After we determine the model and size of the car trailer we will buy, what else should we consider?
Car hauling ramp. This is a tool to help our car be loaded onto the trailer. The angle and length of the ramp should be calculated so that our car will not be scratched.
Angle calculation
The purpose of the angle calculation is to ensure that our front bumper will not hit the ramp, or causing scratches on the way up. The way to calculate the angle of the ramp is to use a trigonometric function.
Method:
- First, you need to prepare a 36-inch ruler (or longer)
- Place one end of the ruler under the tire of the car, and slowly lift the other end up until it touches the bottom of the bumper of your car, and record the length (A1)
- Use a ruler to measure the height from the bottom of the bumper to the ground (B1)
- This step is not necessary: calculate the value of A1/B1.
Tips: if you want to know the angle, you need to calculate the value of B1/A1, then, use a scientific calculator to find the angle.
At this time, you will get a ratio of the maximum approach angle that can be accommodated without scratching the front bumper.
Length calculation
Once you know the maximum angle that your car can accept, you can calculate the length of the ramp. Here you need to use the height and length you measured above.
Method:
- Measure the height of the trailer from the ground (B2)
- Multiply the height obtained above by the length in the angle calculation divided by the height from the bottom of the bumper to the ground, which is B2×A1/B1
At this time, you will get a more suitable ramp size. Generally speaking, the length of the ramp can vary from 45 inches to 130 inches.
Thickness calculation
The thickness can reduce the length of the ramp to a certain extent. The thicker the ramp, the shorter the length required. If your ramp is very thin, you don’t need to consider this step.
If the ramp you choose has a certain thickness, you can calculate how long you need the ramp according to these steps.
Method:
- Measure the thickness of the ramp (B3)
- B3×A1/B1, we will get a value, this length is the length we can discard. Subtracting this value from the length we got in the second step is the shortest length of the ramp we choose
When the length of the ramp is greater than the shortest length, our car will not be scratched. When the length of the ramp is shorter than the shortest length, it will cause damage to our car.