Finding a quality pickup truck loading ramp can be a challenge. There’s a lot of options on today’s market, which makes it difficult to find the perfect one. But we did a ton of research and singled out some key factors that’ll make this process much easier.
Factors to consider when choosing a pickup truck loading ramp:
- Type of Off-road Vehicle
- Loading Ramp's Design
- Truck Bed's Height
- Loading Ramp's Foot
- Off-road Vehicle's Weight
- Loading Ramp's Size
- Location Conditions
- The Loading Ramp's Surface
These factors might seem a little vague when reading them for the first time. It's nothing to worry about as we'll discuss each of them at length below. So please, keep reading and learn how understanding these factors can help find the perfect pickup truck loading ramp!
Things to Consider When Buying a Pickup Truck Loading Ramp
Each of these factors will play an essential role in determining the best ramp for your situation. This section will have detailed discussions about these factors and provide the info needed to make a sound decision.
Type of Off-road Vehicle
One of the first steps in this process is knowing what you intend on loading. This factor matters because every off-road vehicle’s going to have different weights, sizes, tire tread, and ground clearance.
These measurements will be crucial in determining what type and size truck ramp fits your situation. For instance, ATVs have larger tires and need a loading ramp with rungs spaced farther apart.
Golf carts are the opposite and need a ramp with rungs closer together. It’s little details like this one that’ll end up making the right decision more clear.
Loading Ramp's Design
You’ll need to choose between either having a single ramp or a dual runner setup. Both options are useful and acceptable options to load your off-road vehicle effectively. If you get a single model, this product will hold your entire vehicle and easily fold or unfold.
A single ramp’s ability to fold or unfold comes in handy when storing them. It makes sure these products don’t take up a lot of storage space. But these models do tend to be heavier than their dual runner counterparts.
You can also adjust dual runners to handle bigger vehicles than a single ramp could ever manage. Overall, this choice will come down to your preference and the size of the vehicle you intend on loading.
Truck Bed's Height
Regular sized trucks usually require a ramp that’s 7 feet or longer. This amount of length should provide everything needed to ensure the loading goes smoothly. But some pickup trucks are lifted and demand a longer truck ramp.
If your truck’s lifted anywhere up to four inches, I’d suggest getting a 9.5-foot ramp. It should offer a more natural and effective using process. But if your truck has a lift of more than four inches, it’s recommended you get an 11-foot model.
Of course, you can always get an 11-foot ramp for a standard truck as well. These guidelines are just the bare minimum of what we suggest getting in these situations. Honestly, it never hurts to get a truck ramp that’s a bit longer than what we suggested here.
Loading Ramp's Feet
If you aren't familiar with this term, it refers to the loading ramp’s part that touches the ground. There are three different types of feet to consider when choosing a loading ramp:
Knife Feet
This type provides a smooth transition from ramp to the ground by converging at the bottom. Due to this, ramps with knife feet would be an excellent option for trucks with little ground clearance. It’ll ensure no damage occurs during the loading process.
Stub Feet
Stub feet offer a bit more strength than the other two types. This aspect makes them ideally suited for larger loads and height ranges. These feet happen to excel in offering versatility. In fact, stub feet are the best option in both two areas.
These qualities make these feet a suitable option for heavier vehicles such as SUVs and trucks. Higher ground clearance vehicles also tend to function better with stub feet ramps.
Roller Feet
Ramps with roller feet or wheel-ends are designed for semi-trailers which have the purpose of hauling cars. These feet make sliding the ramps into a trailer’s ramp storage pockets a simpler task.
Off-road Vehicle’s Weight
Knowing your off-road vehicle weight is a vital part of choosing a usable loading ramp. This info should be available in the vehicle’s manual. If it’s not, you shouldn’t have any issues finding it using the manufacturer’s website.
You’ll need to factor in the other things that contribute to its loading weight. These extra components include the weights of the driver, fuel, cargo, attachment, and any accessories.
Most of this info can be found using the respective manual or online aside from the fuel weight. In this case, it’d be wise to assume every gallon of gas weighs about 8.5 pounds.
You’ll then need to add up these figures and get your vehicle’s total loading weight. This figure will be necessary to determine your truck ramp’s loading capacity.
