How to Make a Wood Trailer Ramp

Build a ramp for your trailer.

Wood ramps are durable, relatively inexpensive and can be designed to any specific size for your trailer. Loading and unloading on a ramp made from plywood gives more area for tires to ride on without adjusting the ramp. The length of the ramp can be designed to adjust the angle of ascent and descent. Angle iron, bolted to each side, and the thickness of plywood used, will compensate for heavier objects loaded.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Circular saw
• Plywood
• Angle iron
• C clamp
• Carriage bolts with nuts and washers
• Drill with bits
• Wrench

Instructions

1. Measure the width of your trailer where the top of the ramp will be located to determine the width of the ramp. Standard sheets of plywood are four feet wide and eight feet long.

2. Mark and cut the plywood to the desired width. Place the trailer on level ground and lay the plywood with one end on the trailer and the other end on the ground. Adjust the length of plywood from the ground to the trailer edge to reach the desired angle of the ramp. Mark and cut the plywood to the desired length. Allow for extra ramp length when loading and unloading from uneven or sloping ground.

3. Cut two pieces of angle iron the same length as the sides of the ramp. Lay the angle iron on one side of the plywood with the bottom of the ramp up and use the C clamp to hold it in place.

4. Drill holes through the angle iron and the plywood at the same time while they are securely clamped together. Drill the holes the same size as the carriage bolt shafts, six inches apart starting two inches from the end of the angle iron continuing the entire length of the angle iron. Place carriage bolts in each hole with the rounded top of the bolts on the top of the ramp touching the wood and secure with washers and nuts underneath, touching the angle iron. Do the same for the other side of the ramp.

5. Turn the ramp over and lay it in place with one end on the trailer and one end on the ground. Drill two holes at the top of the ramp with one on each side where the ramp meets the trailer. Drill through the wood ramp, angle iron and the trailer bed or frame where it meets the trailer. These two holes will be used to place longer carriage bolts that act as pins to prevent the ramp from sliding off the trailer as items are loaded and unloaded. These 2 bolts can be fastened into place with nuts and washers or placed into the holes and removed and stored elsewhere as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Wood can be used on both sides of the plywood in place of angle iron if the ramp will handle lighter loads.

• Length of carriage bolts along the edges should be slightly longer than the width of the plywood, washer, nut and angle iron added together. Length of the top two carriage bolts should be two or more inches longer to protrude down through the ramp and into the trailer.

• A storage place for the ramp when not in use is necessary. Hinges instead of carriage bolt pins could be included into the design at the top of the ramp to allow lifting it into a vertical position at the back of the trailer when not in use.

• Always take safety precautions and wear proper safety equipment while using hand tools.

References

• Askthebuilder.com: Shed ramps

Resources

• Atvconnection.com: Loading Ramp Technique
• Rampsolutions.net: How to build a wheelchair ramp