Loading a Golf cart in the back of a truck [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

1goofy1

01-20-2008, 11:10 AM

I have a few stupid questions for those of you who have loaded a golf cart in the back of a truck and who tow a travel trailer.

How long are the ramps that you use and how difficult is it for two people (one man and one woman) to load the golf cart in the back of a truck?

We are on the fence about a toy hauler and a travel trailer. The price of Toy haulers makes us consider a travel trailer and loading the golf cart in the back of the truck.

auntie

01-20-2008, 11:25 AM

My husband and I have done this with a pick up. Frankly, I'm not sure how long the ramps are..I'd have to check. When we are at the campground the easiest thing to do was find an area to back up to where the land was higher ..does that make sense? I'm sure I'm not explaining that correctly. This way the ramps were not on such a slope. Was pretty easy. When getting it home that was another issue. We have the truck in the road backed in toward the driveway..with the ramps extended over the apron onto the side walk. Again...less of a slope when the cart came off. Of course hubby backs it off..and We all cross our fingers and hope for the best!:rotfl: Only kidding!

ejmbibb

01-20-2008, 11:26 AM

I have asked this before too, and I was told its pretty easy. Just use the longest ramps you can find, the longest I have seen were 94". I was also told that if you have a 4 seater, that even on an 8' bed you will need to either leave the gate down, or take it off. I hope this helps a little, and I will be reading this thread with you, we are still looking for a cart. We found a local place that will rent us one for $350 for a month, as compared to the $500 it would cost just to have it while at the fort, but then we would have the loadig problem as well.

auntie

01-20-2008, 11:31 AM

Oh...that's right we did need to leave the tail gate down.:thumbsup2

1goofy1

01-20-2008, 11:33 AM

Are you able to drive the cart on the ramps onto the bed of the truck or do you push it? We have loaded our dirt bikes in the back of the truck and that is 200lbs each as compared to loading a golf cart at say 500lbs or more.

terri01p

01-20-2008, 11:48 AM

My dh loads the golf cart himself and ties it down and gets it out all by himself, while I watch..;)

We had to buy our ramps off of the internet because our golf cart had a standing platform on the back so we need long arched ramps so when unloading it wouldn't drag the ground.

What we bought were 10 foot long arched ramped from discountramps.com. They were a bit expensive but they are very heavy duty and will last a life time.

This is one thing we did not like about FW we thought they should have a golf cart unloading area so people don't have to lug those ramps when traveling so far. They have an unloading area at the beach which is very easy and nice .

We have to chain our ramps to our tt, people have tryed to steal them more than once. :scared1:

Oh by the way we would love to have a toy hauler just can't afford one right now, we have to take the back tailgate off of our Silverado 3500 whenever we travel with the cart because it's so long, the tailgate slips off pretty easy, but it is aggrevating to mess with.

lawnspecialties

01-20-2008, 12:06 PM

We'd love to have a toy hauler but have "perfected" our way of loading the golf cart so much, we don't feel we "have" to get one.

I have an F-250 long bed and the golf cart does have a back seat. I bought a pair of 7' folding ramps from Northern Tools. I also use two 4' sections of 2"x10" treated boards laid from 1/4 up the ramp to the ground to take off the steepness of the ramps right at the ground.

The cart goes up this fairly easy although it is a little scary thinking if the ramps broke.

Once loaded, I take the tailgate support cables and wrap them around the locking pins (the pins attached to the bed which keep the tailgate locked up).
When wrapped around once, it holds the tailgate at a 45 degree angle. This is perfect since it doesn't hit the cart and doesn't hit the TT.

We're loading the cart Wednesday and I'll try to get some pics while we do it.

1goofy1

01-20-2008, 12:12 PM

We're loading the cart Wednesday and I'll try to get some pics while we do it.

Pictures would be great.

Are you able to drive the cart on the ramps onto the bed of the truck or do you push it? We have loaded our dirt bikes in the back of the truck and that is 200lbs each as compared to loading a golf cart at say 500lbs or more.

TheGreatGonzo

01-20-2008, 12:41 PM

Pictures would be great.

Are you able to drive the cart on the ramps onto the bed of the truck or do you push it? We have loaded our dirt bikes in the back of the truck and that is 200lbs each as compared to loading a golf cart at say 500lbs or more.
I think you'l find an electric cart is closer to 900 - 1000 lbs.

terri01p

01-20-2008, 12:44 PM

We had at first bought ramps from Northern Hy. too but they buckled on us now that was pretty scary, doesn't help that my dh is a big man either.

That's why we had to buy arched ramps, truth me you won't push the golf cart up the ramp, you will have to drive it up and it's really not that bad, once you have done it once or twice it's easy. We have a long bed truck also but still end up having to take the tailgate off.

Gatordad

01-20-2008, 04:22 PM

1goofy. we took one trip with the cart in the back of our truck to the ft. I didn't like driving the cart up and down. I have ramps i can sell you, they're heavy duty steel, hold 1500lbs each. they were like $350 on ebay, and they are perfect. we bought a toy hauler.

terri01p

01-20-2008, 05:04 PM

If you have an option of buying a toy hauler do that, we have looked at many of them and they are just to dang expensive for what you get, we just couldn't afford one, if that's not an option then a golf cart in the back of your truck will work just fine, you'll never know it's back there whenever your traveling.

