[awbackflow]

I'm looking at the Ace to use on the pipeline to run up and down the ROW and was wondering if any of you that own an Ace now have hauled your atv in the bed of your truck. Will it fit in a 8' (long wheel base) truck bed with the tail gate closed. The reason I ask is that when I have to move my travel trailer I will need to close the tail gate. I saw an ad where they had it loaded in a truck (which looked to be a short bed with the tail gate down). I will be going to the local dealer this week to look at one but wanted to ask the group as you have had time and knowledge to share your opinions.

By the way this is a great site with a lot of information on the ace thanks in advance for any input on this as I'm trying to keep from pulling double trailers


Thanks again MIke

 

[70cyclone]

Yes it fits fine in a 8' truck with the tailgate closed.

 

[awbackflow]

Thanks for the info 70cyclone, I will be going to check them out this afternoon.

 

[70cyclone]

Its a nice machine. I think it would be perfect for what you need. Not a speed demon but great payload capacity and will crawl really well. And as with all sizes and brands of quads, the tires are probably the best way to improve it.

 

[awbackflow]

You are correct 70cyclone it is a nice machine just got back from a test ride and it did great. The one I test drove had after market rims and tires and compared to the stock that will be a first mod to be made. I'm not looking for speed as you cant go much more than 10-15 mph any way on the ROW most times it will be at a crawl. I was surprised at the power the 32 hp motor had as I'm not a small guy, probably quicker to jump over me than run around, but still had no issues going up hills never even had to put it in awd. All in all very impressed and as you said it will fit in the bed of my truck with no issues, now all I have to do is sell my mini truck that I used along with the camper top I have on my truck to make room for the new atv.

Thanks again for the help
Mike

 

[oldmattb]

How about a short-bed pickup? I have an '06 Tundra with a roll-up bed cover. A quick measure indicated that the rear tires of the Ace would be square in the middle of the tailgate. I am thinking the tailgate would support the weight, but an extra 200 pounds of pressure from tie-downs and a good bump would make for a disaster.

I am going to measure again with the bed cover removed.

Matt B

 

[oldmattb]

I measured without the bed cover, and the rear tires would be centered on the joint between the truck and tailgate. With a truck payload of 1875 pounds, I should have a safely placed load within the capacities of the truck. I have had more concrete mix than that several times.

Now thinking about the tailgate... Do you guys load with a ramp on the tailgate? I have loaded my 800-pound Honda Rancher many times with no problems. My thought is that the leverage of the ramp prevents the full weight from being borne by the tailgate - by the time the rear axle gets near the edge of the tailgate, the front axle is already in the bed. Though my thinking could be way off...

What say you?

Matt B

 

[70cyclone]

I load on the tailgate of my F250 all the time with no issues

 

[Scoundrel]

Welcome to the forum!

This is one solution for the tailgate strength issue: http://www.dgmtailgatesupport.com/tailgate-supports
But unfortunately, they do not work with Toyota tailgates due to how the latch works.
I've seen forum threads discussing it and the vendor has known this for some time but still does not offer anything for the Toyota.
Seems like if it was something that could be fabbed up, they would have done it by now, so you're probably out of luck there.


The poor man's solution might be a set of standard automotive ramps: Solid Steel Auto Ramp Set
The front end lift solve the issue of your bumper hitting your rear window, and shortens the overall length of the machine.
Don't know if you'd be able to close the gate but if it got the axle over the hinge instead of in the middle you'd be good.


If you want to go a little fancier, several vendors make ATV Risers that lift the front wheels so the whole machine fits in the back.
Here is one example:SCH Trailers Alberta Canada


Then of course there are DiamondBack ATV Decks - but they're kind of spendy and raise the center of gravity quite a lot.


Beware of your tailgate coming off if you drive the truck with the tailgate down.
Tundra Design Flaw: NEVER Drive Your Tundra Tailgate Down! | Tundra Headquarters Blog
With my GMC, a big, fat industrial strength zip tie around the half-moon retainer was enough to ensure that the tailgate would not flop out. Some people use hose clamps.

 

[Scoundrel]

I load on the tailgate of my F250 all the time with no issues

It's kind of like running stop signs. You might not get hit the first 50 times you do it.
Then the 51st time sucks really bad.

