Golf Car, Short Bed F150

[smlranger]

I am prepping our new 2014 F150 Super Crew with short bed as a toad that can haul our electric Club Car and thought I would share the results for others who might be considering doing same.

I ordered some Black Widow aluminum extra wide folding ramps. Knowing that the rear wheels of the golf car would rest on the tailgate, I also ordered some tailgate supports. I loaded the car for the first time today to test the ramps, the fit, tie down options, and ramp storage.

What went well:

. club car climbed the ramps easily.
. ramps seem sturdy and are not heavy to handle (capacity of 1,550 pounds per ramp, each ramp weights 30 pounds or so).
. tailgate supports easy to install and seem to do the job.
. one ramp stores under the car and the other stores folded next to the car (I could store a ramp on either side but want to install a small truck storage box on one side...need a place to store tie down straps, tailgate supports, etc.).

Concern:

. the ramps come with a small strap to secure them to the truck during use. I am not happy with them and the ramps seem to want to move around a bit on the plastic tailgate protector. I plan to drill a hole thru each ramp lip and tailgate and use a small pin to keep the ramps from slipping during use.
. glad I bought a truck with a tow and heavy duty suspension package. The truck squats a little bit when the car is loaded.

Overall, I am satisfied with how this seems to work.

[Skip426]

A couple of comments and a warning.
Have you checked your axle weight loaded?
Adjusted the tire pressure accordingly?
Is the hinged windshield bolted on ? Or secured on the cart with a hard rubber mount?
Friend with the hard mount had the windshield blow out on the highway.
Even if the lower half is bolted on, the upper half may blow open and start banging around.
JMHO: I'd want to consider opening the windshield and securing it in the open position or if it's only rubber mounted, remove it and put it in the back seat of the truck while on the highway.

[smlranger]

Originally Posted by Skip426

A couple of comments and a warning.
Have you checked your axle weight loaded?
Adjusted the tire pressure accordingly?
Is the hinged windshield bolted on ? Or secured on the cart with a hard rubber mount?
Friend with the hard mount had the windshield blow out on the highway.
Even if the lower half is bolted on, the upper half may blow open and start banging around.
JMHO: I'd want to consider opening the windshield and securing it in the open position or if it's only rubber mounted, remove it and put it in the back seat of the truck while on the highway.

I will get on a scales sometime but the 900 pound golf car is well within the load capacity of the truck. I do plan to add air to the rear truck tires.

The GC windshield folds down and did fine folded when I brought the GC home recently on a utility trailer....60+mph. Also, I am having a heavy cover made for the GC that will be firmly attached to the GC during travel.

[walt2137]

Sml that is a nice looking set up, with the truck at about 5800 and the GC at 900 lb I hope you have a HD tow bar. My only concern would be the GC roof it is not attached very well on either of our carts, Easygoing or Clubcar. Where did you get the tailgate supports.

[smlranger]

Originally Posted by walt2137

Sml that is a nice looking set up, with the truck at about 5800 and the GC at 900 lb I hope you have a HD tow bar. My only concern would be the GC roof it is not attached very well on either of our carts, Easygoing or Clubcar. Where did you get the tailgate supports.

My Blue Ox tow bar is rated for 10,000 pounds.

Tailgate supports: Tailgate Support | Pickup Truck, ATV, UTV | DG Manufacturing |
I actually purchased mine from Cabelas since I had some points to spend .

Someone else mentioned the top on the GC. I am having a heavy duty cover made for the Club Car that should help protect the top. Even so, I may just throw a couple of straps over the top which will also help keep the cover from billowing.

[walt2137]

Good tow bar I have the same tow bar and Roadmaster brackets, thanks for the link.

[charles tuit]

Gary:

Some states have a limit to overhang without tail/signal lights. Should be easy to make a tail light/signal bar to attach to cart.

[smlranger]

Originally Posted by charles tuit

Gary:

Some states have a limit to overhang without tail/signal lights. Should be easy to make a tail light/signal bar to attach to cart.

Hmmm..... had not thought about that. I could certainly fashion a light bar to attach to the golf car but I had planned to outfit the truck for towing without the GC. I need to give this some thought.

Thanks for the tip.

[Cousin Ed]

We have been towing a Club Car for 7 years, 1500 miles each way, without any problems. First we used a Colorado crew and now a Sierra 1500 crew. I use 3/4" plywood stiffened with 2 2x4s on end screwed every 4" to spread the weight. I added 3/4"s of plywood under the rear wheels of the cart; so the ramps slide under the the cart. I have boat trailer LED lights on a wooden bar secured to the back of the cart. I run the cart to the front of the bed with a piece of foam noodle between the cart and truck, then use two ratcheting straps to hold it tight. I have to take up a click or two on the straps three or four times during the four day trip. All this works well. You shold be fine!

[Jrf4865]

Do you drive the golf cart up the ramps or use a winch set up? I am looking into the same set up but driving up the ramps seems to be a little scary...

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by smlranger

Hmmm..... had not thought about that. I could certainly fashion a light bar to attach to the golf car but I had planned to outfit the truck for towing without the GC. I need to give this some thought.

Thanks for the tip.

Hey SML,
Looks like you've got things well in hand, er, a, the bed I should say. While there may be some limits on load vs ability to see the tail lights, I'd say unless you had a person riding on your tail gate and could not see both tail lights at the same time, the normal drivers following you, based on your pictures you're displaying, should easily see both tail lights if they were following you from even a close distance.

When we carried the Honda Goldwing on the back of the coach, sitting cross-ways, it did block the tail lights of the coach somewhat, if you were considerably close to the back of it. But, if you backed off to normal following distances, you could easily see both tail lights.

But, if you did want something to make you more visible for lighting, you could do something like this, right on the top edge of the tail gate. When you had the tail gate up, the lights would face the sky and would have no effect on anything. But, when lowered, the lights would face the following drivers. And, since I don't know just how your ramps sit on the tail gate, these would be as close to flush as possible. The wires could maybe be ran inside the tail gate and exit, at a corner or, maybe even out the bottom of the middle and be fitted with a plug that would plug right into your 7 pin connector on the back of the truck.

Just a thought here.
Scott

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[smlranger]

Originally Posted by Jrf4865

Do you drive the golf cart up the ramps or use a winch set up? I am looking into the same set up but driving up the ramps seems to be a little scary...

Golf car easily drives up/down the ramps. Need to have good wide, sturdy ramps.

[Cousin Ed]

For loading & unloading the cart, it is best to find a little hill you can back up to; so the ramps are as level as possible. Doing it on flat ground make the climb very steep.

When not carrying the cart I mount the lights on the tailgate. They stay there with Velcro with a wire-tie backup. I have been using removable lights for over 150,000 miles.

[STEVE-JUNELL]

We did this last year now we are looking at an rzr instead of the cart I second the find a hill to load the cart makes it a lot easier