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Posted by: Mark Vinson
Just got an older trailer to haul my quads and going to break out the welding machine and make several modifications. Going to make tailgate/ramp at the rear and also one at the front that will serve as a ramp to the tailgate of my truck so I can drive through the trailer and load into the bed of the truck. I am also going to build a spare tire holder for the trailer. I was wondering if anyone else out there has some useful mods for trailers? I am especially interested in finding out about easier ways to tie down quads on a trailer. Keeping up with all the straps and their frayed edges to tie down 4 quads is getting old! Interested in whatever you have come up with or thought about.
Thanks,
Mark Vinson - mark1@ipa.net
Posted by: Mark Vinson
Thanks Brian,
I had already read all of those, I guess I need to be a bit clearer! I am more interested in hearing what people have made themselves other than products available to purchase. I, like many others I'm sure, am interested in making mods to the trailer myself. And if anyone has any home-made solutions to alieviate those stupid straps I'd sure love to hear about them too!!!!
Thanks,
Mark Vinson - mark1@ipa.net
Posted by: Mark Vinson
Andrew - I also have the side at about that height and plan to install the eyebolts to make things easier. The recessed floor mounts sound like a great idea for when I am only having to carry a couple of quads. And you can bet I will try and light things up like a Christmas tree! Seems like around here folks can't see you in the daytime, much less at night! (And people still want to ride their quads on the roads when folks can't even see a truck and trailer?) New tires and wheels are on the list along with the spare - dual axles are on the trailer so I get to buy a ttl of five. Still decideing how I want to build the pin system, seen several different types.
Jim - I have sent off an e-mail to you about the racheting nylon rope - it does sound MUCH better than the straps (I HATE THE STRAPS WITH A PASSION!) And I will be taking pics of the entire project - hopefully I will be starting on the Club Web Site soon - that might be a good "project" to post pics of.
400L - Would LOVE to find a place for a storage box also - have to give a lot of thought to that!
Kevin - That sounds like a pretty cool idea - but being as only one of the quads is mine, it's the only one with a winch - the others do not.
Mud - Thought about side ramps - because the three smaller quads are loaded sideways when I have to carry all of them - just wondering if I can build them to stay structurally sound having an entire side, plus front and backwith ramps?
And to the rest of the world - What have you done to modify your trailer? Anything at all - be it homemade or built in when you bought it. Would love pics if you have em - Hey, it's hard to ride if we can't get the quads where we need em to start with!!
Mark Vinson - mark1@ipa.net
Posted by: Tree Farmer
After using ratcheting nylon strap tie-downs for a while, their tendency to twist and fray and so on annoyed me.
I replaced the ratcheting nylon straps with ratcheting nylon ropes. The ropes don't twist or jam or fold over in the ratchets as the thin "made in China" nylon straps sometimes did; the ropes are strong and easily adjustable. Four tie-downs hooked to stake-hole eyes and quad racks hold the ATV securely even while covering some rough terrain.
If you can't find ratcheting nylon rope tie-downs to check out, E-mail me and I'll research the manufacturer for you.
Your idea of "drive-through" ramps between the trailer and the pickup bed sounds slick; expanded metal and angle-irons seem ideal building materials for this project. I hope you post pictures on the Forum when you're finished.
Tree Farmer
Posted by: A400L
I use U bolt along the top of my railing to attach my tie-downs to, as well. NEW tires would be a good idea, since most trailer (utility style) manufacturers put used tires on to begin with.
What I'm working on now is finding some thick sheet metal, preferably diamond plate, and cutting it to cover the open area in the frame up front (where the trailer ends and the rails extend to make the coupling). I want to bolt or weld that on, allowing me place a srorage box, or mount a spare tire there.
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Jerry Goodman '99 400L, '98 TBlazer
Posted by: Texridr
I experienced the same problems as everyone else has mentioned here with tie-downs, especially the part of keeping up with them. So, in an effort to reduce the amount I have to keep up with, I started using chains and a binder. I looped a 2' piece of chain through the frame of my ATV just above the front skidplate and joined it with a connector. I then bolted a 1.5' piece of chain to the tongue of my trailer. To tie my ATV, I just connect the chain on the ATV to the chain on the trailer with a binder and then close the binder to pull it very tightly against the floor and the top rail on my trailer. Both chains are permanently attached - one to the trailer and one to the ATV - leaving only a binder for me to keep up with. The one on the ATV also serves as an attachment point for pulling. This method takes very minimal time to fasten my quad and is much more secure than nylon tie-downs.
Posted by: mudmachine
Mark,
One thing I did to mine is cut the railing from the front passenger corner to the last vertical support before the fenderwell. After cutting the rail free, I welded a steel barn hinge to it and back to the trailer railing, on the other end, just welded on a piece of flat steel and blew a hole thru it and the corresponding spot on the rail. Now I have a place for a BRASS master lock.
Now, I can load my Scrambler from the side, and the Yamaha from the rear.
The idea of being able to load straight thru to the back of my truck has me thinking... I might try that in a little while with my folding ramps and see what happens... HHMMMMM???????
