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Hauling sled in the 5.5 ft truck bed. Does it work out ok?
Sled has a 163 track. Is it going to damage the tailgate?
Sled has a 163 track. Is it going to damage the tailgate?
Sled in truck bed
- Thread starter Detox
- Start date
Hauling in the back of my truck (5.5' bed) is my favorite way to transport one sled. It will not break the tailgate if that is your question. I do strap it in the box. Traveling with the tailgate down does make the tailgate susceptible to rocks bouncing up in my experience.
crappy ramps that fly off the tailgate putting all the load on the back edge are what wreck tailgates. Not weight on them while driving.
I destroyed my tailgate on an 8' box truck. Issue was i was broke college kid, ****ty ramp and it always fell down leaving me spinning my track frantically on the back edge which is pretty rough on things. Also carbides hooking etc wrecking the edge.
If your running a mtn sled, no need for carbides. Wear bars. Then they wont dig into the metal, cut things up and break stuff nearly as bad.
I destroyed my tailgate on an 8' box truck. Issue was i was broke college kid, ****ty ramp and it always fell down leaving me spinning my track frantically on the back edge which is pretty rough on things. Also carbides hooking etc wrecking the edge.
If your running a mtn sled, no need for carbides. Wear bars. Then they wont dig into the metal, cut things up and break stuff nearly as bad.
I used to haul my 153 track sled in my Raptor with the 5.5 ft bed no problem. I think damage to the tailgate depends. I know a 3rd gen Dodge tailgate wont last too long on rough forest service roads but would probably be fine for mostly highway. The Raptor had the step in the gate and the assist handle is pretty stout, it folds flat across the gate and I think adds strength. That tailgate held up fine. My current '12 f250 is a short bed but at 6'8", not that short. I have a spare "sled tailgate" for this truck. I don't think it would hold up very well on the forest service roads we run to access our honey hole.
5.5ft bed is going to be pretty short for a 163 machine, all but the first 6-8 inches of the track will be hanging out. Do-able but not ideal. You need a bigger truck... At least a sacrificial tailgate from the junkyard if you have a decent truck.
5.5ft bed is going to be pretty short for a 163 machine, all but the first 6-8 inches of the track will be hanging out. Do-able but not ideal. You need a bigger truck... At least a sacrificial tailgate from the junkyard if you have a decent truck.
163 Axys in 5.5' Ford.
I got tired of pulling a trailer and opted for the box last season. I put a piece of plywood down first. This protects the box and helps distribute the weight across the bed and tailgate.
The ramp is a tri-fold atv ramp with ski guides attached. I went with one of the longer ramps I could find so I can approach it at a controllable speed.
I got tired of pulling a trailer and opted for the box last season. I put a piece of plywood down first. This protects the box and helps distribute the weight across the bed and tailgate.
The ramp is a tri-fold atv ramp with ski guides attached. I went with one of the longer ramps I could find so I can approach it at a controllable speed.
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Hauling a sled in the back of a truck is definitely more convenient and compact, but something people don't think of when considering doing this, is the road chemicals. The salt and/or magnesium chloride is absolutely BRUTAL! You can go from a shiny new pipe to a rusted one in just a couple of weeks. Most think using a cover will solve the problem . . it doesn't! The mist created when vehicles drive on wet (chemical laden) roads gets into absolutely EVERYTHING!! Any place air can get to, the mist and chemicals will hitch a ride and be there too. Yes, this mist gets under the hood, even with a cover on tightly.
Personally I would never haul my sled in the back of the truck unless the roads are completely DRY! So, the enclosed trailer is used 95% of the time.
When i do haul it in the back of the truck (6.5' bed), i use a "deck" made of a 3/4" thick 4x8 sheet of plywood, painted on ALL sides with a oil based paint (with grit in it) in the bed of the truck. I attach old bed liner strips (8" wide) for the skis to ride in the grooves. Then slide it back to about 3" from the end of the tailgate. Doing this helps to relieve a bit of weight from the tailgate.
I use a RevArc ramp for loading/unloading.
Obviously enclosed is the best option, but I have been doing the back of the truck for years and never really had a problem. In my opinion it stays cleaner in the back of a truck than on an open two place trailer, with or without a salt shield. Tailgate down, strap from one side, thru the skid, then ratcheted down. Never moves, leaves room for cargo, and the added benefit of the weight in the backend so you can hammer the interstate getting to you snow haven! I've been using a $100 ramp and happy with it. Sold my two place trailer this year as all it did was sit and get in my way.
Get a truck bed extender to take most of the weight off tailgate. Something like this.
https://www.amazon.com/MaxxHaul-702...ocphy=9024749&hvtargid=pla-434851568615&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/MaxxHaul-702...ocphy=9024749&hvtargid=pla-434851568615&psc=1
My truck bed has a line-x liner.
I use Skinz ski savers to keep the carbides from digging in and making the entry/exit smoother.
I bought a set of tailgate supports that snap on and off for extra tailgate support ($59.99 at dgmtailgatesupport.com). They work great.
