Loading height problem

[moopups]

I am trying to put a Dodge Omni into a U-Haul, plenty of room to fit but the height difference isn't letting it happen. Put my car lift ramps at the back of the trailer the Omni is on, there about 8 inches tall, placed the raised end on the truck bumper, on a slab on wood.

The angle is too steep, the car catches making the cross over on its exhaust system. Who going to get the gold star by their name for figuring out how to do it with out calling a roll back car carrier?

[unioncreek]

Moonpups,

I've had this happen a number of times to me. I've always ended up parking the trailer/truck in a dip to lower the back so the angle wasn't so steep. You may want to try and use lumber to make the angle not so steep.

Bobg

[hunter63]

Close to any trucking yards? Recrecation areas, 4 wheeler ramps? Side of the raod ditch?
They have ramps to back up the truck/trailer up to, then drive in.

[Ed Norman]

I had the same problem getting my pickup on an equipment trailer. We laid down a few laters of 2X6 boards about 5' long so the front tires were on them when they reached the trailer. That kept the frame from hitting until the pickup was pulled forward enough, then the front tires drove off the boards and everything was setting on trailer.

[Metagirrl]

Try backing the truck up onto blocks, like this... it'll lower the height of the trailer, and make the angle less severe.... Use some sturdy blocks, and 2*8's to ramp up onto them. See below.



(My apologies to Boleyz for borrowing his artistic style)


Maybe I misunderstood... is it a Uhaul Truck? Back the FRONT end up on blocks, like SO.





Note: I can NOT be held responsible for any consequences of the aforementioned suggestions!

[Junkmanme]

For additional help, you might consider lowering the air pressure in the tires to around 10 lbs. Or if you need to go the other way, up to 40 lbs won't give you any problems.

[clovis]

Mitch
Some good advice here already.

In our town, the local scrap yard has a outside ramp that one could back up to, and drive the car into the uhaul. The city also has a dirt ramp for their dump trucks. There has to be some old loading docks in your area.

There is also an old factory that one could drive the car into, then to loading docks, then into van.

What about backing the truck up to a hill, or a raised embankment of dirt, then driving the car down the hill into the van? This would flatten or lessen your angle on the ramps.

_____________van here_________________o___oo-----------<<car up here------

I would think you could easily find this in the natural lay of the land, or a man made embankment.

If you built the right type of pallet, you could pick the car up with a forklift, and drive the car onto the van.

Know anyone that has a garage with a lift with the drive on ramps? Yes, like the ones that WalMart has for oil changes. Lift car on hydraulic lift, back up van, drive car onto UHaul.

Anyone you know have a embankment barn, like you see alot in Wisconsin? (Same theory as the hill/embankment.)

BTW:
How you gonna unload the car?
What color is the interior of the car?
How you gonna keep the car from bouncing around inside the said UHaul???

clove

[moopups]

Things I failed to mention in the above thread. Florida is very flat, there are no hills or similar to use. The trailer is equipped with serge brakes, it cannot be backed up. The Omni is not road legal yet, no tag. Quite a quandary here.

[OntarioMan]

Do you have a an "engine hoist" (cherry picker) or could you borrow one?

If so, get the front wheels of the Omni onto the trailer, then use the engine hoist to lift the rear of the car to the same level as the trailer - or a bit higher. Since most engine hoists have wheels, you can just slide the Omni right into the trailer. Ideally, you'd like to do this on a flat hard level surface, like a concrete driveway.

Whatever you do, use extreme caution and be safe. Be sure the car will not roll back out of the trailer while you are lifting the rear. If you do use a cherry picker, make sure it can handle the rear weight of the omni. Make sure that whatever rigging you use is secure.

[fixer1958]

No bigger than an Omni is, get a couple of brute friends and pick the SOB up over the exhaust. It's not as hard as it would seem.

[fordson major]

is there no lockout on the surge control? if you back up slowly they should not engage or if you towed the trailer backwards with another vehicle. are there any ditches, could you dig two holes for the tires and drop the trailer wheels? omni's are awsome little beaters!

[unioncreek]

Moonpup,

If you only have flat ground, I would get a couple of 2x12 about 12 feet or so long and support them underneath with blocks of some kind. That should get the angle down enough.

Bobg

[moopups]

Spent $60.00 on a rollback and got that puppy in there. Life will be peaceful again soon, now that I am approaching aloneness.