Ranger In Pickup Bed

Will a new Polaris Ranger XP 900 (full size) fit in an F250 short bed? Tailgate down I think it *may*. Anybody know for sure?

Thanks - Mickey

I can't believe I stumped the community with this question! Or maybe I'm crazy in not wanting to trailer if I don't have to.

60" wide so negatory ghost rider.

I haul my gator in my 6.5 ft pickup bed. I've done it in three different silverados..

You would have to get the smaller midsize Ranger to fit in the bed.

Bill I think the Ranger is wider than the Gator. I looked up the specs and it's showing 60"

The tailgate opening to my pickup is 60 inches. I've loaded it dozens of times. I only look at my wheels on the driver's side as I load it. I know that I'll have room on the other side if I get a quarter inch clearance on my side. My front bumper is within an inch of my back window so it's close. I think you can put the tailgate up with a full sized or long bed. Here's another look at how I haul mine;

In Rangers the 400,570 and 800 in the Midsize will fit in a pickup. All three models have a pic with it in the bed of the pickup in the pic.

I also hate trailers.

You could be able to get the longer ones in there with the tailgate down.

Dang, I didn't even think about the width! Glad I asked all you smart folks.

Based on the pics and info provided by everybody my decision comes to down:

A) Buy a mid-size and be done
*or*
B) Buy a full-size and buy a trailer

I typically live by "go big or go home" so my natural tendency is for the full-size... thus the post. But I really don't want to buy/store/tow a trailer. The fact of the matter is the mid-size is more than plenty for my needs so this will be a really tough decision.

Thanks everybody for your help!

Regards - Mickey

You need to go look at them and drive them at a dealer. You can only drive so fast on a ranch or lease. I have a 2007 700 XP and it does everything I need it to. Load it on your truck to see if works for you.

Remember that you will have to drive your front wheels over the wheel wells in your pickup. I can load mine on my flat concrete driveway, but feel more comfortable backing it into a 6 to 8 inch ditch or depression.

I do the same when [un]loading my lawn tractor - truck has 3" lift which doesn't help.

On a short bed, the back tires are liable to be on the tailgate. If that's the case, I'd seriously consider some kind of assist for the cables, something like THESE.

That's an awful lot of weight to be carried by the tailgate, and chances are it'd be fine for quite some time, but it's cheap insurance.

Get a flat bed on your pickup and problem solved

Cheaper to buy a trailer at that point.

Ya but you know how easy it is to load stuff with the hydraulic hay arms model.



Three cow elk...no problem, 7weight steer...no problem

Still not a problem to drag them onto a trailer with the ramps and using my Ranger. What are you doing, killing steers now?

Buy you a trailer built just for the Ranger. I have a 2012 800 crew but the better purchase may have been the 14ft trailer with a gate. I had several trailers at home but they were all over kill and a true pain in the rear to drag very far. The light duty trailer is perfect and makes life much easier.

Not using a trailer would be about the same as going hunting in a car, you wont have any room for anything else once you get it into the truck.

I'd have to pay for storage. Our subdivision is restricted against trailers outside, plus I think the look tacky in the yard. I've hauled mine all over Texas, and plan to keep it that was.

I have a crew cab, fly solo and take very little to/from so I don't see this as an issue though I have thought about it. Worse case scenario, I buy a trailer down the road but that's only if my circumstances change.

-Mickey

The good thing about a trailer is you can leave everything on it from one trip to the next if you have a place to safely park/store fully loaded.

Yup, makes it nice when you get off work on Friday & all you have to do is hook up to the trailer (for me, throw all the dogs in their boxes) and hit the road. I have a truck tool box on the front of my trailer, big storage box on top of the dogbox that goes in the truck and the storage on top of the Mule dog box. All stay loaded with what we keep in them all the time ready to go.
Also if you are mostly by yourself, a trailer is much safer (being lower to the ground) to load & unload than the truck.

That's scary right there!

Why don't you just use your truck and skip buying a UTV?

72" pickup bed tail gate closed and Ranger 900 has a 81" wheelbase. Gonna be a load.

You could be right. Maybe I've dodged the big one. I've seen more problems with trailers than I have with pickups, including wheel bearings, tail lights and leaf springs.

You cant hunt wild bobwhite quail from a pickup where I hunt. The pickup would go down and the UTV will stay on top.

I have done just that for a couple years now however I'm considering the UTV to reduce wear and tear on a $55k truck... I'd rather beat up $13k UTV which is also easier to get around in.

Very good point; I am familiar with the forum post highlighting how badly somebody got hurt (http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u...wheeler_can_be_)!

If it were me I would but a small tandem axle trailer and not put it in the truck. A tandem trailer pulls a lot better and is safer to load and unload. Also with a tandem axle trailer if you blow a tire pull it off and roll on until you get to a place to fix it, it doesn't leave you stranded.

Walter

If you do a trailer get a tilt bed just for the ease of loading and unloading. That's what we have and it's nice not to have to worry about ramps.

I have a Kawasaki Mule 610 that I haul in the back of my 2500hd short bed. I hate hauling a trailer. Luckily my gear will fit in the bed of the mule.

The mid size rangers will fit, as will any of the 50" Razors, Wildcat or the new Pioneer 500. www.sbsparts.com

I been hauling around 4 wheelers for more years than I can to think about. Best thing I ever did was buy a trailer. Yes they are a PITA but there is nothing like getting "stuck" in the mountains with rain, sleet, snow and 20 degrees trying to load an ATV in the bed of the truck.

A busted up wheeler, broken leg or arm or worse is not worth the risk when a trailer eliminates almost all the risk. Risk vs. reward = trailer for me. Maxey Trailers are good ones.

Yup. Almost feels like you're cheating, but you win nonetheless.

I have a tandem axle trailer with brakes and a dove tail. My gator drives right up on it without needing the ramps. Tows super nice behind the superduty.

A small 8' trailer sure does come in handy and most of the time you don't even know that it is even back there, plus you can use your truck to haul extra stuff.

What part of deed restrictions do some of you not understand?

Not everyone has deed restrictions. What part of that do you not understand?

They're arguing with me that I should buy a trailer. I'm not arguing with them that they should not. I'm just replying to the OP.

Bill you're cranky this morning.

Don't see where anyone was telling you what to do. Only replies to the OP and others about how good a trailer can be for other needs and hauling all your gear/ATV/UTV without having to unload. Lot of replies from those that have seen the benefits of owning a trailer.
How does your deed restrictions handle your Gator?

I keep my Gator in my garage. Out of sight, out of mind. It's a little crowded at this time. I just moved my boat out of storage and into the garage.

Gotcha. So you bend the rules when you see they fit your needs

Thank God... cant imagine what they would say about the pile of deer leg bones on my burn pile during deer season or the dish washer that sat on my porch for a month before I got around to getting rid of it.

No worries, I have garage space or can put a trailer behind a fence (or in a friend's barn around the corner).

The pro-trailer camp is taking the cake at this point; I know it's the right thing to do.

Here is my take: I was in your same spot 2 years ago.

Bought a 400 ranger and loaded it in the bed for over a year into a dodge 2500 4x4. Got tired of loading into the truck due to how steep it was and bought a 6x12 trailer...over kill but everyone recommended going larger. Now, have a full size 800 and do not regret buying a trailer at all. Its much safer, gets lots of use at the lease and helps friends with moving.