What do I need for curb ramps?

qslim

qslim

The Man with the Big Yellow Car
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I have a screwy driveway, it’s only as wide as my garage. I also have an RV pad on the side where I keep my car carrier, but the driveway doesn’t cover that area - it’s just a curb. I want to put down some plates as a ramp to get the truck up to get the trailer & whatever else.

What thickness do I need to make a sturdy ramp to back a laden trailer up over a curb?
 
I would think 10Ga. with 1/4" thick stiffener angles welded to backside.
It depends on how long you're making them & how many thousands of pounds we're talking about.

Or you could open up your driveway apron to include that area.
 
mxz800 said:
Photos of screwy driveway?
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Satellite image, the red bos is the area in question. That goes right up to the side of the house where I keep the carrier, sometimes loaded & sometimes not. At most coming down the curb would be about 6k lbs. Of course coming down isn't the problem, going up is.

1617402622708.png

I got quotes on expanding the drive & it's more than I want to spend given the fact we move around so often. I was thinking I could make steel ramps, just not sure how thick.
 
you could get away with 7ga and enough stiffeners. 1/4 would be better but heavier to handle.

double layer plywood and a few tapered boards. you want at least 2'x2' so your not having to hit a tightrope on 2 sides
 
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i'd be on facebook marketplace lookin to see if anyone close has some thick aluminum scraps, or maybe an old uhaul ramp to hack up.
 
flyinfish said:
No kidding! Today I bought two 2x4x8ft cedar boards and one 2x4x8ft pressure treated and paid almost $60
Click to expand...
Blew me away paying $69 for a single 2x12x12 pressure treated not to long ago, yard guy told me it went up another $100 per thousand just now. And I live in lumber territory.
 
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In my old job, we used old pieces of conveyor belts to track dozers across streets.
You could cut and stack (similar to wood) them against the curb to form a ramp.
Or even collect pieces of retreaded tires along the side of the road (they're free) to form a curb ramp.
 
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Steel prices aren't any better than wood these days, so you might consider looking at a scrap yard.

Or, as suggested above, stack various pieces of 4x4's and plywood to make something that spans the curb, but could be moved easily.

Also, some municipalities do not allow curb ramps to be left in place, and will cite you for doing so. They did where I used to live.
 
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