Transporting your SxS to the Trailhead?

[FOG]

How do you get your SxS to the trailhead if there’s no room for your toy hauler?

 I have a 5th wheel toy hauler and found that I couldn’t camp or access a number of trail heads last summer. One example is the Rubicon near Lake Tahoe. 
I know there’s a “T” type trailer for SxSs that can be unassembled and then stored under the SxS in the toy hauler.   But I would prefer to put the SxS on a truck rack. However, I can’t find a truck rack that will work with a 5th wheel. 
I have some plans to build my own truck rack that will work with a 5th wheel, but thought I would see if anyone has some other ideas. 
Whatcha got?

[Rockwood]

Would you ever need both the 5th wheel and the truck rack?

[Dune-Track-N]

back in the Rhino days they just fit in the bed :)

[lincster]

1 hour ago, Dune-Track-N said:

back in the Rhino days they just fit in the bed :)

Exactly why I just bought one.

Goes right in my bed and can take it to Mexico and other places.  Easy Peezy!!!!!

[FOG]

9 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Would you ever need both the 5th wheel and the truck rack?

Yes. 
My current plan is to fab ladders that will set on the top of my truck bed as the rack. I would then be able to stow them in the truck bed along with the ramps. 
The 5th wheel hitch would remain mounted in the bed of the truck. 
So I would have both but only use the SxS rack on the truck when the 5th wheel is not connected. When the 5th wheel is connected the SxS would be in the toy hauler. 

[Rockwood]

10 hours ago, FOG said:

Yes. 
My current plan is to fab ladders that will set on the top of my truck bed as the rack. I would then be able to stow them in the truck bed along with the ramps. 
The 5th wheel hitch would remain mounted in the bed of the truck. 
So I would have both but only use the SxS rack on the truck when the 5th wheel is not connected. When the 5th wheel is connected the SxS would be in the toy hauler. 

Ah, got it.  Thought along similar lines as well. Full rack with removeable diagonal sections between the tailgate platform and the roof section.  

[Dune-Track-N]

what you're wanting is this type of rack (somewhat removable) or low enough for the 5vr to not hit if it's permanent

This is how we used to transport our rhino, built several of the extensions. Now they are in the metal scrap pile out back.

[Crusty]

A "Cab-Over" Rack would be the least amount of fuss. You can attach the rack at home, load up your UTV on the rack and 5th wheel like normal.

I don't know what type of Truck you have, hopefully a standard height dually?

Setting up the rack at camp would suck.

 

I still think this is the idea set up...cheap, safe and easy.

[Dune-Track-N]

another option is Hauler or Flat beds

[Dune-Track-N]

Interesting setups

https://www.utvdriver.com/how-you-haul-your-utv/

[FOG]

1 hour ago, Dune-Track-N said:

what you're wanting is this type of rack (somewhat removable) or low enough for the 5vr to not hit if it's permanent

This is how we used to transport our rhino, built several of the extensions. Now they are in the metal scrap pile out back.

My plan is very similar to the white dually picture. 
I will have 4 ladders on the bed instead of 2, so that I can lift and stow them easier. The 2 rear ladders will hang over the rear of the bed by about 2 feet so I will have a “T” supporting them going to the hitch, like the other picture. 

[Rockwood]

33 minutes ago, FOG said:

My plan is very similar to the white dually picture. 
I will have 4 ladders on the bed instead of 2, so that I can lift and stow them easier. The 2 rear ladders will hang over the rear of the bed by about 2 feet so I will have a “T” supporting them going to the hitch, like the other picture. 

How about like this (yes, sick ass MS Paint skills):

Green would be removeable for the 5th wheel hitch.  Red parts would be where the wheels land.  4 trailer hitch pins to secure the ramp section would make it super easy to deal with, and hell, could probably use pre-fabbed ramps from somewhere.

Edited Thursday at 06:15 PM by Rockwood

[Lord of the Dunes]

2 hours ago, Crusty said:

A "Cab-Over" Rack would be the least amount of fuss. You can attach the rack at home, load up your UTV on the rack and 5th wheel like normal.

I don't know what type of Truck you have, hopefully a standard height dually?

Setting up the rack at camp would suck.

 

I still think this is the idea set up...cheap, safe and easy.

He normally transports the SxS inside the toy hauler, so there's no need to put the SxS up there before the trip.

I'm not a fan of putting something as heavy as a SxS way up there. I know some people do it, but if the wind picks up, it could be a problem. There was a guy a long time ago who loaded his toys up high like that (but sideways) and him and his wife joked that half the time he drove over the other side and had to try again. That would be too scary for me!

[Lord of the Dunes]

It seems like you original idea of a T-trailer sounds like the lightest, smallest, best way to do it. Just make it easy to disassemble with ball lock pins and store it under the SxS when you're on the road.

[wopachop]

52 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

How about like this (yes, sick ass MS Paint skills):

I drew something similar yesterday after 14 cups of coffee. My hands were shaking so bad i couldn't draw a straight line.

