Hauling ATV's in F150 6' box

[bearfat]

If you have the F150 with the 6' box and have the predrilled holes just inside the tailgate (Ford has a very expensive gate accessory that attaches there) use my poor man heavy duty cable jury rigged device. Cost was around $30.00 and I leave it in permanent since it flips out of the way if need be (like when I drive ATV into truck).

Has not shown any stress to rear panels. Gives you a strong tie down point to hold the ATV in. Certainly would work with the even shorter 5' boxes. I hauled my Polaris 6x6 with the rear wheels sitting fully out on the tailgate for years with this jury rigging.

Pic below highlights where holes are. I ran some plastic tubing in first to provide a guide for the three sixteen's inch cable I ran thru three times. You could just use heavier cable to begin with but it was what I had laying around. You'll get the idea looking at the pic.

[30-30man]

I haul mine mostly in a samll garden trailer but when I tow the camper I have to put it in the back.  I just lock the brakes and closed the tailgate. It is a tight squeeze( Yamaha Bruin 350) but I have a Dodge ram.  I don't know if the bed is any bigger than your Ford as I have the short bed as well.  I've always had a fear of hauling things with the tailgate down.  If the tailgate won't shut, I suggest buying a small garden trailer, steel mesh type with a loading ramp.  I paid $450 used for mine and it will hold two atvs.  A trailer is much safer than messing around with ramps and all the hassle of getting them into the bed.

[bearfat]

30-30man I have to agree. I just traded in my truck and the damage behind the cab window the ATV caused pushing against it cost me alot of money on the trade in.

I went out and bought a steel 24" high sided 5'x8' trailer with 15 inch wheels. Cost was $1300.00 (10 year warranty).



After looking at my ramps which were slightly bowed from the 1000 pound MV7 and the ramp shifting in soft gravel on me 2 weeks ago as I  decided it was just a matter of time before something would be breaking...and maybe it might have been bone.

I plan on doing some jurying rigging with the new trailer and will post developments. What's really slick is this thing will take the half mile hand made trail into the cabin with the 15" tires on it, so one trip in instead of the 2-3 runs I've been making with the ATV back and forth. The small 12"-13" tires on my other little trailer just can't handle the ruts. Too much stress on everything. And I sure didn't want to haul the ATV on that thing since it is very old and small.

It's amazing what I see guys hauling their 5 thousand dollar ATV's on. I wouldn't haul a dead dog on some of their little trailers, and certainly not at 70mph.

[Thebear_78]

I picked up a  trailer made out of the rear end of a ford ranger pickup.  The wheel wells had been removed and the it had been lifted  with regular full size tires.  Its not much to look at but it pulls great and handles the bumps much better than most atv trailers with small tires.  It also is nice because its not as wide as most trailers so when I get to where I'm going I drive the 4 wheeler out of the trailer,  and then hook the trailer up on the 4 wheeler and head out. 

[bearfat]

I know what you mean with the small tires. 1st trailer I used was a 100 dollar lawn trailer which actually survived pretty good  until bearing go out. Had plenty of spare tires. They were fairly cheap.

I got a 1980 pinto axle that has about a 6" curve upward from the wheels. It was great for going over stumps and stuff. Used a small boat trailer frame on top of it but had to give it up when I sold boat. The axle has been in storage ever since and I'm just about ready to slap another poor man's frame on top of it. I'll post pic's.

I ain't taking the new trailer out in woods. It's too wide for where I go after I get into the cabin yard.