Ideas on easily moving and unloading sleds from other women

[b5beauty]

I am in need of some cheap ideas on moving sleds around, and getting them up on the trailer without assistance. Let me mention… when I’m trying to get my sleds up on my 3-place flatbed trailer, I end up getting the track spinning and unable to get the sled up. I feel complete frustrations as I don’t always have help. <?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Also, another problem I have… getting the sled down off the trailer, I usually tear my driveway apart. So, the Polaris I have does have reverse, so I hit reverse to carefully back off the trailer. No matter how careful I am the carbides hit the drive way and simply put big divots into it. Any ideas on how to avoid this?
Because I am the single mom, but have the toys, I don’t always have the strength to do everything by myself. I just picked up a 2014 Polaris RMK. As I was moving my other sled around to get the new sled into the garage. I put wheels onto theski’s, but the new sled has very wide ski’s, so I had to put the wheels on from behind. Well, this is impossible for me to lift the sled, and slid the wheels underneath. I really want to hear ideas from other women that have to do this by themselves as-well, and give me some input.
Any help would be wonderful. As mentioned I do have help most of the time, but there are times I need to do it myself.<o></o>
Thanks,<o></o>
Becca<o></o>

 

[bholmlate]

http://www.suregripdollies.com/wp/ this might be something you would be interested in. Harbor Freight actually have small furniture dollies that work well and are less then $15 a piece. they are about 10" X 12" and you can lift up on the ski hoop and kick them into place with your foot. http://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/dollies/1000-lb-capacity-mini-movers-dolly-61899.html

you can disregard this since i am a guy if you want

 

[b5beauty]

http://www.suregripdollies.com/wp/ this might be something you would be interested in. Harbor Freight actually have small furniture dollies that work well and are less then $15 a piece. they are about 10" X 12" and you can lift up on the ski hoop and kick them into place with your foot. http://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/dollies/1000-lb-capacity-mini-movers-dolly-61899.html

you can disregard this since i am a guy if you want

Ahhhh, thanks! I only am directing more towards the female audience, as they might have figured out ideas on how to move these things easily!

I'm a very independent chick, but like mentioned, when I was trying to navigate my new Polaris RMK the skis are wider and my wheels I use were just a little bit too small, unless I lifted up the ski's from the back. Hmmm, there is no way I can lift one of those up, and put my wheels on *sigh* Or trying to get them up on the trailer. At a certain point the track simply spins, and it needs a slight push to get up on the trailer... how does one do this????

I think I'm rambling, but hoping it makes some sense!

Ha ha ha... on a side note I looked at the link you provided for the "sure grip dollies" I have those very wheels, and the video makes it look like a piece of cake. I know I'm not that weak, but I struggle =(

TIA

Becca

 

[inspector01]

If you only have one dollie, put it under the front of the track. It will balance the sled and make it easy to lift the front and move around.

For at the house, an easy way to do it would be to find a solid mounting point like a micro lam or tree, and put a come along/winch on it. Pull the trailer under, crank sled up, pull trailer out and lower. This works really well for sleds in the back of trucks in the garage.

Post pics of what your trailers like and I'll see what I can come up with, my job is finding better ways to do work.

 

[bholmlate]

Moving a 560 pounds around is not easy regardless of who you are and i do understand your point I was just trying to be funny with my last statement We have all been there. after a hard day of riding sled half on and half off the trailer and the track just spins away on the smooth plywood once the carbides bites the concrete floor when you are trying to unload the sled Or in reverse the carbides bite into the plywood on your trailer and your track just spins on the concrete when you are trying to load it for a fun day in the mountains. i am sure someone will have a bright idea to help you out that the rest of us will go "now why didn't i think of that"

You might want to contact Amber Holt. You may/may not know she runs male and female snowmobile clinics. Since she "how do i say this" is a little smaller in stature she may have some great insight on how she handles running clinics and moving sleds around when she doesn't have any support from her husband. just a thought

 

[AZ800]

