Pickup transportation advice

S

satypos

New member
I am about to buy my son's first kart. I don't have a trailer or even a place to store one, so I'm going to start in the bed of the pickup. The kart is 5'11" so I can't close the gate, which eliminates an electric lift that rides in the trailer hitch receiver. The only other option I've found for a one-man operation is the Stone Kart Trolley (https://youtu.be/Sow7Omopa5I) but these don't seem to be very popular stands. Any advice from those that have lived it?
 
My first season I ran a Sr Champ out of an S10 with a 6 foot bed. It worked great until my daughter decided she wanted to race also.
 
There is no shortage of folks at the track willing to help you unload your kart, so if you have a system, or a neighbor, to help load and unload the kart at home then you can get by without some things. Also, a rack that allows you to put your kart above the sides of your truck bed will allow you to close your tailgate and store items (possibly even a folding stand) under the kart.

This might give you some ideas:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_S_196HqYlMo/RzKXX7t3vGI/AAAAAAAACA4/2IpyM8vPWzs/s640/DSC01532.JPG
 
Thanks, everyone. I hate to NEED someone to help me load/unload the truck, as well as every time he goes on/off the track. I think I'm going to buy that lift/stand above. Anyone ever seen one at the track? I talked to a guy at eshifterkart.com who said they use them for their race team. They are obviously using trailers, but he said it would work well for a pickup too. Or maybe I'll just go cheap until I know he is going to do this for real. I think I saw a used Streeter for $150.
 
I agree the Stone Kart Trolley is what you need. You can actually slide the kart from the bed of your pick-up across the tailgate directly onto the trolley and roll it to the grid. When you are ready to leave you can roll the trolley with the kart on it up to your tailgate and slide it off directly into the bed of your pick-up. Been doing it for years, works like a charm. With the rolling Streeter stand you will still need someone to help you get it on the stand. You can use the electric Streeter but then you will need someone to help you load it into you pick-up on the way home. They are kind of heavy and awkward for one person (well me anyway) to lift.
 
I saw a guy that hauled 2 karts on the bed of his pickup. He used 2x4's and plywood to set across the top of his box. The karts sat sideways on top of the box. That doesn't help much for the lone guy trying to load and unload.
The kart stand you show in the video looks like a handy device, but I don't think it would work at tracks like where my son races. The pits are very rough. The pits are not packed dirt, it is grass with a lot of gopher holes. The stand in your video would be too wobbly at the top and the front wheels would get stuck easily. I made a stand our of some old square tubing I had laying around with some 6 inch lawn mower tires. I made it so it can come apart quick and easy for storage. Again, that would not help you because it is a 2 person operation.
I would suggest taking a close look at your pits to see how easy it will be to push a kart, then look around for some of the stands that use electric winches or boat winches. Whatever stand you choose just keep in mind how easily it will roll and how stable it will be pushing across the pits.
How tall is your pickup? I am able to load and unload my sons kart into my pickup alone by lifting the front onto the tail gate then lifting the back and shoving it in. He has to help steer it but lifting is not too hard doing it that way. Our kart stand is tall enough I can pull it out of the pickup right onto the stand. I do have a little 4x8 home made trailer that we use when we haul it to the track with our expedition.
 
Thanks for your opinion, @jacobsdad. I ended up picking up a basic rolling, folding stand and we'll see how it goes for a few weeks. The guys are telling me I'm going to need to get it out of the garage ASAP anyway because of the tire prep smell. So I'll likely be in a trailer and/or shop soon!
 
when i started karting i built a wood rack for bed of truck to put cart on and gave me plenty of storage space underneath for stand,tires, and tools
 
ran out of a ranger and dakota for years, kart on stand rolled in on ramps or adjustable scale stand jacked all the way up, then you have the whole bed for tires and tools. strap accordingly, dont think i have any pictures. I've also strapped kart to top of 2 kart stand, then heaved the whole thing up in the bed with another person.
 
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