Loading Ramp's Size
The truck ramp’s size will be another thing that needs your focus. You see, most pickup truck tailgates are higher than what you’d see with a trailer. This factor means the loading angle will be steeper.
You’ll want a longer truck ramp to deal with this steeper angle. It’ll make sure the process goes off without issue and the steeper angle easier to manage. The truck ramp’s width will be just as important when you’re making this decision.
Single version truck ramps will need to have the same width as what you’re loading. It’s a precaution to prevent the vehicle from slipping off and causing damage.
If you want dual truck ramps, each ramp should have the same width as the off-road vehicle’s tire. These ramps will make unloading and loading the vehicle a much easier and less stressful task.
Location Conditions
Your loading location should play a significant role in choosing a truck ramp. Think about whether you’ll need to load in snow, mud, gravel, dirt, sand, rain, or on uneven surfaces. These situations will be more manageable with a ramp with open rungs.
The open rungs will offer better traction and allow the extra debris to fall through. Having a dual ramp setup would also help in these situations. This setup will make it easier to unload and load on uneven or bumpy surfaces.
The Loading Ramp's Surface
The loading ramp’s surface isn’t something to take for granted. For instance, an extra smooth surface can cause some severe slipping issues when loading. It’d be in your best interest to choose a model with either of the following surfaces:
Serrated Rung Surface
Ramps with a serrated rung surface will feature horizontal metal strips. These metal strips will have the same amount of distance between them. Each strip will be serrated to offer better traction for a vehicle’s tire and pull upward or forward with ease.
Perforated Punch Plate
If you intend on loading during rainy or snowy weather, a perforated punch plate ramp would be a solid choice. These ramps offer the most reliable grip and ensure the vehicle doesn’t slip regardless of the weather conditions
Best Pickup Truck Loading Ramps
We thought sharing ten examples could help move this process along quicker. It could turn out that one of these models ends up being the right choice. After all, these options are the best in today's market.
1. GEN-Y Hitch 7-foot Aluminum Truck Ramps
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
2. Titan 8-foot Aluminum ATV Loading Ramps
These dual ramps are perfect for loading smaller vehicles such as an ATV. Their 8-foot length should mesh well with standard pickup trucks and make steeper loading angles a non-issue. The 1200 pounds each one can hold isn't too shabby either.
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
3. Yutrax 89-inch Folding Aluminum Truck Loading Arch Ramps
If you're looking for a practical and straightforward option, these arch ramps would be a good choice. Their aluminum design and 1500 pound load capacity make them great for loading vehicles such as golf carts or ATVs. Their ability to fold is another engaging trait as it makes them easy to store.
4. Black Widow IBF-9550 Extra-Long Bi-Fold Truck Ramp
Customers looking to load in rainy or snowy weather should consider this option. It’s a weatherproof ramp with a serrated rung surface, which provides great traction. You should love that it comes with safety straps and can support 1,500 pounds as well.
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
5. Titan 10-foot Aluminum Truck Loading Ramp
Our next product features 5/8 rungs that’ll offer great support when loading larger vehicles. It has an arched design to provide better clearance and makes the loading process much easier. Don’t sleep on this ramp’s other features either such as its 2700 pound load capacity or 10-foot length.
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
6. Yaheetech 7.5 foot Aluminum ATV Motorcycle Loading Ramp
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
7. GENY GH-R144 Aluminum Truck Ramps
This product happens to be the longest ramp on our list coming in at 12 feet long. It's capable of handling almost any vehicle with its 8,000-pound load capacity. The weather won't matter either as it features serrated rungs to offer top-notch traction.
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
8. Black Widow AFL-9012-2 Truck Ramp
The serrated rungs on these ramps offer superior traction and lessen the risk of slippage by a large margin. Its lightweight design is another trait that you should love. This design will make sure you can spend less time loading and more time having fun.
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
9. Yaheetech Pair 7.5’ Aluminum Truck Ramps
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
10. Pit Posse 89-inch Folding Loading Ramp
You can see more of this product on Amazon.
After reading this article, choosing a pickup truck loading ramp should be easy. It's just a simple matter of applying the info learned here into your search. But if you do run into trouble, feel free to leave your questions in our comment section. We'd love to help in any way we can.
I am currently looking for a truck lift. These tips are really helpful in my choice of what type should I purchase. Thank you for sharing this information!