By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Summer and hot weather is finally here and it is time to go sling some mud. I am hoping all you 6x6 guys will come out of hybernation and begin posting on here again. There have been very few posts and almost none to do with riding.
In about one month we have the Bad Lands ride in Attica, Indiana (June 9-10). I hope to see many of you there.
Time to get out there and tear something up.

MaxRules

By Douglas MacCullagh (Dougmac) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

When I bought my AATV, I carried it around in a trailer behind my (small) truck. We now have a bigger truck, and I can start carrying it in the bed. Now I have a question - Is it better to load the AATV so that the engine end is up front, behind the truck cab, or in back near the tailgate, or does it really matter?

By Harry Dusseau (Dirtyharry) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

It shouldn't really matter, provided you skooch your machine up tight to the bulkhead and lock it down good 'n' tight. Click on my profile to see my ATVs loaded on my old F-250 flatbed. If load shifting/balance is a concern, then you might prefer to have the engine as close to the middle of the truck as possible.

What kind of AATV you got?? I put my MAX on facing forward just because it's a lot safer driving it onto my truck forward than trying to see over my shoulders going in reverse! Of course if you winch or ratchet it into your bed then it won't matter.

Regardless, carrying right on your truck is the best way to go. No trailer to worry about coming unhitched or losing/blowing a tire. Plus no getting hit for additional fees when on toll roads as your machines are all in one package. Plus if/when storage is an issue, you can load up the inside of your amphib and bungee the stuff down. I carry my tool boxes and spare fuel cans inside my MAX. They are safe from bouncing out because they sit down in wheelwell area and the sides are nice and high. Can't do that with a four wheeler!

>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
HARRY

By David Bass on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Doug,
To start off, I load up front first. It is easier and safer. Question -- Will your AATV fit between the wheelwells of your truck? My Max IV is slightly wider than this space and one side would ride up on the wheelwell. I read about a guy who would take off the center wheels and the Max would cradle right around the them. Not bad except it was beating up my wheelwells when the front wheels went up and over them. I made a rack that is level with the top of the wheelwells and the width of Max. This works great! I built it out of 2x12's. it gets Max up off my wheel wells and leaves lots of storage underneath. Also, my old truck was a 1/2 ton short bed. I had to leave the tailgate down when Max was in and it tended to squat in the back pretty good. My new truck is 1 ton crew cab. I can load Max and his equipment in the truck and still tow my camper. Works great! If you would like pictures of my rack or any other questions, please fill free to e-mail me at bass@nts-online.net.

David Bass
99 Max IV 600T

By Douglas MacCullagh (Dougmac) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Harry -

I've an Argo Response. I can carry plenty of stuff in the Argo. That isn't the concern. I agree that driving in will be easier than backing, but I did not want to repeat mistakes other people have already learned from. If someone has found a distinct advantage one way or the other, I'd like to borrow that experience.

By Douglas MacCullagh (Dougmac) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

David -

I suspect I will need a rack, too. I am debating between two treadways for the tires, and just building a solid deck (with hatches) at wheel-well height. My truck is a 3/4 ton long bed quad cab, but with an 8-wheeler I'll need to leave the gate down. With a rack, I'll need an extension that goes over the gate.

By Kevin Vallelunga (Kevinv123) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I built a rack type set-up as well for my Dakota. Loaded front first centered the weight between the front and rear axle. I also buit wheel chocks and bolted them to the rack to keep it from running the cab over if I stopped fast.

By Lazerman (Lazerman) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

kevin
How does your Max fit in that Dakota? Can you shut the tail gate. Do you have the long bed? I was going to buy a full size truck but if my MaxII will fit in the back of a Dakota I'll buy one of those instead.

Thanks
Brad

By Kevin Vallelunga (Kevinv123) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I have a 98 Argo Vanguard. Yes the tailgate does shut. It is a 6 1/2 foot bed. The rack I made is about 2 1/2 inches below the bed lip. The Dakota is a 93, I don't know if a new one would be the same. It won't work with the tracks, tires alone fit exactly between the rails. The wheel chocks are about 12" long and 8" high. This allows the slope of the front to ride up to and over the cab, the tow hook is about 3" clear. It is rather high, somewhat unnerving the first time I loaded it. But since it fits so well I like it better than trailering. Right know I'm using 8 foot 2 x 8 with extruded aluminum ramp ends you can get at Miejers or Walmart. I am looking for steel or aluminum ramps with some type of tread though, the wood is very slippery when wet. Have not lost it yet but I don't want to try.

