I have a Toyota Tundra with the infamous flimsy tailgate. I would like to haul my ATV in the bed, but I need a ramp that has extra weight support from the truck's trailer hitch so the full weight of bike/rider doesn't bend my tailgate.

Other than having one fabricated from scratch, are there any manufacturers you recommend?

 

I haven't seen anything like that. You could put a support to the ground too. Attach it to the ramps on each side with a hinge so it folds.

 

One item that comes to mind is will the back wheels be resting, or partially resting on the tailgate when loaded? If that is the case, I would chose to go with a trailer and avoid any problems there. You could consider just removing the tailgate on days you go riding, not sure how difficult that is on a Tundra. The tailgate up should not be the only method of securing your ATV, always strap it down, with tailgate or not.

Other potential options to think about:

Option 1- Get a longer curved ramp, like a RevArc 12' curved ramp and then set the end on the truck bed, avoiding the tailgate. Just not certain of the clearance or if you could get the ATV in the bed far enough to remove the ramps or if there is a way to properly secure the ramps so they don't squirt out when loading/off-loading.

Option 2 - You could have two bed extension pieces made. Bolted to the truck bed and then hinged to fold out to clear the tailgate. The hinged piece of the extension would be long enough to clear the tailgate and then rest your ramp on the end. If the extension piece was created with a "ladder" rung at the end, you could buy ramps that hook onto the end of the extension pieces to make them secure when using. Once the ATV was loaded, the extension piece would either rest between the back ATV tires with the tailgate up if there was enough room or just leave the tailgate and extension down while in transit, ATV properly being secured either way. Heck, you could even buy a set of folding ramps to create your truck bed extension pieces, would just need to be shortened and also find a way to secure to the truck bed. Only issue there is finding a secure spot and drilling into the truck bed. You would probably need a support piece under the truck bed to better even out the weight transfer and security of the extensions. Also, the end of the extension would need to be strengthened to support the weight of the ATV and ramps.

 

I've also never seen anything like that. A potential issue will be with a support as you both describe, that will really only allow for a specific placement angle of the ramps. Meaning you will probably always need to find level ground for loading/offloading. If the ground is high, the ramps won't be using your support piece. If the ground is low, the ramps will not be touching the ground.
I know always finding level ground in staging areas is a task where I live, so keep that in mind.

 

A quick and easy way to solve the issue is do like the sledders do. Build a wooden platform for the bed of your truck. 2x6 frame with a plywood surface will keep all the weight off your tailgate

 

I assume its not the tailgate that's "fimsy", its the cables holding the tailgate up. I can't imagine they wouldn't support the weight of a quad for a few seconds while loading and unloading though. If they're worn out, replace them. I think I did remember seeing some ramps on youtubes once that connected to your receiver hitch and it supported most of the weight. Ramp buddy is its name . The video is just a demonstration, they do mention the website near the end

 

I did a real quick look and didn't see ramp buddy systems. They may be out of business.

 

that video is from about 3 years ago. I think they were pretty expensive anyway.

 

I don't know if this will work , It is a truck bed extender for a receiver hitch. Ones I've seen were for lumber and pipes but could be modified to snug up close to your tailgate. However you would still want something strong to cover your tailgate to keep it from collapsing in the middle. This happened to my Ford and I ended up needing to buy a new tailgate. This sells at harbor freight for about $70.

 

Hawkeye,

That is pretty interesting, never seen it before. Even is height adjustable. Device says the cross bar is 49" wide but manufacturer rated at 350 lbs load capacity. Although, that is for truck movement driving down the road. Using it for loading/off-loading an ATV with ramps could probably support more than the recommended 350 lbs since you are not moving the truck.

Fueled and ready to ride, my Grizzly probably weighs in the 800 lbs range and then another 210 lbs for me but I've not seen any issues with my tailgate on my F350. Thing is expensive to replace too as it has the integrated step and back-up camera.

I suppose what I came back to this thread to mention there are also additional alternatives but those are per one already mention of a truck rack. Also, I just bought a used DiamondBack ATV tonneau cover for mine. Neither of those are cheap solutions even though I bought my DiamondBack used for $1200 which was very reasonable compared to new. DiamondBack does make a Tundra ATV cover and they are very well made.