Posted by: tony
well heck my lil hauler seems kinda dull compared to all that. my uncle had horses about 10 years ago and when he got rid of them he parked the horse trailer and didnt touch it. well when i turned 16 i took that trailer back to my house, chopped off the roof and sides, and had my neighbor weld railings on the sides. im still working on it but it fits two quads nicely with room for some of my gear. im currently looking for a street legal rail buggy with a trailer hitch to haul my trailer and quads to my riding area. this way i can drive the buggy but still have my quad. by the way i know noone really cares but im still 16
tony
'97 banshee
[This message has been edited by tony (edited 08-11-1999).]
Posted by: 01ds650
My trailer has a 1 foot high railing all the way around it. Drill out some holes in the posts of the railing and add eye-bolts for tiedowns. Cut off the excess threads on the outside. I have ratchet tiedowns with the S-hook style ends. You can also just drill holes in the railing and hook them in there. Paint over the broken paint from the drill. I have a solid floor on mine so I bought 4 recessed tiedown mounts that bolt to the floor that work well. Also, reflective strips and lights !!! I don't trust those other idiot drivers at night. They will hit my traler and knock my quads into next week!
I also put new tires on mine. I found a nice set of white letter ones on sale and threw on some Farm & Fleet hubcaps that were on clearance for good measure. (They look like Chevy trucks rims from my dads '97 4X4 only 15in instead of 16in. ) I also cover all my wires in convuluted (plastic) tubing. I also welded tiny chains to the pins for the gate so I wouldn't lose them, plus drilled small holes in the gate pins so I could put a cotter pin in each one.
Thats about it I guess...
c-ya,
Andrew Thomas
'99 Scrambler 400 & '99 Trailblazer
Posted by: Rob_Maggard
I think I may throw my two shiney cents in as well seeing as how I have a degree( one of several) in trailer fabrication. I make alot of trailers and sell them to local farmers and ranchers. I had one a while back (6X10) but sold it for way more then it was worth. So I am currently building another one(5X12) primairily for atv use. I really don't use trailers to haul my bikes around any more. I have an '85 chevy one ton cube van with an 8x14 enclosed box(7' tall) with two REBEL (not confederate) flags painted on each side. I can fit four bikes, plus gear all in the rear, and then pull a couple hundred gallon fuel trailer to the Little Sahara dune park and stay a good week( when I have time) Also with the enclosed box, I can lock them in there at night, and not worry(as much) about some punk stealing them. I have several other pickups but seldom use them for hauling my bikes because they sit up too high my four byes are flat beds and they have 33's on them with a four inch lift( not a monster truck, but it gets the job done, also I can run duals with 33x10.5x16 super swampers) I also have a couple of 3/4 ton two wheel drives, but one has a utility box and the other has a flat bed on it, but also has a welder in back. I also have a total of seven, yes seven 2 to 2 1/2 ton dumptrucks and flat beds also used for hauling. If all of these trucks seem impossible to have, trust me I own them. When you have over 2500 acres of farm land, a welding business, a hauling business, a backhoe business, a diesel mechanic business(trying to get out of), and a custom farming and trailer fabrication business.......well you do the math. I'm terribly sorry for rambling on and on about things off of the subject, I tend to do that sometimes. So if you need any specific questions answered let me know.
350XX, 250R, 200XX, 450S
Posted by: kevin_staton
One of the guys in our club has a trailer with a recessed tie-down in the front and one in the rear. He runs his winch cable through the front tie-down then through the back tie-down and then hooks it onto his ATV's trailer hitch. A couple hundred pounds of of pull from the winch and it locked down tight. If you do this, make sure your winch has the brake option on it.
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Kevin Staton
Windrock ATV Club
2000 Polaris Magnum 325 4x4
Posted by: Brian_Kimmel
Go to ATV Connection and click on Product Reviews then scroll down to Quad Transport/Security and check out their reviews on several different products that are available for quad transport.
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Brian Kimmel - 97 Timberwolf
Posted by: loonatic
as for lights, i always put one on the fender. either facing foward or on top, that way people can see it and its alot easier to backup at night, you can always tell where the fender is. for tie downs, did you ever see the bike clamp? they make one for quads now, home depot has all the metal you need, a couple of bends and there it is. i just got an enclosed trailer, got lots of plans for it. oh yea, if you have a v-tongue, you can make a nice box in the tongue to store stuff. i blew a tire on my triler once, quad tire fit so i could get to a service station
Posted by: Ryan300EX
Mark, I recently did a little modifying to my flat top wood trailer. Because there are no wheel wails the road spray comes up on the bottom of my wood. I have taken aluminium plate and secured them above the tires and where the tire spray would hit. I also coated the wood on the bottom with a undercoating material that car dealerships try to sale you. Basically, I should never have my wood rought out or crack. I have also sanded and coated the top of the wood with a sealer. After all this prep work I'am placing grip tape on the spots the ATV tires are placed, and where I walk around them. In the winter the snow and water make the top slick. Hope this gives you some more ideas.
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