Applies to men or women I suppose, but I don't like breaking my back moving sleds around and loading and unloading them either.
1. Put traction on the deck or ramp so the track doesn't spin. If you have a steel ramp with bars to load or unload with, disregard. If you're backing off a deck onto a steel bar ramp, the deck traction is going to help you on the trailer by not spinning out ahead of time letting you carry a little more momentum down the ramp.
2. Get ski slips for the skis for loading and unloading. Carbides won't dig in and they slide easier, won't tear up your driveway.
3. Get some dollies, 3 per sled, little ones. Make your own with 3 casters and some doubled up plywood from the hardware store or buy a set or 2.
When the sleds are off the trailer, stick one under each ski. Doesn't matter how wide the ski is, just pick up the front of the ski by the loop and slide it under. Pick up the rear end with a dolly next to the track and set the track on it. Now you can push the sled anywhere it's paved or concrete. Don't worry that the dollies aren't tied to be skis, if one slips off its easy to put back.
When loading, fire up the sled, remove or spin the track dolly out from under he track. Walk/drive the sled to the trailer. As you get close and are lined up, hop on and giver a little going up the ramp. Ski dollies will stop at the ramp and skis will not get hung up on the bottom of the ramp, keeping more momentum going up the ramp. If you still have the ski slips on it will be even easier.

There key to loading and not spinning is that you need to be moving a little faster when you hit the bottom of the ramp so you have some momentum and don't have to goose it on the ramp, spinning out. If you have to back off the trailer onto dry pavement, the ski skins will help even more.

With these simple things, ski skins, individual dollies and some traction it can't get any easier other than having someone do it for you. If you can't pick up he back of a Pro standing on flat ground, you shouldn't be doin it by yourself.

Hope this helps. I was going to get some ski skins this year. Everything else I do as said above regardless of what kind of trailer or sled deck I'm loading, except when I jam a 3rd sled in backwards thru the front trailer door or pull my kids sleds with no reverse off a sled deck backwards.
Or get a trailer that is drive on, drive off for as many sleds as you're carrying and then these methods help once you're off the trailer but otherwise it's a pull and go operation.

 

[b5beauty]

If you only have one dollie, put it under the front of the track. It will balance the sled and make it easy to lift the front and move around.

For at the house, an easy way to do it would be to find a solid mounting point like a micro lam or tree, and put a come along/winch on it. Pull the trailer under, crank sled up, pull trailer out and lower. This works really well for sleds in the back of trucks in the garage.

Post pics of what your trailers like and I'll see what I can come up with, my job is finding better ways to do work.

This is the only picture I have right now of my trailer. There is a metal edge; which makes a big lip from the trailer to the concrete. If that makes sense? I can get some different pictures and post?

Becca

 

[b5beauty]

Thanks for all the replies guys/gals! <?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o> </o>
@AZ800 – great bit of info.
So, I have some questions… can you drive with the ski-skins?


I have two types of wheel dollies,

One is these:
http://www.kotulas.com/deals/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10602&storeId=10152&productId=28054

And the other are:
http://www.psep.biz/store/spi_snowmobile_dollies.htm



I like the more robust ones, as I can drive with them to the sled. The cheaper ones, are awesome for moving the sled, as the wheels rotate.

The heavier duty ones, are difficult to maneuver around in my garage; hence why I have two kinds. I do have two sleds as-well, but I was simply exchanging wheels for what I needed. I had contemplated getting the ski skins, but wasn’t clear if I could drive the sled from the driveway up onto my trailer?<o></o>

The trailer I have is a wooden three place sled V-Nose. So, I can drive off the front; which I will do when in the snow, but the ramp is so short, it’s a little nerve-racking driving off onto pavement. The back of the trailer is a tilting ramp. So, I can tilt it down, and drive up onto it. The problem I have is, it has a big metal lip, so unless I gunned it; which who knows I could completely drive right off the front with all the momentum? I get stuck at this point, and have to give it throttle; hence the track just spins. <o></o>


Most of this is learning to find what will work for me, and how to modify something to allow me to do these kinds of things easily and efficiently… if I don’t have my boyfriend around. TIA<o></o>
Becca<o></o>

 

[b5beauty]

Why does my replies have really weird formatting? This is not the way I typed it out?
Becca

 

[skibreeze]

As long as you don't do a ton of riding on ice, get rid of the carbides. I did a couple years ago and it doesn't make the sleds lighter, but it does make them easier to move and not dig into stuff. I've been real happy with just hard weld wear rods.

