Jump to content

driving smart up ramps


PEIFamily

Recommended Posts

I designed my deck to be high enough to store the ramps across the frame rails underneath the deck. You can see the storage method (and the arm I use to bring the winch cable up to bumper height) in my Photobucket build album.

 

Dennis - hard to believe it has been almost ten years! (Man, I'm getting old!). I designed the deck late on '05, had it built in early '06 and picked up the smart in PA in April '06. The day we bought and loaded it was the first time I had actually seen a smart in the flesh.

Dennis & Nancy
Tucson, AZ in winter, on the road in summer.

1999 Volvo 610 "Bud" 425 HP Volvo, Super 10 spd.
2005 Mountain Aire 35 BLKS
2013 smart fortwo CityFlame riding on Bud
(Replaced '05 smart first loaded in '06

and '11 smart that gave it's life to save me!)
Our Travel Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you hone eagle and Budd for your responses. Yes a lot to think about. The bed of the dually is 108" to the outside of the "pockets." We've trailered it before but the dually bed is so very much higher. We have until next June to decide how to do this. I presume the Smart Car Ramps will fit solidly on the bed or in the pockets. That's something for us to learn about. Nothing is cast in stone at this point! :unsure: I'll keep an eye on this topic to learn more about the ramps.

Kathy, at 108" wide you are already over the 102" maximum width per federal guidelines. What smart do you have that is longer than 108"?

 

Have you verified that both your front axle and rear axle on the truck can handle the increase in weight once the smart is loaded?

 

Why are you loading sideways, it looks the bed could handle the smart loaded from the rear?

 

Do you plan to pull a fifth wheel or other trailer along with the smart?

 

To answer you question on the winch most have it removable but you can mount it fixed below the bed and have a removable pully system.

 

Dave

2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch
2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler
Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you!

 

Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/

for much more info on HDT's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use the ramps from Big Boy Ramps and just drive up. Have 22.5 tires and the deck is built as low to the tires as I can. I try to always load from the high side and usually drop the air suspension. I have not noticed much difference if I forget to air down. It is difficult to drive up if I load from a low side. The best help is wheel blocks bolted down to dive up to and not worry about going of the other side.

2005 Western Star, MDE 4000 ,singled mid, 12' deck with Smart Car
Bison Stratus 3 horse with 16' short wall 12' slide out

http://www.spottedhorsegallery.com/
http://www.campingandhorses.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

They simply rest on the deck edge for loading ,the weight of the car keeps them from moving

 

I pin the truck lip with a couple of long 3/8" bolts through my bed and put on nuts on the bottom to keep them from 'popping up" during a loading. I have had this happen more than once when I did not have nuts on the bolts and the last time it happened, one bolt popped up high enough that it caught the front lip of the bed pan cover and ripped it off the Smart. It also struck a piece of the suspension before being stopped by contact with the frame. I still have the bent bolt (about 10 degree bend in it) to remind me that failures don't always come with warnings but when they do, pay attention.

 

Discount Ramps sells an installation kit that includes an extruded strip to fasten to the edge of the bed. You drop the flange on the bottom of the top end of the ramps into the grooved AND, per their instructions, attach a tether to the truck under the ramp to draw the ramp to the truck. The problem with this system was that it only worked well when the ramps were being used on level surfaces with the foot of the ramps at exactly the right height. Too high, and the tang on the ramp would not go down into the pocket in these strips. This was why I opted to use bolts and finally, did away with these strips. I can now safely load/unload from any angle from a surface that is on the same plane as the truck tires are resting on. I can and have loaded from a surface that is on the same plane as the Smart bed surface. Basically, using the ramps as a horizontal bridge. This has been helpful a few times when I needed to inspect under the Smart or do some maintenance. Kinda like having a lift with me all the time.

 

No matter the circumstances I would never load/unload the smart without having the ramps solidly pinned to the bed of the truck. If I can't pin them the Smart doesn't get loaded..... a guy has to have some standards.

RVBuddys Journal Our progress into full-timing.
Budd & Merrily ===-> SKP# 088936 Other Websites:---> Hub of all my blogs
Clifford - 2000 VNL64T770 :: DakotR - 1999 C40KS King of the Road :: $PRITE - 2013 Smart Passion w/cruise

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful comments. My husband has decided to get a trailer instead. With its own built in ramps! Since it's my little smartie that makes me feel a lot more secure! :)

 

I hope some of you Smart car owners might consider the National Rally in June! I noticed the URL is not completely displayed but you can look up

2016 Smart Nationals on Facebook or ...

 

Web Site - http: // smartcarnationalsdeadwood [dot] webs [dot] com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...