Getting the quads to the trailhead can sometimes be a pain.
When you think about it there aren't that many hauling
options. You can tow a trailer or load them in the bed of
your pickup. Sometimes towing a trailer isn't
practical. Or even worse, sometimes you have too many
trailers to tow (quad trailer, travel trailer etc.) as is the case
with my brother. When he gets ready to head to the dunes he
wants to be able to haul 3 quads, a Pilot and still tow his Weekend
Warrior. Well the folks at HighRider Systems have come
up with a solution that allows for efficient and effective hauling
of quads on the bed of a pickup. The HighRider Loading System is
comprised of a pair of bed rail mounted steel racks with very cool
integrated extendable loading/unloading ramps. With two sets
of racks you can haul two full sized quads with a long bed pickup
all while leaving the actual bed of the pickup free for your gear.
My brother opted to order just one set of racks with the optional manual winch system to ease the loading/unloading process. The order was placed and within a week or so UPS delivered three boxes (two racks and the wench). Each rack is in its own box and weighs over 100 lbs. This was a small issue being that the UPS driver needed someone there at the time of delivery to help with unloading the boxes from his truck. The driver wouldn't just leave the boxes on the front step.
Installation
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We unpacked the racks and read the brief well written instructions. The actual installation only took about 10 minutes. The instructions outline a method of removing the integrated ramp system from each rack making it easier for one person to handle but I would recommend having a helper to position each rack on the pickup bed rails. They are pretty heavy and would be hard for one person to maneuver even with the ramps removed. In addition, we had to add extra 2x4 spacers to help clear a bed mounted fuel cell. Most installations wouldn't require this.
Once the racks were positioned using width measurements we had taken from the quad we used the supplied clamps to secure the racks in place. The final step was to assembled the manual winch kit which was comprised of a bar that attaches to the installed ramps that holds the wench in the center of the two racks (simple but effective).
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Performance
The integrated ramps are the cool part of the system. When not in use they are secured in place using a keeper pin. Removing the pin allows the ramp to telescope out giving you a ramp with an easy angle (even on a lifted F350 Crew) to load and unload the quad. The ramps can be pulled out on either side of the rack. This allows for ride up loading on one side and ride down unloading on the other. I am sure 4x4s could be easily ridden up and down these ramps. We opted to use a winch rather than launch our 250R over the truck.
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The manual winch that was included worked well. It uses a friction brake type system that allowed you to stop cranking in the middle of the ramp without worrying about the quad rolling back down.
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Once the quad is loaded it is a simple task of adding the supplied wheel stops and several tie downs. The load does give you a higher center of gravity but on the F350 Crew we used as the platform it was hard to notice. But as when hauling anything care should be taken when hauling a quad on the back of a pickup.
Bottom Line
The HighRider Loading System is a great system for hauling quads on the back of a pickup. The ramps really makes this system a breeze to use. With this rack the bed of the pickup is free to haul additional gear and now the pickup can tow the travel trailer without a problem.
HighRider Systems
PO Box 86
Hines, OR 97138
1-800-914-0018
1-541-573-2367
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