 

[FOG]

48 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

How about like this (yes, sick ass MS Paint skills):

Green would be removeable for the 5th wheel hitch.  Red parts would be where the wheels land.  4 trailer hitch pins to secure the ramp section would make it super easy to deal with, and hell, could probably use pre-fabbed ramps from somewhere.

This is a good idea, but that green diagonal would be longer than the truck bed. Of course as you said I might be able to find some folding ramps that would fit and solve that issue. 
Got to think more about this one. Thanks. 
Yore right about yore paint skills, dbart better watch out!

[Rockwood]

7 minutes ago, FOG said:

This is a good idea, but that green diagonal would be longer than the truck bed. Of course as you said I might be able to find some folding ramps that would fit and solve that issue. 
Got to think more about this one. Thanks. 
Yore right about yore paint skills, dbart better watch out!

I'd size the tire pads so you didn't need ramps longer than the bed.  The rear pad gives you lots of leeway there since it can be 2' or more before it interferes with the hitch.  Front pad has to be a bit conservative since the cap might contact on tight turns.

[wopachop]

Is something like this possible without the truck doing a wheelie? 

The main goals of the design are:

1. The UTV needs to clear the 5th wheel hitch. 

2. The trailer needs to be taller than the UTV ramps. 

3. Reduce the amount of parts and effort needed to store and setup. 

To accomplish that what if you made the front ramps permanent. Never have to move or touch those. 

The rear ramps would attach to the truck receiver and serve a dual purpose. The ramps themselves will be part of the final completed structure if you include a pivot. 

Pretend there was a winch in the truck to pull the UTV upward. Then in the last couple feet of movement the rear ramps begin to rise up. Tall enough that it wont scrape the ground. If a single receiver is not strong enough, you could add 2 additional receivers to the rear of the truck. Then build the rear ramps into 2 separate pieces that would attach to the Left and Right receiver. You could then use the center receiver to include some type of jack that could raise and lower the ramps. Or some type of support brace for when you hit dips in the road.

The part thats been tripping me out is trying to picture the weight distribution. At first i thought the pivot would move the center of gravity further forward. But the more i thought about that the less i believed it to be true. The rear of the UTV is still hanging way off the back. 

But.....i started to think about the winch. If you kept the winch under pressure pulling the UTV forward, wouldnt that transfer some of the weight further forward relative to the truck? It would need to be designed that without the winch the weight distribution is still safe. But you could still snug down the winch a bit and im pretty darn sure that would take a bit of weight off the rear end. How else could you explain the rear ramps rising upward as the winch does it job? You would definitely lock the pivot ramps with a pin. Then tap the button a few times to snug up the winch. Might even be able to measure from the ground to the wheel wells to prove a shift in weight distribution with the winch snug. 

Ideally the 2 removable rear ramps could play tetris with the permanent ramps in the bed of the truck while the trailer is hooked up. Thats part of the reason for moving everything further back and lower. Instead of up high and further forward. I wonder if the first sentence i wrote is the truth. Truck might do a wheelie in the paper plate model below. 

 

[wopachop]

Also looking at the pic i should have drawn the UTV wheels at least even with the rear axle. Doubt it needs to be that far back to clear the 5th wheel hitch?

[MWB]

The first time you have to load your SxS up on top of a rack that sits over your truck your going to regret not using that steel to make a simple T trailer. The first time you climb down your going to wonder where the Sawzall is .

 

There was a video of a trailer that some guy's built it made it so  with a few receiver type of connections the trailer could be assembled and was adjustable to the size of the SxS being carried.  If I remember it was an old man putting the thing together on the video.  

[FOG]

1 hour ago, Rockwood said:

I'd size the tire pads so you didn't need ramps longer than the bed.  The rear pad gives you lots of leeway there since it can be 2' or more before it interferes with the hitch.  Front pad has to be a bit conservative since the cap might contact on tight turns.

This a drawing of my first plan. I abandoned it because I felt that the diagonals needed vertical support and then the 5vr wouldn’t clear when making turns. 
When you mentioned pre-made ramps a light bulb went off and now I’m liking my first plan better. 

[Big_Daddy_Jp]

Ok so I have a question. Can you tow the SXS like a Jeep if you put it in neutral? If so, than you could just make a tow hitch for the front of the SXS.

[wesinls]

There's a few companies out there that make them...when I had a dually an 5th wheel i thought about doing this, but never pulled the trigger.
FABITUP | Washington UTV Cage & Rack Fabricator

 

[FOG]

17 hours ago, Big_Daddy_Jp said:

Ok so I have a question. Can you tow the SXS like a Jeep if you put it in neutral? If so, than you could just make a tow hitch for the front of the SXS.

I looked into flat towing it and it should only be done in an emergency at the slowest speed possible. 
The rear differential is a locker. 

[Lord of the Dunes]

How about towing it backwards on a tow dolly?

I'm really not a big fan of driving a truck around with a SxS on the roof. That's in addition to the risks and hassles involved in driving it up there and getting it down.