Hauling an ATV in the bed

[Eric H]

My wife has a 2002 ST and I have a 3/4 ton Dodge 4x4 that I use for most of the towing and hauling.



A couple weeks ago we sold our Travel Trailer so we really don't need to keep the Dodge for the max towing ability and we have been considering trading it in on a (much) more economical car for her and the Sport Trac would become my truck.



The ST is a 4x4 with 4.10's and I've already installed a class 3 hitch on the ST so pulling a trailer is no problem. And as soon as the ST officially becomes "my" truck, I'll be doing the TT/SS lift to raise it up a couple inches.



My question is ....Can an ATV (Yamaha 450 Kodiak) be hauled in the bed of the Sport Trac? I've already taken the measurements and know that my ATV will fit. But, is the plastic bed and the tailgate cables strong enough to support the load? And would I need to install different shocks or more leaf springs to keep the rear end from sagging?

 

[Jeff C]

The bed is composite, not plastic. It is much stronger and harder than regular plastic. The tailgate folded down will hold 500lbs easy, that's directly sitting on the tailgate.



You should install different shocks anyways, stock shocks are worthless as soon as the truck rolls off the assembly line. You can add some helper springs like I did and they will help with the sag/squat when towing, hauling, etc and the truck will handle better when unloaded.

 

[Tony Tassillo]

Ive never had an issue with my Raptor 660

 

[Aaron Yarbough]

I've got a Honda 400EX, you don't need to do anything but strap it down and go. About 60% of the ATVs weight is on the front end and I don't think the total weight of your Kodiak is over 500lbs. which is well within the tailgates load range.

 

[Les]

The tailgate is not solid so you may want to place a board under the rear wheels to spread out the strain placed on the inside cover of the tailgate...

 

[Keith L 2]

Eric,

I just posted the same question a couple of days ago. Several guys responded but I don't think any of them had an ATV that weighed 600lbs. I also have a Kodiak 450 and I loaded mine up the other day to see if it would fit, which it does. The front atv tires will bow inward and slip between the fender wells of the truck. By the way this is a 600lb. atv. I weight 240lbs. myself and road it up in the bed. I am planning to replace my tailgate cables because one of them isn't in the best shape. I added new shocks about a year ago when I started hauling a pop-up and a scooter in the bed. The rear end would squat a lot with the oem shocks. I bought the Monroe load adjusting shocks "Sensa tracs" and they work great. They give a normal ride comfort with no load and when loaded the helper springs on them carry the load. They are worth their weight in gold. I am planning to buy a piece of 3/4" plywood and cut it to the shape of the inside of the truck bed and tailgate. That way when I'm bouncing around down the road the plywood will take away some of the weight off of the tailgate.

 

[Eric H]

Thanks everyone for the replies!



Thanks Keith for posting the weight #'s, they are exactly the same as mine for bothe the ATV and the rider. Does the front bumper of your Kodiak get very close to the back window of the truck when it's loaded?



I already have a set of standard Monroe shock on the truck, but I think I'll replace the back ones with some Sensa-tracs before I start doing anymore hauling.



Does anyone else have any pics of their Sport-Tracs doing any work such as hauling and pulling some of our toys or loaded down with supplies for our weekend project?

 

[Keith L 2]

Yes, you need to be careful not to slam into the front of the bed and possibly break your rear glass. I will probably find a big piece of foam to put between the bumper and front of bed when hauling along with strapping down the atv

 

[Tony Tassillo]