DIY Utility Trailer Gate Lift Assist System - Lift That Ramp Easy

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In this video I show you have I built a trailer gate / ramp lift assist system for $66 inside the frame of my trailer. Super clean looking and easy for the average do it yourselfer.
Parts List is right at $66 after tax.
2 - Garage Door Springs (80#-100# Recommended for most utility trailers) $35 from Amazon
2 - 3/8"x4" Bolts $1.04 Lowes
2 - 3/8"x3" Bolts $.80 Lowes
4 - 3/8" Nylon Locking Nuts $.72 Lowes
4 - 3/8"x1½" Washers $.72 Lowes
4 - 3/8"x1" Nylon Washers $.56 Lowes
4 - ¼"x2½" Bolts $1.21 Lowes 3 Pack
4 - ¼" Nylon LOcking Nuts $.48 Lowes
16 - ¼"x5/8" Washers $2.40 Lowes
1 - ¼"x1" Bronze Roller Bearing / Machine Bushing $2.63 Lowes
2 - 3/8"x½"x1½" Steel Spacers approximately $3 from Lowes
8 - ¼"x3/8"x3/4" Steel Spacers approximately $8 from Lowes
2 - 47" Steel Cables (This will vary depending on spring length and ramp length) Make from cables that come with springs. Usually 3/32" or 1/8" Diameter. - $5 for four cable ferrules and two thimbles.
1½" Polycarbonite tubing (not needed but I'm using it as a noise and friction dampener)Free junk lying around.
Thanks for watching.

[@dj-rm7bz]

Great video! Just goes to show it can be done without cursing/swearing and obnoxious music. You speak well and explain the process wonderfully. Thanks!

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thank you.

[@iwanaGoFast2010]

crap

[@yardleykennedy9689]

One of the best instructional videos I've seen on KZbin. Very well done!!

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thanks! I appreciate that.

[@darrellblair5818]

Great video. Smooth and precise commentary. I sent your video to my son, as he has a trailer like yours, and fights with that damned ramp. Thank you young man. This I enjoyed. 👍

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@ratoneJR]

This, I like. Spring is captured inside the frame, permanently preventing injury for when it breaks. Eventually, it WILL break. Excellent, excellent job.

[@codycallaway2911]

Absolutely excellent narrated instructions. Videos like this mark the end of traditional cable television.

[@unclefuddelmer9224]

Now THAT looks like a secure & sturdy enough system to last awhile by adding touches of grease at contact points! Nice design man.

[@usoafreight2696]

I think the poly tubing was the PERFECT idea actually. Keeps it from premature rust on the spring and making severe squeaking noises when it breaks now. i love the idea!!!!

[@chuckfischer7202]

Good plan, good video. It's refreshing that you don't call everything a guy. This guy goes through that guy and hooks onto the other guy over there. Unusual drill chuck.

[@drizler]

Truly one of the best presentations I’ve ever seen! I need to do similar with a round tube side rail

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thank you so much! Should work great in a round tube side rail. Good luck with your project.

[@juliustate2248]

I guess Im asking randomly but does someone know a way to log back into an instagram account?? I stupidly forgot my login password. I love any tricks you can give me!

[@colinaden2844]

@Julius Tate Instablaster =)

[@juliustate2248]

@Colin Aden thanks for your reply. I got to the site on google and im trying it out atm. I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.

[@juliustate2248]

@Colin Aden it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D Thank you so much you really help me out!

[@RANDALLOLOGY]

I really like this. Going to build one for my trailer. By me getting old, I need all the help I can get. Lol Thanks for this video.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

You are welcome!

[@jjxtwo1]

Solid, well designed construction. Great video.

[@johnanthony2545]

Excellent video and presentation. Design is good. I have all parts on hand to this. Thank you.

[@417plasma6]

Perfectly spoken with the instructions, this will be great also for a bifold gate ..Thank you again for a well spoken demonstration

[@The1mybuddy1]

Only thing I'd change, like I did on mine, is to use the nylon covered metal cord going from spring to gate. Haven't had a issue of it wearing out after 5 yrs. Looks like the brass rollers are getting pretty worn in the video. Great job btw and excellent explanation. Was looking for a video to send a friend who wanted to make one like mine and came across yours. Saved me a ton of explanation as he isn't too handy and lives 6 hrs away. Lol.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thanks for the comments. The brass bushings were fairly worn by the end of the video because I didn't film that part until after a summer of using the trailer for lawn care.

