Need dolly ramp recommendations

[Todd]

Hi All,

I need to be doing some moving of appliances into and out of my garage in to my house. The rise from outside of my house over the sill is 6". My refrigerator dolly can do this, but I am getting a little old for the power/strength it takes. The drop over the side of the sill on the inside of the house looks to be only about 3/4".

Is there some kind on ramp I can put in from of the sill so that I do not have to go 6" straight up? Reusable, portable? Do these things securely hold my dolly with refrigerator attached?

Many thanks,

-T

[gfretwell]

If you have a power saw, making a ramp with some 2x6 and plywood is pretty easy

[DD_BobK]

My parents' garage had ~4" step from the slab to side yard walk way. To make it easier to move a wheel barrow, wheeled trash containers or other items over the obstruction, I made a ramp out of 3/4" plywood. I was about 18" to 24" but I cannot recall exactly.

To do the 6" rise, I would suggest ramp 3' to 4' wide.

cheers Bob

[The Daring Dufas]

I've seen some metal end pieces for sale at hardware outlets in the past that you can bolt on your own 2x10 boards to make ramps. Amazon sells a few them.

TDD

[Jim Elbrecht]

I second those. I picked up a set at Lowes for $20- threw onto some

2x8's and have loaded & unloaded the trailer with ease- and wrangled a washing machine up a 4step stoop by myself.

Jim

[Colbyt]

Dolly wheels should be no more than about 24" apart. For occasional use a scrap of 3/4" plywood could be enough.

Though to be safe I add a scrap of angle cut 2x6 to the part butting to the door and a couple of wedges along the sides.

I have a 5 foot long ramp I built for getting the lawnmower in and out of the truck made from 2x4 and 1/2" OSB. When we used it for contractor sized loads of dirt and rock all I did was add a few lateral braces, think ladder style. I did not pay $20 for those ramp brackets I used some heavy weight wall angles to each stringer. For the wheelbarrow duty I added temporary legs to the rear.

For a 6" rise across which you will roll not sit, you don't need much.

[Robert Neville]

You could make a ramp, but it's really not necessary to have a perfect slope. Get a 2x8 the width of you door and nail a 2x6, then a 2x4. Otherwise start with a 2x10 and sand or saw the slope.

[Oren]

1) Go in another door if a ramp is not needed

2) Use a helper

3) Use scrap lumber: Stack on top of each other.

2X6, then a 2X4 and a 1x3. ..wide enough for the dolly.

No tools necessary

[aemeijers]

Sorta in the same vein- those temporary ramps always like to shoot out from under you. I've found it helps to add a flap of sheet metal at the top, extending over the high side. This also helps protect threshold. I've even made an easily-movable 8" -rise wheelchair ramp that way, that the helper could drop in the door opening when needed. A couple tapered

2x triangles for the sides plus a cross-piece or two to keep the sides vertical, nail plywood over the top, and then the metal tongue. Tape to cover sharp edges, and some sort of handle. (I forget what). This was a quick'n'dirty from junk found in the basement, but it worked well enough that I never needed to come up with a proper solution.

[DerbyDad03]

As long as everyone is describing their ramps, here's how I made mine, all from scrap:

For each ramp, I screwed a 2 x 8 to a 4 x 4. I relieved the ends of the 2 x 8's to eliminate the "step". No flex what so ever it would take an awful lot of weight to bend what is basically a 4 x 6.

They were originally made for loading a riding mower into my trailer, but have since helped move an upright piano as well as a few other heavy objects.

To move the piano out of the house the ramps were actually used as a bridge from the front steps to the trailer, with a sheet of 3/4" ply as the "rolling surface".

[Todd]

Hi TDD,

From the picture of the brackets, it is not clear if there is some kind of grabber to hook over the sill. My concern is to keep the ramp from shooting out from under me.

Many thanks,

-T

[DerbyDad03]

re: "The biggest difference between men and women is, men will do stupid things even when they know ahead of time that they're stupid things."

I'm not too sure I agree with that comparison. After all, my wife married me.

[The Daring Dufas]

I believe there are starter ramps for the ends that have rubber grips. I saw some real nice ones that metal on both ends of a customer's own boards. The floor end had nonskid rubber making them useful for concrete floors.

TDD