By Kevin Vallelunga (Kevinv123) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

When I get the cap off for the summer I will submit pic's.

By Lazerman (Lazerman) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Thanks for the info on the Dakota.
About your wooden ramps. I have a car dolly I use to get my MaxII around on. I mounted two 2X12's on the dolly, tilt it, and just drive right on. I use to have a problem with traction on the wooden ramps as well but I fixed that problem by going to Home Depot and buying a box of short #12 sheet metal screws which have a hex head on them. I then screwed them into the wooden ramps, (took me about an hour puting all those screws in) it works great! No matter how much mud is on my tires there is no slipping. It's cheaper than buying ramps.

By L. A. Philip Osborn (Roadwolf) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hey kevin, doesn't it get spooky with all that top heavy weight? i tried haulin a little ol' amphicat in a toyota that way once. heck, i couldn't even get jethro or jed clampet to drive it!

By Kevin Vallelunga (Kevinv123) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

No, it's a four wheel drive 3/4 ton V8 Dakota Club Cab. The suspension is real stiff. I have used this setup over my trailer only 5 times but it has been super stable. I usually load the bed under the Argo as well with camping equipment, etc. so the loading CG evens out some.

By Big Wolf (68.40.23.217) on : Edit

I noticed the Copper Ridge Ride has been posted in the new events section. Looks like it is scheduled for mid July. I was wondering if this is the ride event that Jon Hoath was telling me about on the phone, that he and John Swab and several others will be attending. Is this the place that has a real nice set up for camoping with RV and so on? I am also curious who else plans on attending this ride.

By david berger (Davidrrrd) (64.12.116.201) on : Edit

hi big guy, it's very likely that this is the one,
we always see them there, it's even sometimes called a "humphrey ride" this is because it began at humphrey and evolved into an event 9 miles from the humphrey local,
now it is in olean, NY. at copper ridge, they do have campnig facilitys and many people like to make it a weekend event,
often people get there mid friday and start there rideing friday night!
the overall main event runs saterday but thers still rides saterday night and all day sunday too!
id say it's almost 50% of people do the weekend and 50% come for the main event only.
i never miss one!
you CAN get john schwabs video from the olean event to see what awaits you there,
my video has become a bit delayed,heh heh
upgraded softwhere that was working and the new vertion has become unusable, there patch made it worse! don't anyone with xp spend cash on pinnical video studio 9, 9.3 or even 9.3.5
just dont do it! itl turn your editing pc into a toilet.

By John Schwab (Johnschwab) (69.48.14.26) on : Edit

Big Wolf- Yes the Copper Ridge event is one of our favorites. Three days of fun, mud, hills, ponds and more fun. Becky tells me that the Ledges ride will be happening again this year but the date has not been set yet. Our club has our annual Enduro in July also so there is no reason to have a clean AATV the whole month of July.Don't forget the Haspin ride in six weeks March 19-20.That coincidently is the first weekend of spring. Lets ride!!

By Big Wolf (68.40.23.217) on : Edit

Thanks for the quick response gentlemen! John I have he March ride planned for Haspen marked on my calender, so I do plan to make that one with you guys. I am not sure if I will have the camper with me for that trip though. It is still snowed in the back yard, so I have not been able to get a rear hitch installed on it yet, at least until I can get it out of the back yard and over to the fab shop to get it done. I will probably have to ask one of you guys to put me up in your enclosed trailer with my sleeping bag.

I will also mark the calender and plan on making the Copper Ridge ride with you guys. By then I will definately have the campers rear hitch installed and be ready to go. I will more than likely hook up with Jon Hoath and we will caravan our way over to New York. Jon will have to pass by my place on the way over to Olean any way.

Let me know if and when you guys plan to attend some of the other events, and I will do my best to make those also.

We can use our fifth wheel rig as a congregation place for cooking and eating if you guys want. My wife has it set up just like a roling home away from home. I never go hungry when we go camping with her rig!

Plan on bringng your wives or girl friends or significant other along for the summer events. I will have my little Squaw with me!

By matt (69.227.134.149) on : Edit

Good to see that rides are already being planned .I'm just torn on which ride to attend.Considering I live in Reno NV.I attended a Deep water ride 2 years ago and had a good time. A trip to New York would be a grand adventure.Especially having to tandom tow ,both my 5th wheel camper and my Argo behind on it's trailer.My only dispair is if I go east this year I will miss the yearly run of the Rubicon trail back home.