[@josh-e3j]

This is genus! I just bought a trailer similar to yours but 16ft with the square tubing rails. I came from using an older 16ft trailer with the gorilla lift. I tried to put it on my new trailer but the latches were in the way where the cable connects to the gate. I've been searching for a similar system but a way to connect the cable in a way that would get in the way of the latches. Never did I even think about using the railing it self as a housing method lol. This is so much better than anything I've been looking at! Thanks for your video

[@jmrarmstrong]

This is awesome, ill be doing this to mine. Thanks for taking the time and effort.

[@Eagles0690]

That’s a dang good job. My tailgate is a little longer and it’s was killing my bad back. I had an old winch off a boat trailer, so I mounted it on the rail about 6” from the rear and attached to tailgate gate with an eye hook. You can unhook it from the tailgate and winch a mower on the trailer. A while back I went a step further ( I found another winch) and made a bracket on the front of the trailer and mounted it. Now, I can reach 20’ behind the trailer to winch stuff on the trailer. Worth the effort.

[@loufresquez8031]

Wow excellent video. Just purchased a trailer will be doing this Thank you

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Awesome!

[@jasonjohnson4170]

Taking the Gorilla Lift back to Tractor Supply and doing this instead. Thank you so much. Better setup than nylon rollers that will wear out in a year or two. Plus I won't have to drill so many holes in the trailer rails.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Right on!

[@yvesf5355]

Brilliant ,great system ,thanks

[@passin56pick67]

Hello TMC - i know its a little late but thanks for posting this video! Great design!👊

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Hopefully, people are getting this done. Views are still piling in after several years. Hoping to see one of these DIY setups going down the road one day.

[@passin56pick67]

@@TheManCaveVideo AMEN! Good to see that you still out there! Stay UP!

[@ranchand58]

Excellent video. I’m down in my back right now from lifting a ramp just like yours to unload and load a zero turn mower. I’ll be building this today!... thanks...

[@imdeplorable2241]

Great idea. Great video. Great job. Well done.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thank you!

[@photocontrol]

Great project,works like a charm! Very well detailed video each step of the way! Getting so close to 1K!

[@rogerlmartin3444]

Wow! Awesome job. Presentation was very well done…….

[@baldeagle242]

Excellent video! I'm doing the same thing on my round tube trailer this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

[@richardcraniumdicksinn3959]

Very good video & presentation. I like the enclosed system you have, a clean look vs. a "after thought look" like the other🙊 over priced ones do. Those gates are fairly heavy & I'm not getting any younger. So, I know what I'm going to do. Thanks for sharing & God Bless.

[@Angiesfarmlife]

Great DIY and good job on the gate

[@corbana4743]

Awesome video, next my heavy gate lol

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Good luck!

[@unclemikeb]

Awesome build. I just watched a video with the "Gorilla" lift system. Several guys commented the plastic rollers on their Gorilla wore out and had to be replaced. What you built should last for many years.

[@RaginEagle]

This is awesome, thanks.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thanks and you are welcome.

[@maddogmalaki1746]

Nice work, I have watched all the videos on this type of diy and this one is the best one. You explain it well and show your work. I commend you on this video, it is very well put together. I do have a question you may or may not be able to help with. At the end of your square tubing you put the rollers and bushing. Would you have any ideas as to how you would be able to do that on round tubing? It don't seem like that what you did would work for round tubing.

[@mm-qd1ho]

Excellent!

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thanks for watching and for the comment.

[@JsCrazyCutzLLC]

This is a slick idea and great video! Thanks for sharing

[@zekelefty1158]

Awesome! Gonna start working on mine...got the same square rails 😁😁😁😁

[@hillbillybassfisherman8181]

this is a good video these lift assist is very easy just really a spring doing all the work if you got a old spring laying around can do this for little of nothing

[@LatinaVibeZ]

Nice to know a handyman is around 😊👌

[@artemorbid]

Just gave a thumbs up 27. You did great, more people need to see this. Thanks for sharing your handy work, pleasure to be supporting this wonderful video.

