Mine gets the job done, a 650 is too wide for the box, my little 400 fits perfectly.

 

Another option to possibly consider would be the Chevy Avalanche. Once you fold down the MidGate, you have an 8' 3" bed that easily hauls a CAT!!! :thumbsup:

 

Originally posted by loners4me@Feb 9 2005, 08:46 AM
Hell, I fit my 650 in the bed of a 97 Ford Ranger.  I too get stared at as my cat looks bigger than the truck itself.  But...... it gets me where I need to go.

You have to drive it ip over the wheel wells and I use  a sheet of plywood to over the rear window as the front bumper is the first thing to hit.

Good tie downs are a must.  I also put the parking brake on and attach the winch cable to the front of the bed.

However, when $$ permits I will be getting a trailer.

-Loners
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I am with you I use my 1993 ford ranger.
it works great.

cardio Cat happy

 

Boilers94....SWEET RIDE - I have the same truck, same color, and NO BODY ARMOUR! I got mine without the plastic so I could 'chrome it out'...
The only quad we could get into the box was my daughters' 250 - my 650 was too wide - never thought about folding the midgate, though - thanks for the idea! I've had the back window out before, but never opened it up that way.
Now if I ever get to ride again - :boohoo: - I can get a smaller trailer for Alex's and park mine in the Avalanche...Cool....

 

Thanks, Kim!! If you drop the MidGate and take out and store the rear window, you should be able to get a full size CAT in the back!! :thumbsup:

 

Just like Cub and Daveyt I just back my 400 into the bed of my Short bed Silverado and I don't get that close to the glass.

Vince

 

here you go! this should fill the bill.

 

Originally posted by catman4u@Jan 27 2006, 04:17 PM
I have a GMC 2500HD with a short box and a two foot tool box.  My v2 sits on the tailgate but what does that matter.  I use a $3 strap and have never had any problems.  I am not being a jerk but I think you guys are putting way too much thought into it.  The strap I use isnt a ratchet strap or anything you pull it tight and it locks.  It is a very bumpy ride to get to the trailhead and I have never had any problems.  I got a buddy who ties his quad down with 10,000lbs straps and uses four of them.  He says I am crazy but I have never had any problems.  I would rather use my $3 strap than that get up hanging on the hitch.  Besides if my quad falls out of my truck than I will just have to buy the 700 cat with the insurance money.
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I would rather use my $3 strap than that get up hanging on the hitch.[/b]

Tell that to the people that like AG have a van that it doesn't fit into??

$3 strap only??? No one could care less what happens to your quad if it falls off, but people do tend to care if it comes off and you 700lb quad slams into oncoming traffic and hurts someone and you would get a healthy lawsuit for $3 worth. Just my 2 cents.

 

Great point modn but the only time my quad is in my truck is when the trailer is full. I trailer mine everywhere but if one goes in my truck it will be mine. My trailer has a big ole diamond plate slush guard so it would hit my trailer and by then I would pull over. I keep a close eye on it so i am not as careless as it sounds. by the way I thought the 650le were close to 800 pounds. :chug:

 

Originally posted by catman4u@Jan 29 2006, 07:33 PM
Great point modn but the only time my quad is in my truck is when the trailer is full.  I trailer mine everywhere but if one goes in my truck it will be mine.  My trailer has a big ole diamond plate slush guard so it would hit my trailer and by then I would pull over.  I keep a close eye on it so i am not as careless as it sounds.  by the way I thought the 650le were close to 800 pounds.  :chug:
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They probably are 800#, although I don't think Cat would admit it. I think they listed the '04 650's as 644# or close to that....not even close!!

I wasn't bashing you it's just that I was behind my buddy when his 500 Scambler came crashing off his truck with 1 strap that broke. You wouldn't believe how many cartwheels and damage that it did to his wheeler. Luckily I was behind him (at a distance) and put on the binders in time. It also was on a secondary road too with no one coming other than us....luckily!!! Like you said it would get snagged in between the trailer and your vehicle by the sounds of it. :beer_cheers:

 

hey guys, just to let you know, my brother hauls his 650 with itp wheels and 27" mudlights in the back of his 04 chevy calorado crew cab. it is a load, but he can get 95% of the weight off the tailgate. works great and with the stops we built he just pulls up till he stops then puts the 4 straps on and goes.

 

Boilers and Chrome,
I have an Avalanche and it is a pain in the a$$ getting it in there. bang your head If you want to leave the tonneau cover latches on, you have to air down the front tires to fit under them (and there is still some digging into the tires that occurs - worse if you have mud tires). If you don't want to air down/up everytime you load/unload, you have to take off the tonneau cover latches which sucks because you have to pay close attention to the bolt marks on the latches since they have an oblong screw hole which allows for movement in mounting. Then you have to put them back on when you are done. I used to take them off every summer and go coverless then put them back on in the winter when I wanted the cover on (which sucked if I wanted to take my quad anywhere in the winter). Folding the midgate down won't matter either way because you are going to hit the "flying buttress" where the brake light is located before you are going to be able to use any of the interior space.
This is all interesting because for a while the Avalanche was the official truck of Arctic Cat and they had an Arctic Cat quad in the box in the brochures. I think it ended must have been a 250.
My advice - get a trailer!!! You can always use your bed for cargo on your trips. It sucks cramming your bags/gear under your quad when it is in your bed.
Just my .02

 

I have a 97 chev xcab long box. Freakn long truck, but I can fit mine no problem. I use the spare tire between the glass and my 650. My buddy has a 2000 Ford F150 xcab short box and I can get mine in there with the gate closed. Leaves about an 1" before the window. We just cross the straps front to back and suck it back as much as we can.

As for straps, I use a minimum of 3, and almost always 4. One strap just doesn't cut it for me. I have seen straps come off, and my buddies uncle wrote off a quad , when his 1 strap busted on the hiway. Also I want that qaud firmly in my box if I ever have an accident or rollover. The last thing I would need is 800 pounds of quad and gear flying around.
For the amount of time it takes to do the extra straps is worth it to me. Might be a little different if I was only going through town, but most of my rides are an hour away.

1 is better then none, which I have seen done before too. nutkick

Later
Molsondrinkr

 

Just make sure if your using ramps, use the straps, I used to used 2 x 10 with ramp ends and they worked good until the truck rolled forward when I was unloading my Big Bear. The Big Bear dropped straight down on the rear rack and then flipped over on me. Just a word to the wise, don't go cheap on ramps.

 

Yea I just started strapping my ramps to the truck. A friend of mine rides with a guy who's buddy was paralyzed when the ramps kicked out and the qaud crushed him. Started doing it right after my buddy told me the story. Takes like an extra minute. :beer_cheers:

I welded up my own ramps, could drive a tank over them. With the long box, I made them a little longer. Something like a 28 degree angle to drive up.
Not light, but effective.

Later
Molsondrinkr

 

I have an 01 F-250 Crew Cab long bed, with a truck box in it as well. I can only fit my sons Big Bear in the bed with the tailgate up. If I put the 650 in it's riding on the tailgate and strapped twice. I like the idea of the Versa Hauler but I would be nervous about putting the weight of the 650 on it. I would put the Big Bear on it no problem. Right now I am borrowing a buddies trailer until I decide which way to go.

But back to the initial post, I say any full size truck with an 8' bed.