Ok, I’m finding myself in situations where I need to pull off monkey stunts just to load up my ATV/dirt bike on the truck. Some off road parks have launch ramps and some don’t. I have an 8 foot loading ramp but frankly I find it downright suicidal to ride up the ramp. As far as walking up the ATV on the 8 foot ramp, that too has it’s ups and downs, example it’s almost impossible to throttle the bike up the ramp and adjust your foot hold…long story short, I ‘m thinking of installing a 3k winch on the bed, that way, I can let the winch do its thing and I just control the direction. No more falling back, can stop at any point on the ramp etc. Now, I doubt that the bed gauge is strong enough to hold a 3K winch by itself. Has anyone cut a hole through the bed and installed one? I need a good anchor points for the winch plate. Any thoughts?
Do you think it would be good to mount it above the bed level? That way, it does not press down the bikes too much once on the bed?

 

I've seen guys use the winch on the ATV and just latch on to the top of the bed and pull themselves up.....

 

But those are utility quads, I have sports quad-no winch.

 

If you don't have an atv winch I suppose you could put a subframe under the bed like a 5ver or goosenech hitch.

You shouldn't need 3k to pull a wheeler in, 500# would be fine. You have ramps, it has wheels...

I'd just use a small/light utility winch or even come-along hooked to a chain/strap going to the front bed anchors. They should be plenty strong.

 

OK, I see there are portable winches as well...let me see if I can price one.

 

I feel your pain. I have 6' ramps and unless there is some kind of ditch for me to back into, loading my Grizzly is freakin' scary! To make things worse, my ATV fits best when I back it into the bed. Reversing wet rubber tires up an aluminum ramp sitting at a 40* angle is suicide. I'm currently in the market for some longer ramps, because I've almost hurt myself twice.

I'm real close to just taking my toolbox off and making some kind of winch attachment point in the front of my bed. That aluminum toolbox would never hold 650lbs of ATV being winched toward it.

Let me know what you come up with. Even a real sturdy mount or anchor point in the bed of the pickup would suit me fine, because I have a 3000lb winch on my ATV.

 

there is a nice 3k, wireless remote winch at Harbor frieght. I used one in my car hauler, but wore it out doing load/unload every day. took a year tho...

for $49.. I really like the wireless remote.. still have another one in the box in the shop..

I put an inverted hitch mount on my trailer floor,5000 Lb. Capacity Step Bumper Receiver, and put the winch on one of those front hitch mount platforms..9000 Lb. Capacity Hitch Receiver for Winch
makes it easy to move to my flatbed, or wherever.. (front or back of my dually)

Camouflage 12 Volt 3000 Lb. Capacity Wireless Remote Controlled Portable Winch with Roller Fairlead

I just went to a 10,000lb wireless winch (got a deal), and moved it to the platform instead.. beefed up the wiring.

so I would guess a couple pieces of angle iron, bolted thru the floor would hold the hitch step, for the load you are putting on it.. thats what I did in the trailer, bolted thru the trailer frame too.

sam

 

how much weight does the bed ancors in the lower front corners of the box hold? if you tied those together and winched off of them wouldn't that work?

 

I an going to mount a receiver hitch in to left hand corner of the bed and then put a pulley on the front of the bed. I am planning of reinforcing the bed with angle iron on the underside. I am doing this so I can load my Trike in the bed by my self.

If you would post some pictures of what you so, it might make me change my mind about my design.

 

It wouldn't be too hard to make some sort of mount that utilizes the bed bolts to bolt the winch down. Using the bed bolts to bolt the winch mount to the frame will be a lot stronger than attaching something to the sheetmetal of the bed sides. I don't have much faith at all in the supplied tiedowns or the aftermarket tiedowns that bolt on in under the bed rails.

Another (and more expensive) option is to get a small trailer. Myself I prefer a trailer because they come in handy a lot.

 

Just by looking at it I would say it's good for a sports ATV(300 Lbs). Now, bring in a Harley or utility ATV worst yet UTV, I would not try using that as a pull point.

 

I have seen more than one guy pulling moose off a STURDY rack behind the cab. Thats 1000 lbs of dead wieght...literally. Even a good size deer probably has more resistance than an ATV.

A 3000lb winch is overkill for an ATV with rolling wheels. 500 would be fine and you could probably even use a hand crank boat winch if you wanted. If you try it get one with a strap.

 

Try new ramps, i have 8 foot long folding aluminum ramps that came with straps that i attach to the the bumper or hitch, works great never had any problems. It is scary though, when i load my 800 reneagade it will rock the truck, make the ramps slide a bit, but thats what the straps are for.

I bought mine on ebay for 180 shipped, if i remember right.

 

I would mount a 1/4 piece of plate steel(or aluminum) in the bed use the existing bed bolts (no holes drilled). You could then mount the winch on the steel plate by welding or drilling holes in the steel plate. I would use bolts and coterpins for a quick release set-up. (take in-take out quickly). This way you could use the winch for other purposes. This should cost lest than $100.00.

 

HarborFreight has 3K winch for 50 buck.!!!