[@craftman5632]

I'm doing some what like yours, on the tailgate I'm using an eye bolt and the square tubing instead of those bushings and washers for the roller for the cable I'm just using an inch and 3/4 steel roller for the top and bottom and eliminating the washer so it doesn't rub against the cable.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

That sounds awesome. I really have enjoyed this modification to my trailer and I hope you do as well. Good luck!

[@craftman5632]

@@TheManCaveVideo your video was pretty much better than all the other gate assist system videos I looked at on KZbin, you gave me a few good ideas on how it's done. it looks pretty sleek on my trailer, it helps a little with lifting up the gate. It looks a lot better than those ones where the springs are just exposed.

[@wallyallyn5473]

That is a great idea and very good and very well explained thank you!!

[@DG4String]

Great tutorial! I've seen this design copied here but they gave kudos to the original. I have a 5x8 trailer that is angle iron construction. I plan to enclose the top rails with a second piece of angle and create the channel for this system. Thanks for the video! *Subscribed*

[@6axisptyltd453]

Very nice 👍

[@eyemalmostthere]

I like it - great engineering - well done and thanks for sharing. Think I'm gonna do this to mine.

[@CrispyVideos]

Almost there! Good luck with the channel. You've got some very informative videos, love the projects.

[@mark8850]

Excellent Video, almost done need to do the ramp bolts, had a hard time measuring the bolts for the ¼"x3/8"x3/4" Steel Spacers but think the wire was a bit smaller and the washers didn't completely line up kind of over lap with each other. I guess everything has went way up on price. Thanks for the video

[@FragJamsey]

I love your channel name! Great how-to videos!

[@FernandoRodriguez-ds5ri]

Great video and very well explained. One thing that I would do differently is to trim a small notch at the end of the square tubing, keeping the cables from rubbing on it and causing the cables to break. Thx 🙏🏻 .

[@JamesZ1025]

Subscribed! Awesome step by step very detailed. Going to do this to mine

[@dadmezz4024]

Very clever. Thank you.

[@fixit4182]

Pretty slick man

[@banjo7987]

Brilliant and eloquent!

[@josephzuber815]

Great Idea.... Good work

[@BluzGuitarGuyFishing]

Very nicely done !

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thank you!

[@RealityisaComedy]

HI there I am here to support you! God bless you!! You are almost there!!

[@PPGDV]

Using the existing rails is a great idea. Although, this being said, it brought an immediate concern to mind. Being you have an open rail and the spring is concealed in a tube, what do you do with moisture getting in there? Additionally, I’d look into a poly coated cable and a poly roller system. That steel cable on bronze bushing creates a component that will wear very fast. Good job on the assist though.

[@waynemanion5836]

It's not something that is going to be raised and lowered a hundred times a day every day of the year. Winch cables are not poly coated and are under a lot more stress than a ramp on a private utility trailer. Besides cable is cheap.

[@CatchProAustralia]

such an excellent vid.

[@ProfessionalStudent]

Wow congrats!! 1k you made it!!

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Yes! Thank you so much!

[@willis2557]

Great video, do you think this would work on a dovetail? The dovetail is just under 4 ft long with a 20 degree pitch or so... totally fine if you don't have the answer

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Sorry for the late reply. I would think that it would work fine as long as the top rails are straight. You might use some I-bolts through the mesh on the gate to play around the the placement before you start drilling hole in the gate frame. The worst thing would be to have it with too much tension on it and the gate won't stay on the ground. There is a point on every weight gate that is just the right balance.

[@JOEZEP54]

Congratulations on passing the IK mark!! Here to continue my support & enjoy this video.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thanks Joe Z. I appreciate it.

[@JOEZEP54]

My pleasure!

[@chrishunt5291]

Great video

[@papalilburn]

Excellent "how to" video!

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thanks so much for the comment and for watching.

[@007balzak]

Brilliant!

[@craigr6763]

Nice job!

[@davidsizemore9906]

hidden. i love it

[@The2012waiting]

I guess if you had a trailer with angle iron rail you could bolt a piece of square channel to top to do this also. Would cost more but could be done. Prolly still cheaper then a ready built system tho.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

You could definitely do that. I bought this trailer with the square tube rail with this project in mind.