AuburnJen92

01-20-2008, 05:15 PM

When we had our TT, we put the golf cart in the back of the truck. We have a 05 Tundra Crew Cab. We (like Gatordad) got our ramp off the internet. It was an ATV ramp, which I would not recommend because we ended up having to put wooden inserts for traction. You are not going to be able to push it up the ramp. I eventually sold the ramp because we got a MH. It can be done with one person, however, I recommend someone else there for safety measures. Make sure you have the tie downs as well. We didn't have a back seat on ours and still had to leave the gate down.

LONE-STAR

01-20-2008, 05:16 PM

If you dont like driving the cart into the bed of the truck then mount a winch on the front of the cart or in the bed of your truck and winch it in and out. They sale a small elec. 12 volt winch for $70.00 at Wal-Mart.

auntie

01-20-2008, 05:18 PM

My dh loads the golf cart himself and ties it down and gets it out all by himself, while I watch..;)

Oh we watch too...and we stay out of the way. The man never curses...but when he's loading the golf cart or putting up Christmas lights...gotta cover your ears, and hope that young neighbor children aren't near by!:scared1:

We eventually purchased a utility trailer..rides right in. We just tow the cart, as our trailer has been on a seasonal site past few seasons.

BigDaddyRog

01-20-2008, 05:22 PM

LoneStar.....you are one true hardcore Texas good ol'boy, aint ya? Man...I can hear that heavy Texan accent even in your typing!!!! I bet you're a hoot to go drinkin with.

wrongagain

01-20-2008, 05:33 PM

If you are able to settle for something "golf cart like".

ricksesv.com/cricket

I was thinking of one of these because it should fit under the bus in one of the bays.
I think they were around $2000.00.
Four weeks rental at disney.

LONE-STAR

01-20-2008, 05:49 PM

LoneStar.....you are one true hardcore Texas good ol'boy, aint ya? Man...I can hear that heavy Texan accent even in your typing!!!! I bet you're a hoot to go drinkin with.

You caught me Rog. I do enjoy a good BEER:drinking1

bradisgoofy

01-20-2008, 08:42 PM

I have the heavy duty ached ramps, too, but I use them to load a Harley in the bed of my one ton Dodge on occasion. Although I don't haul the cart in the bed because I have a motorhome, I have test loaded it just to see if it would fit. Did it by myself without any trouble. I have a four seater and I would have to leave the tailgate down. BTW, are you checking to be sure you aren't overloading your rear axle with the weight of the golf cart and the tongue weight? Some may be pushing it with a half ton pick up.

lawnspecialties

01-21-2008, 02:19 PM

Gatordad

01-21-2008, 02:23 PM

Here's pic #1. These are the ramps I bought from Northern Tool. One is in the folded position. For extra safety, you can strap them to the bumper to keep them from sliding.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/lawnspecialties/GolfCartloading050.jpg

YOU NEED TO STRAP THEM TO THE BUMPER. I NEARLY KILLED MYSELF WHEN THE RAMPS KICKED OUT FROM UNDER THE CART

lawnspecialties

01-21-2008, 02:28 PM

Pic #2. The ramps are loaded and an extra 2"x10" is used on each one to lessen the angle.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/lawnspecialties/GolfCartloading051.jpg

lawnspecialties

01-21-2008, 02:31 PM

Pic #3. Headin' up the ramp. This is where you get a little nervous. By pic #4, you are now committed. Make sure you have ramps adequate for the weight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/lawnspecialties/GolfCartloading052.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/lawnspecialties/GolfCartloading053.jpg

lawnspecialties

01-21-2008, 02:33 PM

lawnspecialties

01-21-2008, 02:36 PM

Pic #6. I'll throw some tie-down straps on it just for safety (in case the parking brake pops off). After that, hook up the camper and head to the Fort.:thumbsup2

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/lawnspecialties/GolfCartloading055.jpg

ejmbibb

01-21-2008, 02:51 PM

Cool pics, thanks for posting them, I was wondering as well. P.S. I love the cart, NICE!!

1goofy1

01-21-2008, 03:58 PM

Thank you lawnspecialties for the pics. Also, thank you everyone for the info.

1goofy1

01-21-2008, 06:00 PM

Okay, I do have another question. I noticed in the pictures your cart is a lifted and our cart is standard height. Do you think that it would bottom out?

LONE-STAR

01-21-2008, 06:35 PM

Okay, I do have another question. I noticed in the pictures your cart is a lifted and our cart is standard height. Do you think that it would bottom out?

Depends on your truck. My truck is a F-350 4x4 with taller then stock tires and before I lifted my cart it did bottom out on the tailgate. If your truck is a 2 wheel drive you shouldint have a problem.

lawnspecialties

01-21-2008, 06:54 PM

Okay, I do have another question. I noticed in the pictures your cart is a lifted and our cart is standard height. Do you think that it would bottom out?

I doubt it.

