RTV Transport

[L.C. Gray]

Have any of y'all tried hauling your RTV 400/500 in the back of your pickup? Was it a long or short bed?

Being small enough to put in the back of the pickup was the main feature I chose the RTV 500 for. I wanted the ability to haul it in the bed of the truck and still hook onto the travel trailer. Unfortunately I forgot that key fact when I last traded pickups and now have the first shortbed I've ever owned.

We're wanting to go to Colorado next summer and do the Alpine Loop. The options are:

1) Haul the RTV in the back of the truck and find a place load and unload it to run the loop. Pros: I'd have my own off road capable vehicle to use on my own schedule. Cons: More weight and drag. It'll Max me out on RAWR and GVWR with the TT on.

2) Loop in the F250 Sooper Dooty 4x4 Crew Cab Short Bed. Pros: I'd have my own comfortable 4x4 vehicle to use on my own schedule. Cons: Kinda large for the loop and it'd bad to tear something up on the tow vehicle and be stranded 1000 miles from home.

3) Rent a Jeep. Pros: Nothing to haul and risk damaging. More capable and maneuverable. Cons: $175/day and you're on their schedule. If you do tear anything up, you could be at their mercy.

 

[Daren Todd]

Sounds like you need a toy hauler. Then problem solved. Got the camper up front, toys in the back. Pull with the super duty

 

[L.C. Gray]

Taking the RTV along would be a rarity, too rare to justify having a toy hauler that doesn't really fit our style of RV traveling.

 

[skeets]

One thing you might want to think about with a short bed is the tail gate,, They aint as strong as they use to be, I have seen several bent when running bikes on over them ( big bikes) and one with the arse end of a 4 wheeler sitting on it during transport. Just a thought. one was a ford and the other two were ricers, just sayin

 

[L.C. Gray]

Tailgate would have to be off to clear the trailer anyway. According to the specs, the wheelbase should fit in the bed floor, just haven't tried it yet.

 

[Lil Foot]

When Yamaha Rhinos first came out, lots of people tried hauling them in pickups with the rear wheels sitting on the tailgate. Many bent tailgates, tailgate hinges, & bumpers resulted. People found that if you had to haul them that way, parking them on a pair of full length 2"x12"s was the only way to save the truck. An extra step, & kinda scary to drive it up on a tall truck, but doable. I prefer a 10'x6' utility trailer, or the 32' toyhauler.

 

[NEPA Guy]

You're gonna have a blast. I used to live in Colorado. More off roading than you can imagine! If you get the time, Just above Boulder, theres a town called Nederland. Just past the town you'll see a sign called Caribou. Used to be an old silver mine, now mainly for offroading with some camping and shooting spots. I used to take my son on our atv up there for day trips. Great for ATV's, RTV's, Jeeps, Trucks. Its amazing.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

Do you have an equalizing hitch with your TT. With an equalizing hitch you should be able to get some weight off the rear axle. No help for the GVWR, except to run as lightly loaded as possible.

 

[L.C. Gray]

Yeah, I run an EQ hitch. My rig sitting on the scales shows I have 1,720 lbs left on the RAWR with my rig fully loaded and bodies on board for a weeks travel. The RTV itself weighs in at 1,340 lbs, but just a little of that will hit the FAWR where I have another 820 lbs left.

Amazing what you'll learn from a trip though the scales... but then again it might scare you too...

 

[D2Cat]

Rent your toys when you get there. Then the problems with be theirs, and you can have a more relaxed trip.

 

[Tooljunkie]

As far as loading/hauling goes i have built tailgates,ramps and decks for hauling atv's in trucks. Shortbed requires the tailgate be sloped back to accomodate atv's. Ramps latch onto custom gate and ramp slips under 3" deck or raised floor. Lightest i have seen. Handles 900 lb snowmobiles with ease. Thought i had photos. Guess i deleted.

Local government has me build a couple every year. It doesent raise load by much, ramp is relatively lightweight or at least manageable and gate is solid and takes some abuse,as well as covered with expanded metal. Flow through.