The task of loading a golf cart into a pickup truck requires a lot of planning, measuring, attention, and precision to be done in a safe and secure manner.
Before you attempt to load the cart, you will have to check that the cart is appropriate for hauling.
Then, you will have to determine what kind of ramp is the most suiting to your truck and golf cart, because using a ramp is by far the best and the safest option for hauling.
If you have the fitting truck and the ramp, then there are some steps you should follow to perform the loading successfully.
Safety should always be your primary concern.
How to know if the pickup truck is suitable for loading the golf cart?
You should never expose yourself to the risk of hauling the golf cart into the pickup truck that is not big or durable enough to withstand it.
This can lead to some serious incidents, accidents, damage, and injuries.
There are three crucial things you need to inspect in order to determine whether or not your pickup truck is fitting enough to load and unload the cart safely:
- Size of the pickup truck’s bed – You need to take the measurements of the bed as precisely as you can. First, you need to measure the length and width of the bed on the floor. After that, simply compare them to the measurements of the golf cart to see if there is enough space to fit it in there comfortably. If the space is too tight, you shouldn’t transport your cart in that truck, because there is a great chance of damage and accidents.
- Weight capacity of the pickup truck – Prior to loading the cart into a pickup, it is extremely important to check if the truck can endure the weight of the golf cart. For this you will need the manuals of both vehicles, so you can see whether the payload of the pickup truck is big enough to take the standalone weight of the golf cart. If the truck is towing a trailer, you shouldn’t forget that the weight of the cart will reduce the towing capacity.
- What to do with the tailgate of the pickup – If the golf cart can be safely loaded in the truck, then there is just one more thing that should be determined. You need to see if there is enough space to close the tailgate of the truck once the golf cart is hauled in. If this is not the case, then the ride will be a bit more complicated and it will require some additional attention and preparations, and the driver should be extra careful, as well. If the tailgate has to be down during the transport and the golf cart stands on it, then it would be the best to soften the stress it causes to the tailgate with some extra support, to avoid any potential risks and problems. Be sure to firmly secure the golf cart with heavy-duty hauling straps. Most of the golf cart’s weight is on its rear wheels. Because of this, it is highly advisable to consider backing the cart into the bed of the truck. Doing so will greatly help with reducing the amount of weight that is pressuring the tailgate of the truck.
How to determine which ramps to use?
Not only is it the safest, but using the ramps is also the easiest way to successfully load the golf cart into the pickup truck.
However, there are some things you should take into consideration so you can properly understand how to use the ramps the right way and to be able to make the right choice in terms of which kind of ramp you should use for this purpose.
- The capacity of the ramp – Before you settle on any decision in terms of the ramp choice, you need to see what are the axle weights. The problem is that golf carts are quite imbalanced vehicles, and ramp’s capacity is determined by two axles with loads that are distributed evenly. This means that you shouldn’t rely on the total weight of the cart at face value when picking the appropriate ramps. For most golf carts that are built for two people, a 3.000-ib capacity ramp would be the safe option. Of course, someone has to drive the golf cart into and out of the pickup truck, so the weight of that person must be included in the equation, as well. Don’t forget this factor, because it can significantly impact the outcome.
- Offset wheels – If the golf cart that is supposed to be transported has the offset wheels, then this information is important for proper placement of the ramps for this task. The ramps must be wide enough to hold the different distances between the two wheels in the front and the two wheels in the back.
- Ground clearance and wheelbase – Golf carts usually have ground clearance under 4”, which is fairly low, and a wheelbase of over 98 degrees, which is considered to be quite long. Due to this, the carts can easily be bottomed out at the crest if you decide to go for the straight ramps. Naturally, to avoid this problem and potentially damaging your golf cart, it would be best to opt for the arched ramps.
- Load height – For determining which length of the ramp you should choose for the loading of the cart, the same rule applies as in any other case of ramp usage. You need to measure the distance from the ground to the bed of the pickup truck (or the trailer). The overall length of the ramp you will need depends on this result and the load height-the bigger the load height, the longer the ramp should be.
If you are looking for some sort of safe option without having to deal with all these factors, a good choice might be a heavy-duty capacity aluminum ramp.
This pair of ramps are lightweight and they can fit under the golf cart after it has been loaded into the pickup truck.
These ramps are also arched, so you shouldn’t expect any damage during loading or unloading of the cart.
It should be noted that there is a possibility of performing this task without using the ramps.
The golf cart can be loaded by backing up to a ditch where the wheels of the truck drop-down, with the tailgate that touches the ground in the down position.
However, this is a much riskier and harder method.
It calls for extreme carefulness and a convenient terrain, to be executed successfully and safely.
Reach for this option only if necessary, because it is much more dangerous than loading with the ramps.
Here is highly recommended ramp choice to use for loading/unloading your golf cart. Very durable and excellent reviews from customers at amazon.com.
- Folding dual-runner ramp for loading and unloading ATVs, UTVs, and more
- Serrated rungs for superior traction with an arched design for maximum engine and tailpipe clearance
- Rubber-coated finger-style attaching points and two safety straps support ramp on vehicle
- Manufactured from high-strength, lightweight aluminum with a 1,500 lb. total weight capacity; 750 lbs. per ramp
- Each ramp measures 7-1/2' L x 11-1/4" W and folds in half for easy transport and storage
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An Example of Loading/Unloading Golf Cart From Pickup Truck
How does the loading process should look like?
If you are sure that you have the appropriate truck and the fitting ramps, then you can proceed with the loading of your golf cart.
Be sure to go by these following few steps so you can perform the loading in an easy and, which is the most important, safe way.
- The pickup truck needs to be parked in flat and even terrain, with the set parking brake. The other acceptable option is that the tailgate faces a slight incline. By parking the truck this way, you will achieve bringing up the ramps, which will help with reducing the steepness of the loading angle.
- The next step is to unfold the ramps and then place either the finger or the plate edges on the tailgate’s edge.
- After this, you need to secure the ramps to the truck. You can do this with the bumper, if it is made of steel, or by using trailer hitch safety chain loops.
- Be sure to set the parking brake of the golf cart. Then you need to tie down the cart. The placement of the straps can vary, depending on what kind of the cart and the truck you have. This is a very important step, so you should use only high-quality straps.
- Generally speaking, golf cart roofs are not durable enough to endure the speed of the wind on the open road. Because of this, you should remove the roof, if it can be done on your cart. That is the safest way to avoid any accidents.
- When the cart is safely loaded and tied down to the truck, you should be careful with driving, and operate the truck slowly and steadily. Try to stop from time to time, so you can go out and check if everything is still secured and on its place.
So, the most important factors of a successful cart loading in a truck are durable truck with a good-size bed, proper choice of ramps and strong straps that can hold the cart in the truck’s bed.
If you follow all these requirements and steps, rest assured that you will transport your golf car in a pickup truck safely and without any complications.