Trailer Ramp Assist

[BigG]

I am sorry to be off topic again but I need a distraction from all the virus stuff. I do not want to ignore it but instead let it rest.

I have a Big Tex gooseneck with the Mega or Monster ramps. The are spring assisted but they are extremely heavy. Since I got stuck in a chair it takes me the better part of an hour to flip one ramp over. It is not pretty and it is not safe.

The easy thing to do would be to buy a hydraulic dove tail but they are pretty pricey. PJ also makes the Power Tail which is nice and more affordable. I was just wondering if anyone had ever seen a way to flip the ramps with out the hydraulic assist. Kind of like the idea of a horse drawn dirt moving wagon. They would make the floor out of narrow pieces of wood that were not attached to the wagon. When you wanted to dump it you removed the narrow board to allow the dirt to fall through. Not a great way to do it but it was better then shoveling it off.

So could you come up with a way to flip ramps from a wheelchair? I really am looking for some hair brain ideas that may or may not work.

I think I have an idea that might work but I am asking for your ideas before I spend the money experimenting on my idea. I have read enough of this forum to know there are some brains out there.

Thank you and I truly hope everyone can stay safe.

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

I put something on my utility trailer as my Dad uses it & the ramp was also very heavy & I didn’t want him to get hurt. I think it was Gorilla Assist, it does need to have a rail to attach to so it can help. Once it was installed I can raise with very little effort. Link to home page, looks like a few items that could help you out.

https://www.gorilla-lift.com/

 

[BigG]

I put something on my utility trailer as my Dad uses it & the ramp was also very heavy & I didn***8217;t want him to get hurt. I think it was Gorilla Assist, it does need to have a rail to attach to so it can help. Once it was installed I can raise with very little effort. Link to home page, looks like a few items that could help you out.

https://www.gorilla-lift.com/

For a utility trailer where you leave the ramp standing straight up I think that is a good idea. However my ramps lay flat in order to make the deck longer so I need to lift them to deploy them and then lift them to drive.

Thank you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAE_g-VWIaI

 

[BravoXray]

How about mounting a winch on the front of the trailer, with the wireless remotes that they have now I think you could run the cable out, connect to one ramp, winch it up, then connect to the other ramp, and repeat. A winch is also handy for helping broken tractors get home. You might have to clamp some kind of lever on the ramp depending on the angle to get it to start lifting.

Good luck!

Jerry

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

A couple of removable rods with pulleys on the ends to get the right leverage and an ATV winch would work nicely, winch them up and down.

EDIT: BravoXray types faster than me.

 

[Tooljunkie]

A couple high ratio gearboxes and a cordless drill. Couple minutes for each ramp.
I landed some gearboxes that are at least 100:1. Used for cleaning barn troughs.