UTV Truck Rack Review

Information:

I have a short bed Ford F350 Super Duty and long travel UTVs that won’t fit in the bed. Even if they would fit in the bed, I don’t like the rear tires riding on the tailgate.

I had seen snowmobile and ATV truck racks before, so hauling a UTV on a rack above the bed didn’t seem too crazy. I wanted the rack to handle a two-seat UTV to include a Polaris RZR XP 1000, Arctic Cat Wildcat, Can-Am Maverick or Kawasaki Teryx.

Alpine Designs custom makes all-aluminum UTV racks for short and long bed trucks.  They are located in Placerville, CA.

I Can’t Drive 55MPH!

 

Truck Upgrades

Air Bags

If you are looking to haul a UTV in the back of your truck, I would suggest installing a set of air bags on your truck so you can make sure the truck is level and the ride is firm. Air bags are installed between the frame and the suspension and are designed to maximize the safe load carrying capacity, stability and ride quality of your truck.

Working with your existing suspension, air springs increase your safety and comfort when towing and hauling heavy loads.

LoadLifter 5000 kits are specifically engineered for hauling or towing heavy loads. LoadLifter 5000 kits work with the vehicle’s existing suspension to give up to 5,000 pounds of extra leveling capacity when needed, right up to the manufacturer’s recommended Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Rugged and durable, LoadLifter 5000 air springs are built like a tire and reinforced by 2-ply fabric. The end caps are constructed from ultra high-strength composite Nylon and are strong as steel but are lighter and corrosion proof.Air adjustable from 5 to 100 PSI, Air Lift air spring kits increase safety and comfort by helping to level and stabilize vehicles when towing or hauling heavy loads. A level, stable vehicle results in better braking, steering, headlight aim and also reduces sway, “porpoising”, and bottoming out. Just add air when loaded and reduce air pressure when riding unloaded.

See more: AIR LIFT’S “KNOW SQUAT” AD CAMPAIGN EDUCATES DRIVERS ON AIR SUSPENSION SOLUTIONS FOR SAFE TOWING

 

Air Lift LoadLifter 5000

WirelessONE is an affordable wireless on-board air compressor system that provides one-touch control of your air springs from inside or outside the vehicle.

WirelessONE wireless on-board air compressor system

• Easy installation – no lines/wires to the cab.
• Wireless handheld unit for convenient operation inside or outside the vehicle
• Single path control: left and right air springs are inflated/deflated equally
• Low pressure sensor automatically activates to maintain safe pressure level

Tie Downs

If you are going to use a rack in the bed of your truck, make sure it is securely fastened. Once you put a UTV up on top and hit a few bumps while turning, you will see why.  I did not trust relying on a few straps attached to the factory tie down hooks. It is not that I worried about the straps breaking.  It was more that I did not trust the factory tie down hooks fastened to the sheet metal in the bed.

People have been dealing with a similar problem with slide in campers for years.  The best solution I found was a set of frame mounted tie downs. This not only gives you a solid point to attach, but also moves the tie down location out to the edge of the rack where it is most effective in controlling movement.

  
I installed a set of TorkLift Camper Tie Downs to the front of my truck.  These are frame mounted so you don’t have to worry about the UTV rack moving in your truck bed.