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Engeneering Help! Loading Ramps

S

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member
Getting ready to build a set of ramps for the Bobcat trailer.

This is a 753 Bobcat, according to the manual it weighs 4700#, lets call it 5000# with the bucket attachment. The wheel base is 36".

I want to make the ramps 6 ft. long, 16 in. wide. The back of the trailer is low to the ground, about 12 in. It pushes down even lower when the Bobcat is going up the ramps. The ramps will hinge at the top.

The boss wants to use C channel for the sides, then weld 2x3x.250 angle between/inside the C channel on 8.5" centers.

My question is , what size C channel should I use?
I'm thinking either C3x6 (which is 3"d x 1.596w x .356 web) or C4x7.25 (which is 4"d x 1.721w x .321 web)

This is just something I came up with, no formula applied, so it could be way off...

Any suggestions? Should there be a support leg in the middle?

Thanks!
 

6 foot long means that they will be too heavy, and with out a center to ground brace, they will bend.

shorter ramps will be lighter, will not bend but be a bit harder to load.
 
Mine are about 4' long... 2" channel with a brace at the front of the ramp that makes it ground bearing and that brace angles back to the mid span of the ramp. I would say that would be more than adequate for you as you're working with several thousand pounds less weight that I'm dealing with. I walk up those ramps sometimes with nearly 7.5k on 2 wheels... Mine use 1.5" angle for crosses in the ramp and were originally finished with 1" deep deck grating on top of that... but the grating is after breaking off so I just run on the angle.
Your biggest challenge will be getting that machine to climb the ramp... You'll probably have to back on and may have to tow it on.

Rod
 
If this helps 4' seems to be the number
a171553.jpg

a171553.jpg
 
The 3" sounds about right but they are going to be heavy I estimate about 80 pounds each, Do you have a reason to use the !/4 x 2 x 3 for the cross pieces? Would you consider 3/16 x 2 x 2 ? Did you consider a cantilever design? They have to support the weight but you need to keep the weight and cost reasonable
 
My formula for ramp has always been to load a 10,000 pound load 3" for 4' ramps, 4" for 5' ramps, and 5" for 6' ramps. Use 3" channel open up for the cross pieces. The 3" 4' ramps on my brothers trailer bent loading his 14,000 lb 2290 case. Each extra foot of length takes twice the weight in ramps. Skid loader ramps need to be a bit heavier than tractor/vehicle ramps because they inevitably bounce while loading. Why you want them so long? For 12" of rise 4' will be long enough unless you want to load cars. These are just my rules and they have held up on dozens of ramps.
 
Make sure the "foot" of the ramp is forward of the pivot...otherwise they won"t stay stable as you drive onto the trailer. They"ll flip up behind you. My skidloader weighs 6-7000 lbs and the ramps are about 4 feet long, made of 3 inch channel, with angle iron crossbars.
 
I'd say he wants them long so the skid will load without upending... They're notorious for not effectively climbing steep steel ramps. As I said, mine are 4'. I manage... with a longer wheelbase machine that probably has better footing. I think he's quite correct in his assumption to go with a 6' ramp.

Rod
 
You could just load it this way . Fairly common here in Australia as well , at least when no safety inspectors are looking !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gViO-kmJNyg
 
6' is incredibly long for ramps to load a skid loader. With a 12" rise 4' is enough unless he wants to drive on forward, in that case 5' will do. Loading a skid loader by driving forward onto a railer is dagerous for both loading and unloading
 
You contradict yourself... On one hand you say 4' is dangerous while on the other hand say it's enough. I think that was the original point. Make the ramp long enough that the grade is reduced so it's not so dangerous. I drive mine on/off head first all the time as long as I have at least a modest amount of weight on the front... but I also have 8-10" more wheelbase and a lower center of gravity than he's likely dealing with. I think he'd get along OK with the longer ramp. It'll be heavier and a bit more cumbersome but if it serves the intended purpose than I don't see a problem. I'd just make sure to not overbuild it as the thing he doesn't need is excess weight in it for it's intended use. If it was loading a 12000# tractor that would be a different story.

Rod
 
I didn't contradict myself, I said loading by driving forward is dangerous no matter how long the ramps are. Read your owners manual about safe operation of your loader, it will clearly say to put the heavy end up hill. Loading with the bucket forward is a good way to end up tipped over. And if you have a comercially built skid loader trailer it was designed to have the loader backed on. If you load the other way it throws off the ballance and doesn't utilize the trailer the way it was designed to be used. Forward loading requires longer ramps as well, longer is heavier, heavier is more expensive. Regardless of the load being loaded every extra foot in ramp length doubles the weight needed to be strong enough for the job. Very few people I've met want heavier when lighter will do the job.
 
Jon,I'am not a skid steer lover,but 95% of the ones(we see) are always loaded bucket first(forward) unless they are ones on the rear end of a load so the bucket doesn't interfere with the load.I have never seen a Dealer load one backward either.
 
This debate has come up several times here and seems to be a regional thing. I say read the manual for proper operation of the machine and it will tell you how to do it. I'm not sure why you see it done that way so often, but I think that more inexperienced drivers will drive up so they can see what they are doing. I'm not debating how you want to load, but telling how it affects the ramps and the weight of the ramps, and ultimately the cost.
 
I would go along with the 5' ramps are long enough being the trailer is only being 12" off ground.
My trailer is 32" off ground and ramps are just a little over 7 1/2 feet and have no problems loading.
 
I generally load forward 95% of the time either because I'm placing something on the trailer ahead of the machine or because I do not want the exhaust facing forward. It's easier to back on... but honestly, with the NH I have it makes little difference as long as it's got something on the boom. Driving on with nothing but a bare attachment plate is a bit dicey... I'll say again tho... a NH loader is not like most other loaders. Their weight distribution and wheelbase is a fair bit different and they can drive up a considerable grade before they sit on their arse.

Rod
 
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