 

[Vinny]

I didn't find the process of loading it into the truck highly enjoyable. I used 6'-8" ramps and would have preferred 9' ramps. I was surprised at the weight of the thing in the 1500 and how high it sat. BE SURE TO USE TIE-DOWNS ON YOUR RAMPS SO THE BACK TIRES DON'T KICK IT OUT. 4X4 in low gear. Here's a picture of it in an 8' box.

 

[Scoundrel]

You get used to it, and as long as your ramps are secured as you said, it ain't no big thing.
The real danger comes when the tires are wet/muddy.

 

[70cyclone]

It's kind of like running stop signs. You might not get hit the first 50 times you do it.
Then the 51st time sucks really bad.

well I don't park/leave things on it but i get what you are saying

 

[70cyclone]

I use a bi-fold ramp...personally I would never use the individual ramps
at home I can back up to a retaining wall thats almost perfectly even with my tailgate, obviously that doesn't help me at a trailhead

 

[oldmattb]

I didn't find the process of loading it into the truck highly enjoyable. I used 6'-8" ramps and would have preferred 9' ramps. I was surprised at the weight of the thing in the 1500 and how high it sat. BE SURE TO USE TIE-DOWNS ON YOUR RAMPS SO THE BACK TIRES DON'T KICK IT OUT. 4X4 in low gear. Here's a picture of it in an 8' box. View attachment 1674

+1 on securing the ramps! The truck probably has enough movement to crawl out from under the ramp tabs.

Wet? Muddy? What is that? (we are in Tucson)

 

[Scoundrel]

well I don't park/leave things on it but i get what you are saying

I read enough horror stories about tailgate cables snapping and the tailgate folding down, damaging the gate, the hinges, the bumper, etc to realize that the reinforcing bars were a lot cheaper than the insurance deductible. That being said, I have only been using those bars when loading the RZR. The ACE is a lot lighter and I haven't been bothering with them.

However, once I'm loaded up, the tires are in the truck bed. I'll never haul with tires on the tailgate. The added tension of the tie-down strap plus some hefty bumps on the freeway or in a potholed gravel road leading up to the staging area might be enough to break the strap and fold the tailgate.

The rated tailgate strength for various vehicles is apparently not widely known - but you also have to allow for manufacturing defects, particularly in the little clamps that hold the wires together after they hook around. All I know for sure is: I don't want it to happen to me.

Something to consider:
Tailgate Cable Capacity & Tension - Loading Vehicles & Equipment


Vinny: I'm looking at the squat on your truck with the ACE loaded. Have you considered a set of Timbrens? They replace your hard rubber bump stops with not-as-hard rubber cones that start resisting sooner than bump stops, and resist more as more weight is put on them. They don't touch when there is no load on the truck. They're relatively inexpensive and people love them. I have a set and I believe they help me a lot with my toy hauler. No drilling or irreversible truck modification required, but you do need to jack it up and maybe take the wheels off to get at the bump stops. Just pry the old bump stops out of their holders and cram the Timbrens in. Shove a 2x4 in there between the Timbren and the frame, lower the truck to fully seat the Timbren, lift the truck again and remove the 2x4. These things are a middle ground between stock suspension and air bags. No maintenance issues like air bags, and they're cheap.
Home - Timbren Industries Inc. Suspension Products

 

[Vinny]

Timbren's look neat Scoundrel. I wish I would have tried them years ago. I just picked up a 2500 HD so that truck in the picture won't be too much longer. I haven't put the ACE in the back of the 2500 yet. It sits up much, much higher than the 1500 so I'm working on modifying my ramps a bit to make it less stressful of a task.

 

[Scoundrel]

Yeah, my GMC 2500 long bed laughs at me when I load the ACE, like "Is that it? You got anything else you wanna throw in there too?"
But the angle is pretty steep. Fortunately, I like hill climbs.

 

[The Texan]

We load both the Ace and the Rzr in our truck backwards, so the engine weight is in the bed, not on the tailgate. Also use the long EX Supports for the Rzr and the 10" supports to keep the tailgate almost closed with the Ace. We have 7' trifold ramp and the wife is the one who loads both. She has no problem driving them up backwards.

 

[Scoundrel]

Loading into a truck backward would scare me.
Your wife's a brave one.