# Horsebox upgrades- How heavy is your ramp? - Kraiberg versus lighter materials



## flyingfeet (5 October 2011)

Season over so lorry in the shop having all the things that bugged me fixed 

So questions - 
My ramp is heavy, and the first bit of lifting I feel like a mini weightlifter, the last little bit is also not that easy. Its not impossible, but compared to a trailer, flipping heavy
1. Is this normal?

Now the ramp is covered in what I believe to be around 78kg in weight of beautiful kraiberg matting. Horses load really well, but this is probably the cause of question 1. 

So question 2, does £500 to remove kraiberg and replace with griptop seem expensive?
I am coughing a bit as seems a lot and even worse when existing is lovely 

Question 3 - do you think it will make that much difference - I think the griptop should be around 20kg or lighter- so a saving of nearly 60kg


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## OT Sports Horses (5 October 2011)

Hi I think my lorry sounds quite a bit older than yours (F reg Leyland Daf) but anyways.... My ramp is so heavy i cannot lift it on my own, making it very awkward going anywhere without someone coming to help me load.

My ramp is just covered in rubber matting with wooden grips - looks smart and completely adequate and cannot be adding much to the weight issue. I took the advise of someone who builds horseboxes and had the 2 springs underneath replaced - this was around £300 and made zero difference! they have suggested having a 3rd spring but i'm not sure i want to pay and risk it!

if it is a problem for you then perhaps look for someone who has the same lorry as you (when your out and about at shows), see what they have on their ramp and ask if you can lift it?

it seems very expensive to change it when you've said how lovely it looks now :O/


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## SpottedCat (5 October 2011)

My ramp has Kraiburg on it and has 3 underslung springs because of it. The builder said if I went for Kraiburg I'd need 3 springs not two or I'd never lift it. As it is I can do it easily on my own. So is fitting another spring an option?

£500 to remove kraiburg and replace with griptop sounds very pricey to me - but only in an abstract way because I have no idea of the cost in reality! Why don't you contact a few builders and see if they'd do it and discount it if they got to keep the rubber for another ramp (if it can be reused, no idea if it can or not!!). The guy who built mine does small jobs like this as well as building entire boxes...


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## flyingfeet (5 October 2011)

I did ask about a third spring, but he wasn't enthusiastic as said really hard to get them working well


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## Santa_Claus (5 October 2011)

I would say it's your springs not your ramp which is the problem. With my old lorry when first got it ramp was heavy and struggled badly on own. One of the connectors to lorry broke (shoddy workmanship with build!?) so Took opportunity for ramp to be stripped down and rebuilt. Dispute slightly heavier materials they readjusted springs (two side springs rather then underneath ramp springs) and from then on could lift it one handed which was great as often went to comps on my own!


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## Fourlegsgood (5 October 2011)

I put Kraiburg on my ramp and it was impossible to lift but then I just adjusted the two under ramp springs and it is fine. Have your springs been adjusted at all? or is it just assumed they cant do the job?


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## dieseldog (5 October 2011)

I had a brand new lorry ramp, with brand new springs and brand new Kraiberg Rubber.  I could not lift it, it was so heavy it got to the point of not wanting to use my lorry.

I got the ramp fixed, we replaced the wood as the wood we had put on was excessively thick and then only put one strip of rubber going up the middle of the ramp, it is plenty wide enough.  Even slackened the springs off.  I could then lift the ramp up with one hand as my arm was broken.

It was all about the weight, and kraiberg weighs a lot.  £500 is expensive, its very easy to pull the rubber off and re attach it with contact glue, you just spray the back of the rubber and apply it to the ramp.  You are quite a pratical person and could do that easily, you might want someone to help position it as its blooming sticky!

I paid £200 to have the wood replaced, some welding done, the front brakes lined and some other little stuff.  We stuck the rubber back on ourselves as we were going to get lighter rubber, but didn't purchase it in the end, that wouldn't have taken us longer tha an hour and glue is about £10 a can and you would need 2-3 of them.


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## dieseldog (5 October 2011)

Jen_Cots said:



			I did ask about a third spring, but he wasn't enthusiastic as said really hard to get them working well
		
Click to expand...

We looked at doing all those things, I've also got a hydralic ram but decided against that too.


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## HuntingB (5 October 2011)

A friend of ours had a really heavy ramp, had the springs re-done. Now I've seen a 12 year old chuck it up!


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## flyingfeet (5 October 2011)

Thanks guys - I am going to send to PRB as they said they should be able to get weightless and can even add a strut inside the spring if necessary 

Just seemed a crime to cut the kraiberg off!


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## popsdosh (5 October 2011)

Jen_Cots said:



			I did ask about a third spring, but he wasn't enthusiastic as said really hard to get them working well
		
Click to expand...

As you are doing take it to somebody who knows what they are doing.My box has undersprings and you can lift and close with one finger.
Just one tip for everybody looking at this if your ramp gets progressively more difficult,before you spend money on it oil the hinges were the ramp fixes on the back of the lorry(if needs be drill a small hole through the barrel of the hinge to get it in) this will in 95% of cases cure the problem.I see so many lorries with heavy ramps and nobody thinks of oiling the hinges if they are left they eventually seize and then the cross member breaks.There you are my money saving tip of the day!


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## Toby_Zaphod (6 October 2011)

I have a Tristar box on a 2000 Daf chassis & the ramp has carpet & aluminium treads up it. The ramp lifts very easily, anyone can lift it. Occasionally I notice a little difference with it & it seems to have gone slightly heavier but all I do is grease the springs under the floor. Once thst'a done the ramp is perfect again, working smoothly & lightly.

Before you mess with the weight of the ramp, ripping rubber off etc, check your springs. See if they adjust & also get them lubricated. You may find that once that jobs done the ramp will be fine.


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## flyingfeet (6 October 2011)

Thanks Toby_Zaphod, but has been adjusted by me, maker and mobile mechanic and greased up. However I still have to be a mini weightlifter to start it!!


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