Just installed my Handy Ramps!

[Victor]

I've got a '99 Isuzu NPR HD, that I just finished installing a pair of Handy Ramps on, and I think I'm in love! I'll never go back to a truck, and trailer again for mowing. The only thing I didn't like about it was the weight of the ramps. I'm 6'3, 235#, and really strong, but would dread having to lower, and raise those ramps 18, to 20 times a day. The effort required to lower, and raise those ramps was the only thing I didn't absolutely love about my "cuttin rig". So I installed an assistance system, that makes handling those ramps a breeze. I can lower, and raise them with one hand. In fact when I'm letting them down, the way I have it set up. The ramps are lowered down under control, without me having to support any of their weight. To raise the ramps now. I just push inwards on the end of either of the split ramps, and that ramp starts raising up, to fold up against the back of the truck. This is gonna be a good year! When I used to use a truck, and trailer, I had a 16 foot tandem trailer with a full-width gate. I installed an EZ-Gate on the trailer, but it wasn't close to being as easy as this. Oh well. If any of you guys with box trucks, are thinking about getting a set of Handy Ramps, get with me if you'd like to know how I did it.

Vic

[cos]

Is it possible to post a pic of these ramps?

[gogetter]

Come on Vic, make with the photos!!:D

[Strawbridge Lawn]

An NPR may be in my future so any info on the ramp stuff would be appreciated. My goal is to tow a dump trailer (when needed) to haul material to sites.

What is the weight capacity of the ramps?

[Victor]

I haven't taken any pictures of my set-up yet. I plan on doing so soon though, because I'm going to try, and sell the design of my "lift-assistance kit" to Steve at Handy Ramp. I found out how badly I was going to need this kit once I finished installing the ramps, and tried lowering, and especially lifting the ramps up against the back of the truck into their transport mode.

Steve said the ramps are rated for 4000 lbs, and I believe it. They are extremely well made. Upon close inspection, I saw that they use a truss design. To install them, you definitely need to use a forklift, or a lot of guys to help position it on your truck. I opted for the 12 ft long ramp set-up. I knew I'd need the extra length to comfortably get my Lazer up the ramps without hitting them at the bottom. My HP still hits the ramps if I don't put one back tire up on the ramps, before the other.

The ramps are held in the transport mode byy a pair of uprights that have two sleeves welded to them. The ramps each have a single sleeve that goes between the two, and you slide a lock-pin down through the 3 sleeves to hold the ramps in the upright position. I'm currently working on a better way of holding my ramps in the upright position. I think I can do better than this.

I'm sure I'll have a bunch of pics soon if Handy Ramp wants to buy my idea.

Vic

[gogetter]

Man Handy Ramps needs to work on that website!! I hear good things about their products, so I'm not knocking them.
But it's almost 2004 and they're still using small, black and white photos! Sheesh!

Vic, do these bolt on or weld on? Also, their site mentions torsion springs to help with lifting/lowering ramps. Did yours come with these?

The more I look at the pics you posted in your other thread, the more you got me thinking about this type of set up.

[Team Gopher]

Here is a pic of them. Click the image for site link.

http://www.ezramps.com/images/handy2.gif (http://www.handyramp.com/page2.html)