Like Lone Star said, it all depends on the height of your truck. If you'll look at the pic closely, you'll notice a few things which may help you out.

First, the ramps I use have an arch near the top. This will help a lot against bottoming out on the tailgate.

Second, if you'll look closely, the truck is on a slight grade forward. That makes the tail stick up higher than usual and I too have larger than stock tires (not as big as Lone Star's). If I had the front of the truck actually uphill, I could probably drive a skateboard up there without bottoming out. What are you pulling with?

Either way, you have plenty of time to try options. I see in your sig. you're not going again until late in the year and even then, you're going to Pop Century. :sad1:

29bhs

01-22-2008, 06:16 AM

YOU NEED TO STRAP THEM TO THE BUMPER. I NEARLY KILLED MYSELF WHEN THE RAMPS KICKED OUT FROM UNDER THE CART
BIG TIME...GOT YOUR BACK,STRAP THEM DOWN TIGHT...Did the same,at the fort,take your time..

stacktester

01-22-2008, 06:42 AM

I have the ramps that fold in 2 for loading my 4 wheeler in the truck. I would never skip the 30 seconds it takes to fasten the safety straps. I saw a guy unloading a Grizzly 660 and the ramp slipped and the bike rolled back on him. One question I have to the people who haul carts in the bed is does the roof drag a lot?

lawnspecialties

01-22-2008, 08:38 AM

...... One question I have to the people who haul carts in the bed is does the roof drag a lot?

Are your referring to wind drag?

If so, I don't think it really has any effect at all. If anything, it helps fill the void in the bed of the truck which we know is a huge drag hitting the TT's front.

I've even heard several people say you don't need to strap down the roof but I do for long trips. One sudden updraft under the roof and then seeing it fly away and possibly hitting another vehicle. What a way to put a damper on a camping trip.:sad2:

tungpo1

01-22-2008, 12:19 PM

Are your referring to wind drag?

If so, I don't think it really has any effect at all. If anything, it helps fill the void in the bed of the truck which we know is a huge drag hitting the TT's front.

I've even heard several people say you don't need to strap down the roof but I do for long trips. One sudden updraft under the roof and then seeing it fly away and possibly hitting another vehicle. What a way to put a damper on a camping trip.:sad2:

Well said I take my roof off, especially after market 80" tops (what I have) you get a little wind under it and its possible it could come off!!!!:headache: :scared1:

1goofy1

01-22-2008, 04:57 PM

I doubt it.

What are you pulling with?

Either way, you have plenty of time to try options. I see in your sig. you're not going again until late in the year and even then, you're going to Pop Century. :sad1:

We will be pulling with a 1993 Chevy 2500 6.5 turbo Diesel with 1 ton suspension, lowered but not slammed. It is roughly same height as a 1/2 ton.

Pop Century is our back up plan if we do not get a Toy Hauler or TT.

LONE-STAR

01-22-2008, 06:19 PM

LONE-STAR

01-22-2008, 09:36 PM

Pic #5. This is how I run the support cables for the tailgate. It keeps the tailgate from hitting the camper hitch without having to remove it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/lawnspecialties/GolfCartloading054.jpg

lawnspecialties I was just looking at your picture
and got to thinking about how to close your tailgate. Not sure if this is a good idea or not for you but it looks like in the picture the floor board on your cart is only about 6 inches to low for your tailgate to close. If you had some blocks the
right thickness under the rear tires you could close your tailgate. Then strap
the cart down. But do what works for you.:thumbsup2 Just a observation
not a recommendation.

Us3

01-23-2008, 07:40 AM

Great thread, thanks for posting the pics! We'll be loading our cart (when we get it next month) into the back of a 2500 GMC w/ an 8 foot bed while pulling our tt! :thumbsup2

tungpo1

01-23-2008, 12:52 PM

At the very rear of the truck bed you should have two hooks on each side (most if not all trucks have them) hook a strap to one hook across the bed to the other side, lock the brake and you are good, if you have chocks you might want to put them behind the front tires for added security.

Minnie's Mate

01-23-2008, 02:50 PM

I use the same method as Lawnspecialties except I have an F-250 two wheel drive short bed. I bought a special rear foot rest that folds up flush with the rear edge of the rear seat, but I still can't close the tail gate. Initially, I looped the tailgate cable over the latch post as Lawnspecialties does, but that still didn't get the tailgate up high enough to clear my LP tank cover in sharp turns (a' la backing into campsites at FW). Now, I use a ratchet type cargo strap attached to the rear seat frame to ratchet the tailgate up until it touches the rear frame of the golf cart. I also use the same type of ratchet type straps to tie the golf cart down to the rear cargo hooks next to the tailgate hinges as a safety measure.

I have considered removing the tailgate, but haven't so far.

BTW, I once saw a TT being towed by a truck with a lifted golf cart in the bed that was lifted high enough that the rear seat's foot rest cleared the closed tailgate.

LONE-STAR

01-23-2008, 04:33 PM

This is a picture of my cart loaded in the back of my truck. Before I put my rear seat on. But I made a removable foot rest so I can still close my tailgate.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh13/yacht45/HPIM1422.jpg