Putting sides on PickUp to haul small livestock - How??

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Does anyone have any ideas on how to put sides on a pickup so I can carry small livestock (minature horses) I have a rubber mat for the floor. Has anyone built one on a truck?? I can't afford a trailer right now. Wish I could!!!I'd like some kind of roof to keep them dry. What about a ramp? I was thinking of backing up to a bank but what kind of back gate should I use?? I don't want them hurt and I sure don't want them getting out!! Help! Thanks everyone!!

-- PJC (zpjc5_@hotmail.com), March 21, 2002

Answers

I take bull calves to auction in a knock down box that uses the stake holes in the truck box to anchor each panel. It fastens together with hasps and pins, and works quite well. It is roofed and the back panel has a door in it. Calves are lifted in or if they are too big (say, 150#+), lifted to the tailgate level of the truck with the skid steer loader bucket. A dirt ramp would be really handy but I've yet to build one. Would make loading all kinds of stuff (riding lawnmowers, etc) a whole lot easier. The advantage to my calf box is you can take it apart after you get to the auction barn and be able to gain full visibility out the back window again on the way home.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), March 21, 2002.

I FOUND A USED CAMPER SHELL FOR 100.00 THAT FIT MY PICKUP. MY BACK TRUCK WINDOW AND FRONT CAMPER SHELL WINDOW BOTH OPEN - I SHARE A/C AND HEAT IF NECESSARY. CAMPER SHELL HAS SIDE WINDOWS.

RAMP? PIECE OF GOOD STRONG PLYWOOD. WE USED 2X6'S SCREWED ON EACH SIDE, STANDING UP FOR EDGE BOUNDARY. DEPENDING ON HOW WIDE, SCREW SAME FLAT UNDERNEATH FOR STRENGTH. FOR WALKING UP THE RAMP WE SCREWED VERY FLAT LITTLE NARROW BOARDS ACROSS SO THEY WOULDN'T SLIP.

-- BILLIE SCHNEIDER (CANYONKATY@HCTC.NET), March 21, 2002.


I built a stock box out of pallets carriage bolted to support stakes and put a framework over the top so I could tarp it "five quarter military truck style". I used it when we were taking a few goats to sale and all I had was my pick up and a trailer made from a pick up bed. I made a ramp of a sheet of plywood with traction rungs and stored it on the side of the bed by the wheelwell with rope.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), March 21, 2002.

That brings back memories! I brought home my first pony in the back of our pick-up the same way. We built up sides by putting 2x4's into the holes in the sides of the bed for uprights, then put on plywood over it. We didn't put on a roof or a back gate -- I rode in the back with her for the whole 250 miles. We used old rubber carpet underlayment for footing on top of another sheet of plywood.

I didn't think about how to get her in there, and backing up to a bank didn't work as she wouldn't walk over the flipped down tailgate (putting plywood over it would probably have helped, but I had never done this before). Ended up with two large and brawny guys who worked at the farm physically lifting her off her feet (each got an arm around her chest and one around her butt) and putting her in.

She was a remarkable pony with a one in a million good disposition and was no problem at all in the whole thing, but it would be better not to ride in back with any horse in transit (that pony is about the only one that I ever would do that with), so building a tailgate section would be a good idea. In later years we built an emergency ramp out of two thick pieces of plywood screwed together and reinforced with 2x4's underneath to load a horse with leg problems into a step-up trailer.

I knew a woman who drove her thoroughbred across country in the back of her pick up truck in a similar rig, and she put a canvas tarp over the top to keep the horse from freaking out every time that she went under an overpass.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), March 21, 2002.


If they're small enough, just stick them in the cab! Lambs and market pigs do great. Just make sure they dont try to drive!

-- Chenoa (ganter@primus.ca), March 22, 2002.


I believe that in some areas it's required that you have some kind of a cover for hauling livestock in the back of your pickup. It's for their protection from flying debris!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), March 22, 2002.

We used rough sawn oak to build up the sides to level with the top of the cab. It's in four sections, one for each side of the bed, fastened together by threading a rod through eye bolts at the corners. For a top, I bungee on a truck tarp. To give fastening points, and make the things easier to move, I added metal handles on the outside of all sides. You can support the tarp by arching plastic water line every 2 feet. On mine, the ends are fitted over bolts that are installed at an angle, with holes drilled all the way through both pipe and bolt. A long, thin bolt or stay clip will keep the pipe from working loose.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), March 24, 2002.

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