Ramp Truck Car Hauler

[GLTHFJ60]

I picked up a cab and chassis F-550 recently and am considering turning it into a ramp truck to tow my land cruiser around to the various parks. The ramp truck would also have a hitch so that I can tow a camper or another trailer behind. Has anyone used, or had, one of these? If so, what do you like about it? What do you not like about it?

Trying to make a final decision. Here's one I found in Asheboro recently:

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

@upnover used a ramp truck for a few years.

I think they have their benefits, but also have downsides like anything else.

 

[ghost]

In to see what becomes of this.......

 

[upnover]

For hauling my crawler, I loved it. My family and friends loved it too. To borrow it, to call when broke down.
For me the down side was I was pulling a pop up camper, had to load the Jeep, then hook up the camper, put camping supplies in boxes, tied down on bed of hauler. Get to campsite, position and unhook camper, take off boxes, unload Jeep. Was just a pain in the ass for me. For day trips, it was perfect though.

 

[Stuntman Autoworks]

I thought of the same thing at one point but got to thinking about everything I do and to have one truck dedicated to hauling a rig didn't seem practical to me. I need to pull goosenecks, tags, fifth wheels and just be able to drive my truck relatively easy so the ramp truck wouldn't be able to pull all those different trailers and it's too long to just load the family in and run to get something to eat so I stuck with a regular truck and using a trailer. Might be something to think about.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I've got a Land Cruiser that I usually daily drive, and will probably get another car in the future (in addition to the better half's car), so this F550 of mine will end up being just a tow rig and something to drive when the Land Cruiser is broken (like it is right now).

As for having a dedicated hauling rig, I was ready to buy a Freightliner FLD120 crawler hauler (RV conversion) until the deal fell through (seller sold it out from under me) so I got this 550 instead. In my mind, this is the much more nimble and easily driveable solution

For hauling my crawler, I loved it. My family and friends loved it too. To borrow it, to call when broke down.
For me the down side was I was pulling a pop up camper, had to load the Jeep, then hook up the camper, put camping supplies in boxes, tied down on bed of hauler. Get to campsite, position and unhook camper, take off boxes, unload Jeep. Was just a pain in the ass for me. For day trips, it was perfect though.

Was the bed made by Hodges or something along those lines? Have any pics of your setup?

I want the ability to use this truck for stuff around the house (getting lumber / supplies, hauling off brush/trees) so my current thinking is to extend the chassis and make a large flat bed, like a rack truck, with a short dovetail, and use ramps to get up on top. Something like this but with the rack bed sunk down closer to the wheels to get the center of gravity lower.

Yes, she'll be long, but not unusable. Tons of parking room at work so I can take up as many spaces as I need in a pinch.

Here's the 550, an 04 manual transmission 2wd. I've since removed the wheel simulators, broken bug deflector and chrome wheel arch liners.

Put together a flat bed to use until I can afford to have the chassis lengthened:

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Basically buy a trailer like this and put it on the extended 550 chassis:

FERREE LT EQUIPMENT TRAILER

 

[upnover]

 

[Tom@Hilltop_Machine]

I have one like upnover. It has worked fine for hauling the jeep to uwharrie or making runs to go get steel. I am not doing much wheeling now so I may sell mine.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Build the bed yourself or buy the truck complete?

 

[Tom@Hilltop_Machine]

I bought mine complete. The one you found in Asheboro looks nice. What were they asking?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

The one in Asheboro didn't have a for sale sign on it. I think it was used by the dealership it was sitting at. Took pics of it so that I can build something similar.