Snowmobile in Small Truck

[agb]

I snow checked my first sled a summit x. I have a toyota tacoma with a normal bed which is 6' it looks like the width between the wheel wells is a little to narrow by 1 or two inches for the sled to fit in there. Can someone one please give me some advice on carrying with a small truck. Buy a ramp ?Have one ski on wheel well? build platform over wheel wells etc. i am not buying a trailer or a new truck so advice on my current situation would be great. Pictures would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[joshkoltes]

Don't be this guy!

 

[Goinboardin]

^haha

I'd make a wooden platform that sits just over the wheel wells and use a trifold aluminum atv ramp with ski glides riveted on (store under the platform). Tacomas have fragile tail gates so try to get it so you don't load the gate, maybe extend the platform to cover the tail gate and leave it down. I've seen them nearly bend in half from loading sleds. And contrary to what many may lead you to believe, an HD truck is not required to move a 500pnd sled, or 3 of them for that matter.

 

[bookoo]

I would add a set of airbags to the back. I have a 2005 Taco and the rear suspension is worthless. I hit bumpstops with less than a 1/2 cord of dry firewood. Spend a couple hundred bucks on airbags and you will be safer and more comfortable with a sled in the back.

 

[Twostroke]

I used to put my 162 cat in the back of my ranger all the time, 1 ski on the wheel well, tailgate down, never had any problems. That's actually how I rode for a few seasons. If I wouldn't have had a bed liner I think it would have fit between the wheel rails.

I made a ramp out of a trifold atv ramp, added some strips of plastic bedliner so ski glides, only really had to use it at home, theres always a snow bank at the hill.

Why do guys feel the need to put the tailgate up? I'd be worry about it bowing down after a while and you just look loony.

 

[Jaynelson]

The Tacoma tailgates aren't strong enough to hold a sled. You might get away with it once or twice, but over time you will bend the crap out of it.

At the bare minimum, I would cut a sheet of plywood to fit the bed with the gate down...then screw a chunk of 2x4 or similar to it at the end of the bed....just to keep weight off the gate and spread out the load more.

If you want to spend a few bucks, buy (or building) a single place sled deck that goes over the wheel wells and a has a ramp built in....is the slickest setup by far. I haul my sled in my 6'2" box Tundra all winter long and my single place "sled bed" is the best $900 I've ever spent on sledding.

 

[agb]

does anyone have any pictures of the platforms they built? or know of any one in the west that builds decent single place sled decks? WY ID MT UT?

 

[Twostroke]

google is your friend "single place sled deck" .... tons more .. google it

http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91619

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKGFd5ONC2g

BUT

After owning a small truck and a longer sled I wouldn't bother, just throw it in there and put a tie down on it, it's really no big deal. quick shove and a pull and it will drop right out of the bed for unloading, don't even bother with a ramp.

Now that I think about it, Tacoma tailgates are pretty wimpy... Jay might be onto something... My ranger was fine, I'd live in for days/weeks on end with no problems..

 

[calltrex]

I got rid of my big diesel and got a tacoma longbox

I was going to make a deck over wheel well but the whole thing in truck would be a hassle.

Still sticks way out of truck.

Deck taking up the back.

Harder to load sled.


I just bought a new single tilt deck sled trailer. 4x10ft. 400lbs.

Can't even tell its behind my tacoma

View attachment 210169

 

[BikerPepe`]

I know it's not the solution you were looking for... but I just picked up a tilting golf cart trailer to haul my single sled. I've got a locking canopy and a lumber rack on the yota too, so I figured the trailer was the better option.
I can carry all kinds of supplies, tools, equipment, etc.

 

[calltrex]

added a few things to my single trailer

salt shield from calibur
assist lift for tilting deck
superglides
superclamp


used trailer few times now with quad. good trailer