I have a Skidoo MXZ and was wondering if it would be safe to transport this in the bed of a Chevy S-10. The bed is 6' and will have the tailgate down. If so, please let me know what the best way to strap it in is!

Or is it worth just waiting to have it trailered down, since I want to get my sled to my house but it's currently located in NH.

Thanks.

I was wondering if it is safe to transport a Skidoo MXZ in the back of a Chevy S-10 truck bed with the tailgate down? It has a 6' bed. I have always had it trailered or in the back of a larger truck (F-250) but am kinda motivated to get it to my house from NH.

If it is safe, can you please let me know how to strap it down and what direction (front or rear) to load in.

Thanks.

yes it is safe. drive it in put your break on , strap the rear of it on to the truck but make sure you push the rear of the sled down to compress the shock. this will keep it from sliding around, works perfect on a trailer

it would be safe if you have a 4x4 as they have better rear springs. Not sure how it would go in a 2wd. Drie safe as your front end will probablly push moe due to all the weight in the rear.

Give'r man. I had a 95 S 10 with the 6' box. It hauled the sled no problems. If you have a cover then put the sled in backwards. That wat it will sit flat in the bed. Otherwise it will be cockeyed. Use a tie down strap or a ractchet strap from the bumper to a stake pocket and that will be sufficient. Good Luck.
:D

:withstupid: :withstupid: SWRules :hallo1:

Thanks "cooley"..

SXman - what's w/ your response?

skidoomxz_600:

I haven't transported in less than an 8' box, but weight should not be an issue--even the smaller trucks should handle 500-600 lbs. You may feel some body roll (high center of gravity) but remember--it's not a race--drive sensibly like a loaded truck and you should be fine.

Re: tiedowns: in case you have a bed liner like I do, making the stake pockets inaccessible, I reinstall my aluminum cap (shell?) clamps even with the cap off, to that my bedliner doesn't fly out. (Haven't seen this happen, but don't want to be the first....). Anyway, I used two ratchet ties, and went around the back, one from the middle cap clamps, and one from the rearmost cap clamps. This spreads the tie down load among four points. If you put it in backwards as has been suggested, you could still do this, but run the straps through the grab rail on the nose of the sled.

No, the aluminum cap clamps aren't super strong, and yes, they will pivot slightly as you tighten them, but if installed properly, they're not gonna open up and slip out from under the box rail. Be careful not to overtighten them so that they bend, or they could break. But remember--it's only the truck's acceleration (a relatively mild force) that will cause the sled to creep backwards--the big forces are generated by braking. I did my GT like this, and it never so much as moved, on a 6 hr. trip.

Re: braking--set your parking brake on the sled--and watch the high speed--Speeding too much could shred an older sled cover.

Just my .02.

hes just saying he agrees with me :D

Thanks for all your help! I wasn't sure what the "I'm with Stupid" icons meant..

I've hauled a sled in the back of short pick-up lots of times. I always take the tailgate off, so it's easier to pull out of the truck.
And conversely to what everyone else has said, I always tie down the front. Go from the spindles to the front of the box, either the stake pockets or hooks or whatever you have.
I also never use the parking brake. Hydraulic brakes should not be used as a parking brake for extended periods of time.

It will probably be such a tight fit, you wont need to tie it in.
Ah what the heck!, Rope it down to be safe!!

For years I would drive around with the work truck, sled not tied down. I would drive it on and it would freeze into place. That was untill on day in the spring, when I pulled out on the highway and the sled slid off and veared across trafic and came to a rest in the opposite ditch :nervous:

Now I tie down.

Have a Dakota (6' bed), haul sleds regularly. Prefer to load backwards so machine sits flat. Have always been afraid windshield will be blown off this way, so I've always put a cover on to prevent the W/S from acting like a windscoop. Have never had a problem, been doing this for many years. The sled is not going to come out of the truck if the tires of the truck stay on the ground. Usually just use a strap or rope across back for peace of mind.

I haul my Rev in a 4x4 Ranger. I built a ramp/deck for loading and so the sled sits above the wheel wells because it will not fit in forward between the wheel wells. It is easy to load and unload myself without the need for a snowbank.

Removing the windshield is usually a good idea. Also, with the tailgate down be carefull not to put too much wieght on it. I've seen some bend.
GOOD LUCK!!