Anybody use the Harbor Freight tri-fold ramps?

[WAATV]

I have one that I purchased just last week. They were on sale at Harbor Freight for ~$70 and I had a 20% discount coupon - a combo deal I couldn't refuse.

Previously I'd been using the separate steel ramps also sold by HF; they work fine and are incredibly strong but don't have safety chains. More than once, when I was done using them, they were hanging onto the tailgate by no more than an inch. Pretty scary. I was considering using my ratchet straps to hold them against the tailgate but now that's not an issue.

The tri-fold ramp is three inches shorter than the separate ramps, which makes it even steeper. I drive a Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 and its tailgate is REALLY high, so my loading angle is super steep. Even the service tech at the dealer was scared when he drove my ATV up the ramps. However, I've gotten used to it and they're no steeper than some stuff I ride on the trails [grin]. One handy trick, if you're on a street, is to back the truck up to the curb... the ramps then sit above street level by several inches and the truck bed will already be at a downslope, so the angle is greatly reduced.

My biggest complaint about the tri-fold ramp is that it's too narrow. It's a huge improvement over the separate ramps because they could "go wrong" in either direction. But I'd be happier if the tri-fold were a few inches wider. As it is, the tires on our Sportsmans are basically even with the edges of the ramp on both sides. Since the tire pressure is ultra-low you can survive having some tire off the edge, but it's not the safest thing in the world.

Overall, I'm happy with my HF tri-folds, particularly at the price I paid.

[WAATV]

A quick glance at DiscountRamps.com shows they have ramps up to 95 inches long! For comparison, the Harbor Freight tri-fold is 69 inches long and their separate steel ramps are 72 inches long.

Pay careful attention to the width, though. Some of those wider ramps are rather narrow.

Also, some of them are essentially two separate ramps held together in the middle by a couple of crossbars - not really a continuous ramp, and not much better than the HF steel ramps. If you're going to have a wide ramp, get one that can support weight all the way across.

[svbackstreets]

When I bought my Sportsman 450 they showed me their tri fold for $150. When I said I was going to look at Harbor Freight the service man helping me said "that's where I got mine."

The ramp seems a little steep on my F250 4X4. I want to get out my high school geometry and figure out the angle.

Going to HF today to look at the ATV jacks.

[svbackstreets]

My Harbor Freight aluminum tri fold measures 66". The bed of my 2001 F250 4X4 is 33" from the ground. That makes the ramp angle exactly 30 degrees.

The first ride I ever had on an ATV was backing my SP450 out of the truck. The dealer loaded it by pushing it up the ramp. Backing it out was a little scary.

I have driven up and down these ramps about ten times. Feels steep. I go real slow in low and lean as far forward as I can.

Is it possible to roll over backwards at this angle from a dead stop in low gear?

I'm thinking of either longer ramps, elevating the bottom, or using the winch to load and unload.

A 78" long ramp would change the angle to 25 degrees. Raising the beginning of the ramp six inches would do the same.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/righttricalc.html

I do not want to end up underneath this thing.

[WAATV]

Originally posted by: svbackstreets
My Harbor Freight aluminum tri fold measures 66". The bed of my 2001 F250 4X4 is 33" from the ground. That makes the ramp angle exactly 30 degrees.

Sounds like my setup, with a Dodge 3500 4x4. It's really steep and I do the "lean forward" thing too. However, I don't think you're going to roll it unless you're moving backward and step on the brake pedal (which only engages the rear brakes). ALWAYS use 4WD and Low range when on the ramps and do everything slowly.

Another thing I do to make it better is back up to a curb (the street crowning improves the truck's bed angle) and let the ramps rest on the lawn or sidewalk (another few inches). Out in the rough, you can do something like the same thing by finding a trail that isn't dead level.