 

[bholmlate]

When i use Word or other word processing programs and copy and paste into Snowest editor. Snowest simple text editor doesn't understand tabs and other formatting tools common in those programs When you copy and paste and then preview it before submitting the Snowest editor added all kind of marks as space keepers for the formatting things it doesn't understand that you have to go back and edit out yourself. Always preview your text when you use other programs then go back and erase all the marks it adds to the body of your text and then submit. its a pain that is the only way i have figured out how to get rid of the happy faces and << >>> symbols

when finances will allow buy some ski glides and screw them to your trailer deck pretty simple and them make a big difference http://www.caliberproductsinc.com there are several more companies out there. watch out when they get wet they are really slippery. the skis carbides ride in the grooves and don't grab nearly as bad without them.

 

[inspector01]

Thanks for all the replies guys/gals! <?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o> </o>
@AZ800 – great bit of info.
So, I have some questions… can you drive with the ski-skins?


I have two types of wheel dollies,

One is these:
http://www.kotulas.com/deals/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10602&storeId=10152&productId=28054

And the other are:
http://www.psep.biz/store/spi_snowmobile_dollies.htm



I like the more robust ones, as I can drive with them to the sled. The cheaper ones, are awesome for moving the sled, as the wheels rotate.

The heavier duty ones, are difficult to maneuver around in my garage; hence why I have two kinds. I do have two sleds as-well, but I was simply exchanging wheels for what I needed. I had contemplated getting the ski skins, but wasn’t clear if I could drive the sled from the driveway up onto my trailer?<o></o>

The trailer I have is a wooden three place sled V-Nose. So, I can drive off the front; which I will do when in the snow, but the ramp is so short, it’s a little nerve-racking driving off onto pavement. The back of the trailer is a tilting ramp. So, I can tilt it down, and drive up onto it. The problem I have is, it has a big metal lip, so unless I gunned it; which who knows I could completely drive right off the front with all the momentum? I get stuck at this point, and have to give it throttle; hence the track just spins. <o></o>


Most of this is learning to find what will work for me, and how to modify something to allow me to do these kinds of things easily and efficiently… if I don’t have my boyfriend around. TIA<o></o>
Becca<o></o>

You can drive with ski skins on, but they do occasionally catch on something and come off. They will help a lot with not getting caught on the trailer edge. Also, try approaching the trailer at an angle, so only one ski goes on at a time, you can lean over to lift the ski going onto the trailer to take pressure off it so it goes on, then do the other side and straighten out once youre on. Also, try making a little ramp out of plywood to smooth the transition onto the tilted trailer, or put a block under the trailer tilt so it only tilts down about ~1/2 way, then use the ramp to pull up onto it. That will make everything a very gradual transition and prevent track spinning.

Try out those ideas and see if any work better for you. I think the tilting it back 1/2 way and using the ramp should be an easy compromise that will work well. Let us know how it goes.

 

[b5beauty]

Thanks, I think this gives me some good ideas. I'm gonna go to my local dealer and we will go over some of the ski skins, and other ideas. I'll keep you guys/gals posted =-)

Becca

 

[AZ800]

I have some dollies like the little ones you posted first, but cheaper looking. Didn't think they'd last, plastic wheels, but those should get the skis over that lip on the trailer. If it's taller than that, just carry use a small piece of plywood like one of the guys said, about 12-18" x 48". That will make it much easier.
And ditch the carbides. I haven't had any carbides for years since I've had mountain sleds, except both my kids sleds have dual runner carbides that came on the skis I put on them. Both of them would catch on the bottom of the sled deck ramp, stop you in your tracks. The plywood ramp works great and grinding a. Smooth transition on the front of the carbides/ runners helps too

 

[sledheadjake]

Get a old bed liner and cut it in strips for your ramps and decking on your trailer. This is way cheeper than buying the ski glides, works just as good.

 

[b5beauty]

I had a discussion with our local sled shop and we discussed the ski skins. He mentioned the problem I wouldn't like is once on you have no control of your steering. So whatever way your skis are pointing... that is the way the sled will go.

He did give me a good idea. Get a long hinge (like for pianos) put that on the trailer with a 2 x 4 or whatever, to make a fold down ramp like piece. You often times see them on the covered trailers. I'm gonna try this and get back to ya. =-)
Becca