Estimating wooden ramp strength

That information has to be around someplace. i have seen good cammo paint jobs done with spray paint (in a can).

Is that a real rating? Seems like that would be kinda high for a single axle trailer like that.

The axle is 6,000 lbs rated. I bought it new. The entire trailer weighs less than 2,000 lbs. My estimate is about 1,700 lbs.

Regarding use of 2x4s vs. 2x6s on sides, I decided to use 2x4s and center support (support the ramp in the middle), which I can do with cinderblocks or jackstands, etc. Makes ramps a lot easier to deal with.

Nice!

Barry, thank you!

Somewhat wood related (wood vs. metal), I really like the fact that its bottom (deck) is made from steel, not wood. Makes a lot of things a lot easier. (like dragging stuff)

Also check Northern Tool and Tractor Supply. I've seen tese at both...

The axel rating is only part of the equation, you also can't exceed the tire rating nor the rating of the vehicle pulling the trailer.

Any one of those specs exceeded and the Highway Patrol can side line the trailer until the load can be made legal and weight tickets like this are priced by the pound.

As I sse the problem with the angle idea is that when the ramp is loaded, the bolts you use to secure the angle to the wood will want to twist in the wood, ant that would as I see it be the start of a failure.

By using the steel on the underside as I suggested the sag would be limited to the ability of the steel to streach against the unwillingness of the wood to compress against the end grain like a wall stud.

You could induce a little preload when welding the rods to the end caps if you flipped the ramp upside down and between two fulcrum points. If you welded one end, and then placed a weight on the center the wood would flex down, (Actually "up" in its usual orientation.) and then you could weld the other end. When the weight was released, the rods would already be in tension.

Tires came with the axle. The truck is rated for something like 9k lbs. The hitch, I think 10k lbs.

Agreed.

Durrr! Take lots of pictures, so you can duplicate it! ;-P

Locate spray cans of the flat camo paint colors you need or have them mixed if you want to use a touch-up spray gun. Some mixed paints with flattening additives need to be shot 'fresh' (within a few months of mixing) or they revert to semi-gloss.

Fix the rusty.dented spots. Prime and spray base coat.

If the spots have fuzzy edges, you can freehand the camo splotches. Practice each color on a piece of cardboard to make sure the gun is primed and shooting a solid pattern before you go for the trailer.

If you want defined edges, use plain old masking tape to outline the paint areas and then mask off the surrounding area - depending on the paint chemistry the 3M Blue (long mask) or Green (tough surface) tape.

They have tapes with specialized adhesives to work with lacquers and certain other aggressive solvents. Read the label.

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Just as a reference, my father made some ramps of 3"x12"x~10' rough sawn live oak he used for over 30 years to load levee rollers on the bobtail IH. The levee rollers were concrete spools with heavy angle frames that weighed about 4800 lbs. We'd put three on the truck and deliver them around to implement dealers, which is why I had a commercial license at 16. Dad had mounted a hydraulic winch in the bed, and we'd tilt the dump bed about 5 deg. up to load and unload. Those old loading ramps never broke, although they did develop a raised ridge over time down the middle. I guess something to do with the way they were sawn.

Every time I took a load through the old Baytown tunnel, I'd have to stop for an inspection. The chain boom handles had to be safety wired, 2"x4" cleats nailed behind the rollers, etc. I guess they didn't want to see three rollers unload down the tunnel as I exited.

The ramps were also a bear to handle, being pretty damn heavy. The attachment to the bobtail (single rear axle truck) was just a small angle bolted to the ramp set in a groove formed by a piece of bar welded to the back of the bed.

In my state of CT, you register a trailer for a stated gross weight, subject to inspection. All homebuilt trailers are required to be inspected to get initial and transfer registrations. Are there states that just hand a plate to a homebuilt trailer without inspecting it? I would imagine Ig had to have his fine workmanship inspected at registration.

If you're under the card GVW weights for the trailer and tow vehicle, you're good to go, no negotiating required.

Many recent pickups are rated for at least a 6000 pound tow. Even my "midsize" '05 Tacoma can legally tow 6500. Unless you're driving like a bad episode of "CHIPS", I doubt most cops would bat an eyelash at Ig's trailer behind a full-size pickup.

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The paint scheme will be found in TM 43-0139.

Kevin Gallimore

Here in Maine all they want to know about small homebuilt trailers is the color and what you paid for it . But I assume you can be cited for unsafe operation or some other catchall if you're doing something stupid.

I registered it with a 5,000 lbs gross rating, and it did not require an inspection in my state. I made sure that my trailer conformed to regulations with respect to lights and braking.

Nice! IN CT, ANY homebuilt has to be inspected.

I'm sure your work would impress the inspectors.

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You forgot an important question.

While the 2 x 4s are probably more than sufficient for most things on an 8' span, that 2 x 8 is going to be getting a lot of pressure in it's weakest direction. If you're running something up the ramp that has a wide tire that can disperse the load across the board, there's no problem- but if you've got something like a piece of machinery on narrow casters rolling up the center, there's a reasonable chance of splitting it. Wood is strong in compression on the endgrain, and in resisting bowing forces, but pretty weak along the grain.

If you're just making one set of ramps, you might want to consider using LVL beams instead- they're like a 2" thick piece of plywood that is glued under immense pressure, and then you'd be really reducing your chances of splitting the ramp down the middle because the grain is alternating. They're not the cheapest things in the world, but neither is 2 x 8 SYP, and you only need one, cut in half.

I'd also be tempted to bolt the wide side of the ramp 2x8" timbers together every foot with allthread, fender washers, and nuts. This will prevent the ramp from splitting into two ramps even if the wood splits.

One could omit the glue, and be able to disassemble the ramp for transportation and storage.

Joe Gwinn