There are hundreds of reasons why you might want to put an ATV in a truck bed, and the most common one is getting to mountain trails without having to ride the four-wheeler on the highway. While putting an ATV in a truck bed might be easy (I even have a full guide about it), you need to be really careful how you strap the ATV to the truck.
Knowing how to strap an ATV in the truck bed can help you prevent damage to the four-wheeler. Follow the 5-step guide below to learn the correct way of strapping down an ATV:
- Get the ATV on the truck bed or trailer and put it in park;
- Make sure that your truck bed or trailer has secure points. If not, you can get some from Amazon;
- You will need four straps. Hook each strap through the secure points on the truck bed or trailer, and through the tie-down spots of the ATV (they are low on the four sides of the frame);
- Use the ratchet to get the straps as straight as possible;
- Try to rock on the ATV to ensure that it doesn’t move. If it moves, use the ratchet to tighten the straps.
I know that it’s easier to learn from videos and from my research, this YouTube video does the best job of explaining how to strap down an ATV. Keep reading to see my full guide on the best way to tie down an ATV to a truck bed or trailer.
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How to Strap an ATV to a Truck Bed
Whether you want to take your ATV to a new terrain or it’s simply broken and you need to pay a visit to the mechanic’s shop ASAP, learning how to strap an ATV in a truck bed or trailer is an essential skill for all outdoor riders. I will present a detailed step-by-step guide that will show everything you need to ensure that your ATV is tied down as tight as possible. This way, you can avoid any damages that can happen if the straps are loose.
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What you need to know about the proper way of strapping an ATV to a truck bed is that all four-wheelers have four secure tie-down spots. They are usually located low on all sides of the frame. Therefore, you will find a tie-down spot on the front/back of the frame and left/right sides. The picture featured above shows what the secure points look like.
Are you using an enclosed trailer? In that case, you should be pleased to know that I wrote a full guide that shows how to fit four-wheelers in enclosed trailers.
After strapping the ATV to the secure points, the next step is to make sure that the straps are as tight as possible. You don’t want the ATV to be moving in the truck bed or trailer when you drive on the highway because it will get damaged. You can use the ratchet of the straps to tighten them. If you only have regular straps that don’t come with a ratchet, you should consider buying one. They are invaluable when it comes to securing important cargo.
I use the Augo Heavy Duty Ratchet Straps because they are easy to use and have an incredible weight capacity of up to 1466 pounds. Therefore, you can safely strap down any four-wheeler to a truck with these straps. It’s important to mention that the premium straps can be used for much more than securing ATVs. They are also good for golf carts, jet skis, boats, and other equipment that requires heavy-duty ratchet straps. You can check the latest price for the Augo Heavy Duty Ratchet Straps here.
Now that the straps are tightened, the final step is to make sure that the ATV doesn’t move a single bit. You can do this by trying to rock the ATV back and forth. If the ATV keeps moving, you should tighten the straps a bit more. If the ATV stays still, you are good to go.
Extra Tips & Tricks for Strapping an ATV to Truck Bed
From my experience, I learned some tips and tricks that make it much easier for me to secure my four-wheeler to the truck whenever I want to move it. I’ll go ahead and share them with you so that you don’t have to learn them the hard way.
- Park the ATV so that the weight goes onto the axle of the wheels to increase stability;
- Avoid placing the straps close to sharp areas so that they don’t get cut;
- If you have any left-over strap after tying it down, you should not let it loose and instead do make a double knot.
Most people who are looking for the best ways to secure their four-wheelers to a truck are planning to go camping. Are you in this category? If yes, you might be interested in this guide where I present the top 5 best ATVs for camping. As you can imagine, Can-Am is on the first spot, but Polaris comes in on a close second. Read more.
Final Words
Securing an ATV to a truck bed or trailer can be tricky when you are doing it the first time, but it gets easier every time you do it. However, you need to be careful when doing it in order to avoid any damages that might cost you a fortune. As long as you are following the 5-step guide I presented today and are using a heavy-duty strap and premium secure points that will not break.
