turnbuckle thru the pickup tie-down and looping one of the "S" hooks thru the holes in the wheel of the quad. The eye of the turnbuckle hooks on the exposed end of the "S" hook and you crank the turnbuckle down tight.

By holding the wheels in place the quad can move on it's own suspension but it can not move side to side or fore and aft. Best method of securing it I have found so far. Cost was less than four good ratchet type tie-down straps.

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

I use the same method as tencubed except it's on my flatbed trailer, no reason why you couldn't do the same thing in a truck bed. My tiedowns are shown in my pics.

Jaybee

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

Wife has a 97 Ram 4x4 long bed and I use the attaching points at the base of the bed. I have a 400ex and run two straps (criss-cross) from the frame just under the oil tank and two (criss-cross) from either the foot pegs or if I have my super wraps, I will use the back of the swing arm to the rear corners. The wraps I am talking about are the loops that are made of the same material as the tie downs that are mainly used with street bikes.

Be careful not to use friction straps. They are OK, but make sure you get a good pull the opposite way from some ratchet straps. Watch putting your straps around points that will move and allow the strap to come off ..... like the front A-arms.

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

Interesting device, that LA Guard Dog. I'll check it out - thanks!

Those of you who are strapping your ATV's in: To what do you attach the other ends of the straps? The little plastic boat-cleat-looking thingies in each corner just don't look like they're held in with big enough screws to take the forces involved. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but 800 pounds of ATV bouncing around is pretty forceful.

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

I use the cleats and go up to my handlebars with the tie downs. Then again, I am securing a 350lb sport quad. Your owners manual says what the cleats are rated for, but I can't remember the number off hand. You could always throw something in front of the quad for a bumper like an old tire. Then just find a tiedown location that allows you to compress the suspension a bit when the quad is tied down and you are golden. Sucks about your window though.

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

I tie mine to the tie downs on each corner of the bed. I use 4 short ratchet style tie downs and also engage the brake. Never had a problem and I have driven up steep inclines.

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

Whatever you strap your bikes to on the pickup, try to hook on the wheels of the atv. If you hook them up high, as you cinch them down, you're compressing the springs, and the shocks. From experience, especially when hauling bikes on my trailer, they will bounce, and the straps will loosen. I've never had a strap loosen when using this method.

How do you strap down your ATV in your pickup truck bed?
 

Precisely the reason I started using the turnbuckles and "S" hooks on my quad. Too many times I found the straps to the racks had come loose.