I use Skinz ski savers to keep the carbides from digging in and making the entry/exit smoother.
I bought a set of tailgate supports that snap on and off for extra tailgate support ($59.99 at dgmtailgatesupport.com). They work great.
I do not run carbides on my skis. Not only are they hard on truck beds and ramps but they grab at rocks and trees in the back country. I switched to hard weld runners and have never looked back. Carbides are for trail sleds...
I even hauled sled in an Avalanche with this setup.
Works very good.
It probably makes loading and unloading a little trickier.
D
Thanks for the replies.
It's a new truck, and I was worried about folding the tail gate, and what the carbides would do. I'll look for a sacrificial tail gate, and run a piece of plywood with some track strips. A good ramp sounds like a must have item.
Regarding the road salts. Nasty stuff. My trailer is an open trailer, so I'm sorta stuck either way.
Regarding carbides. Last year, the snow was lacking at low elevation in southeastern ID. We did run on some ice, the clear type, for several hundred yards, multiple stretches. The carbides suddenly seemed nice, but the track wanted to lead sometimes.
I'm a bit of a newby to sleds, so it's nice to have some information from experienced riders.
It's a new truck, and I was worried about folding the tail gate, and what the carbides would do. I'll look for a sacrificial tail gate, and run a piece of plywood with some track strips. A good ramp sounds like a must have item.
Regarding the road salts. Nasty stuff. My trailer is an open trailer, so I'm sorta stuck either way.
Regarding carbides. Last year, the snow was lacking at low elevation in southeastern ID. We did run on some ice, the clear type, for several hundred yards, multiple stretches. The carbides suddenly seemed nice, but the track wanted to lead sometimes.
I'm a bit of a newby to sleds, so it's nice to have some information from experienced riders.
D
I watched a guy unload his sled without a ramp. He just backed it out until the sled tipped enough for the track to hit the ground, then he blipped the throttle to drop the skis. Seemed a little abusive. Is it?
The truck was a beater ford, but the sled was nice.
The truck was a beater ford, but the sled was nice.
Back in the day... we always used a ramp. Now when coming off the two place we usually just back them off the ~2 foot drop. Out of the back of a 4wd truck? That is starting to get to be a pretty good drop and I wouldn't do that regularly. The new sleds do have impressive suspension made to be beat around quite a bit but... just buy a ramp.
I also never run a cover on short trips with the sled in the bed, they actually stay really clean. On the open 2 place, even with the shield in front, I always run the cover.
I also never run a cover on short trips with the sled in the bed, they actually stay really clean. On the open 2 place, even with the shield in front, I always run the cover.
Same deal on all of that. I've dropped sleds out of truck boxes hundreds of times...either drug them out, or backed them out with reverse (standing beside them). I wouldn't ride them out in reverse, that just sounds like a lot of weight on the tailgate at the breakover point. But like you say, I wouldn't make a habit out of it....it's pretty easy to flop one on its side, and it's probably just not the easiest thing for it on a hard surface. In a pinch, no problem.
There is a comment from up a few responses about how this topic was started after the purchase of a new truck. Biggest issue I had over many different years and trucks, is salt. Not only on the sled, but inside the box of the truck. If you are in an area that only sands the roads - great ! But that's not reality for me. In MN/WI area, they are excessive about salt. So I go enclosed unless the roads are guaranteed to be dry.
That said, I think about the truck bed often. First would be to protect that truck bed, esp if new. Have a bed liner sprayed into it, or go with the old school plastic bed liner. That way you significantly reduce the corrosion potential. Then a sheet of 3/4 plywood (pressure treated preferred) with ski guides of some sort to keep the runners/carbides from grabbing the plywood. Finally, a pressure washer to get the salt off the sled when back home, and out of the back of the truck. If you want to save on the ramp - plan on a snowbank. Pretty easy to find them where I ride ;-) And I built a wood ramp that sat next to my driveway at home.
Good luck !
That said, I think about the truck bed often. First would be to protect that truck bed, esp if new. Have a bed liner sprayed into it, or go with the old school plastic bed liner. That way you significantly reduce the corrosion potential. Then a sheet of 3/4 plywood (pressure treated preferred) with ski guides of some sort to keep the runners/carbides from grabbing the plywood. Finally, a pressure washer to get the salt off the sled when back home, and out of the back of the truck. If you want to save on the ramp - plan on a snowbank. Pretty easy to find them where I ride ;-) And I built a wood ramp that sat next to my driveway at home.
Good luck !
- Oct 14, 2008
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i have been running a "Keleaz wramp" (kind of a roll-off ramp/carrier combo) and fenderwell tool boxes on each side. The sled is quite protected since the ramp extends 18 or so inches out the back (6'6" box) and is nearly 48" wide. The tool boxes extend the side height about 8 inches. Even so, I cover the sled most of the time. I am sure I am the slowest guy out of the parking lot since I load and unload lunch, gatorade and electronics and cover and uncover each time.
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