Krypton factor meets scraphead challange, HELP!
Turbo Mini Forums

I know there is a lot of people on her with a great deal more brain power than me. So with this is mind and problem shared is a problem halfed and all that, I'm hoping someone can help me out with this problem.

I'm converting a luton van into a race transporter to carry the mini around. The problem is getting the mini in and out of the van. My initial plan was to simply use ramps. But because the mini is so low I need 6 meter long ramps. As the floor space in the van is only just over 4.2 meters I can't carry ramps that long.

Ok so for some numbers for you:
Mini length approx 3m
mini ground clearance 85mm
mini wheel base 2004mm
weight of mini 550kg
the van floor is 900mm from ground level.

I'm trying to keep the cost and weight down as much as possible.

At the moment I have thought of one solution.

Have some 3m ramps hinged to the back of the van, winch the mini onto the ramps.
Raise the bottom of the ramps so they are level with the back of the van.
Then winch the mini in the rest of the way.
I don't know the best way of raising the ramps, for this I've thought of twp options.

Have a steel pole running about 2/3 of the way down the two ramps. Place a high lift jack in the middle of this pole and jack up.

Have a pair of winch cables coming out of the top of the luton box, coming down at an angle to the rear of the ramps. Pulling these cables should pull the rear of the ramps up.

So what do you think, can anyone come up with any other ideas?

Team Racing

Kneel down, stick your cock in the exhaust, stand up - lifting car, walk forwards so car enters van

Paul

I seriously doubt it!

ahahaha i spat tea onto my screen.

Could you make the ramps hinged in the middle with a sliding section undernath to reinforce them??

Trying not reference Dave's comment above, could you not fit a suitable tail lift?? You see them on horse boxes etc.

They are a full width ramp that folds at the roof height. You'd need some fancy hydraulics, but it would do it...

EDIT: Like this but on a bigger scale:

http://www.sararamps.co.uk/loadvan.html

According to the blurb they also do folding ramps:

http://www.sararamps.co.uk/loadplant.html

Edited by apbellamy on 8th Oct, 2009.

Fuck that, just get an Evil Knieval stylee ramp:

Hehehe "Tail Lift!"

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

BTW Pissing myself laughing at Nic's illustration.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

Paul and nic have just given me my biggest laugh of the day!

Nic you have far too much time on your hands!

Ha ha ha excellent pic of Jim and Laura!

HaHa Nic.

Use 3m meter ramps and jack up the front of the van.

Or make ramps to go in the van, raised at front end, so Mini travels nose high. Lower ramps after taking the Mini out.

Edited by Paul S on 8th Oct, 2009.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

tail lift with fold out ramp sections to carry the rear wheels; the majority of your weight is going to be at the front of the car i.e. on the lif itself so it sould be able to carry the load;

I've seen a few of the drag boys with this, albeit on larger trucks but the principle would be the same; I'm sure you'll get a lift with adequate rating for lifting the mini

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ratcliff-1500-kgs-ta...id=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DEL-500KG-TAIL-LIFT-...id=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DEL-500KG-TAIL-LIFT-...id=p3286.c0.m14

Edited by Rob Gavin on 8th Oct, 2009.

how about drive the mini on the ramps,

have them hinged on the van then use an electric winch mounted towards the roof of the van to lift them? like a draw bridge stlyee?
although, i would just do some folding ramps! or 2 section ones that slide inside each other.

Other option is the one you suggested with the pole and high lift jack

righto, not ued this part of my brain in a while so bear with me

set one have cocaine and heroin to offer around

tan-1 (85/(2004/2)) = 'x' (max ramp angle before you ground the mid chassis)

cos 'x'/900 = length of ramp needed

Im going to guess this is going to be way too long to fit in the van?

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

PMSL @ the quality drawings!

how about a pair of skids, you can drive the mini on that are cante levered at one end so a winch on the cab pulls them and the mini up and into the truck?


also any thing here that helps?

http://www.atfreeforum.com/mk1mark/viewtop...&mforum=mk1mark

I think paul makes a valid packing solution

crap drawings to show what i mean..

Edited by Joe C on 8th Oct, 2009.

I would say tail lift extended to length of car is the ideal - 'if' you have any engine problems with the car then this is the easiest way to push the car back into the van.

Second way would be as per Paul S's illustration - you could take some angle off the 'internal' ramps as long as the angle where the two sets join isn't too acute to make the car sills bottom out.

I know your pain - I have similar probelms loading my autotester as it is so low - I usually end up winding the jockey wheel up to lift the nose of the trailer and make a straight run up the ramps.

very funny pics

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

and they still look like a two year old has done them...

Jim what were you talking about at the start:-

I saw a tail lift modofied to lift a radical at Gurston a few weeks ago.

it was a 1 ton tail lift, with a fold out extension for the back wheels, and a small frame with tie rods going back onto the extension to stop it flexing downwards.

Most tail lifts on luton vans lift around 1 ton, so will easily lift a mini

One on a van I rented recently was electronic too, so I'd imagine much easier to retrofit.

Mr. Prawn, the friendly Crustacean- slowly making steps towards forced induction.

Evil Knieval gets my vote

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!