Any suggestions on a ramp solution to load a snow blower into an SUV? At 170 pounds I'm just not up to picking it up, hahahaha. I've verified it will fit with the handle collapsed and the blower chute removed.
My concern is where they hit the truck. For safety they will need to hange over the edge of the back bumper by a couple of inches. No problem when loading in. But unloading, how do I keep them attached to the SUV long enough to get the weight on to them? As the blower rolls backwards I think the wheels will just push the 2x's rather than rolling over them.
Fasten a couple of approx 1' x 1' pieces of sheet metal to the tops of the 2x12 so the wheels roll onto the sheet metal before hitting the wood ramp; should keep it from slipping out.
Or... my store bought ramps have small chains on them that clip onto the hasp for the door lock to keep the ramps tight to the truck.
Depends on the boards. I tried 2x8 for a similar weighted object, and they sagged horribly. I finally bought the bullet and picked up a set of metal atv ramps. Talk about the cat's behind!
I use a couple 2x8's with these brackets. I beveled the ground end of the
2x8's for easier loading. I mixed up some primer and very fine sand to paint the 2x8's for traction. This works fine for me to load\drive my snow blower up into and out of my pickup truck.
When I brought mine home in my minivan, I jammed the low end of the ramps in a wide crack in the driveway. (2x8s from an old waterbed frame I trashpicked- knew I saved them for something.) I also picked my spot on the driveway halfway up the slope so that the ramps would be almost horizontal. If your driveway is crack-free, maybe a couple long spikes into the crack between driveway and garage apron? Or some long 2x4s up against the tires of your other car? You don't need much.
Is this something that you may have to do often, like taking the blower over to Mom's house after every snowfall? If so, you may want to invest in a set of ramps especially designed for that use. They can also be used to slide that large appliance into the SUV.
I built a home made ramp to load and unload about the same weight in the form of a shredder.
I used 2 2x4 about 60" long with angle cuts so that the vertical cut matched the bumper. That was 45 degrees or less. And a horizontal cut at the ground to seat it flat 120+ degrees.
Added a piece of 1/2" plywood (width about 6-8" greater than your wheel span) keeping the 2xs no more than 24" apart. Mine are not at the edge of the board.
The final step is to add 2 4x4 or 5x5 angle irons to the exposed vertical edge (bumper part) of the 2x4. The one side of the angle is securely attached to the 2x and the other can rest on the bed of your truck. This way you have no hump to jump when rolling on or off.
That was 10 years ago and the shredder is long since gone but my back still enjoys the use of the ramp when I need to mow a rental property lawn and don't have a helper to load the mower.
We used that ramp this summer to load a 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow full of dirt and almost full of rock quite a few times.
I will try to remember to write this up as an article when I can take pictures (think Spring).
Yes. I also need to take the ramps with me to unload at the other end.
The pet ramp on that page actually looks interesting. I'll have to measure the wheel base to make sure. If I use it's drive to walk it up I think I could make that steep incline.I'll have to pursue that idea some more.
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