[@JeffRigney]

Awesome build! Why the 1.5” spacer on the trailer gate bolt? Looks to me a little smaller would be better? Maybe .5”?

[@jasonc470]

Awesome work thank you Sir!

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thanks and you're welcome!

[@JacobAnnema]

Very nice video, i'll hit the big red button for you. Thanks.

[@jayjkayhouseofharleys3151]

WOW!!! VERY NICE !! THANKS FOR POSTING !! :):)

[@TheManCaveVideo]

+JayJKay HouseOfHarley's thank you for the nice comments.

[@angelo60415]

A great project. Thamks!

[@CHIBA280CRV]

Fantastic job thanks

[@bluecollarusa5396]

Great job!

[@thejaebeing]

Beautiful

[@robertwilson4400]

Awesome video, was wondering if you could use pvc tubing instead of polycarbonate

[@DIYManiacJohnP]

Great work!!!

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thanks!

[@jsosa1957]

great job

[@T.S.Photohraphy-Cinematography]

thank you my brother

[@NoferTrunions]

Any ideas for a full width non-hinged lift-off ramp? would it work?

[@nvlvdave]

Nice job, video and instructional. Just looking at it, it seems like it would have worked much better if you had moved the spring forward and attached the cable to the ramp straight out of the tube onto the ramp, when it's upright.

[@TheManCaveVideo]

It kind of does seem that way looking at it. However, if you did that, the cables would be pulling almost straight up when the ramp was down making it nearly impossible for the ramp to stay down and in contact with the ground. There is a fine balance between having enough force to make it easy to close but not so much that it won't stay down when you need it to. Thanks for the kind words about the video and the instructions.

[@richardcraniumdicksinn3959]

@@TheManCaveVideo Thanks for the explanation. Now I know why. Thanks

[@FreAkLeFtY555]

On the measurements from beginning of spring to the lift gate bolt , was the length perfect or would you have went shorter or longer on front spring bolt ?

[@johnbeltramoitalian]

Well done! My trailer (Carson) has 1 1/2 in round top rail, do you know of anyone who has done a lift design for this?

[@crazyhorseracing6130]

Great video! Is that 1 1/2" o.d. or i.d. on the polycarbonite tubing??? Thanks

[@BC5391]

good video

[@mindfullynavigating]

Update: This materials list is now approx. $58-$60

[@tonycollins7616]

I have an aluminum trailer with dovetail so the spring would be on an angle about 2 ft. Do you think this would work?

[@terrythornburgh120]

So how often do you have to change out that bronze Machine Bushing? It looks pretty chewed up how often is it used to get to that point. Thanks buddy keep up the good work.

[@imdeplorable2241]

I saw that, too. I wondered why not a steel bushing or sleeve there.

[@VideoProduction-IT]

I liked the channel! I subscribed 👍 Greetings

[@AboutaMileAdventures]

Not sure on the attached and secure part of the cable though, but it cant come flying off bc the bolts at the end, there are safer ways to do that, those springs are dangerous. Great video though.

[@JakeMackenzieVlogs]

Dope video! sooo good :)

[@TheManCaveVideo]

Thank you very much!

[@StorytoWrite]

Great video. Keep up the awesome job. We are creators and we are here to inspire and support eachother 👍

[@Dan-oz4qb]

What's the purpose of the nylon washer on top of the trailer rail and on the nut side of the tailgate vs just using a metal washer in those places?

[@ReapR_X]

Nice clean job! How long is your polycarbonate tube?

[@MattWilliamson-j1p]

What size trailer is this? just curious if I will need a bigger spring for mine?

[@NarteaBay]

wonderful presentation..thank you

[@TheManCaveVideo]

+Nartea Bay thanks!

[@gregcook383]

My trailer is angle iron. Added 24" tall plywood sidewall braced at each end. Enclosed spring in 2" pvc pipe. 130# springs and 6' coated cables. Cannot get tension right. I've moved tailgate mount up and down to no avail. Get it so just touches ground but won't come all the way up. About 6" slack in cable. Any suggestions?

[@Heyjaybird]

Need a better spring assist opener.makes my 4 foot opening 3 feet

[@jorgemacedo377]

Buen trabajo..

[@ajbrown2013]

Nice subbed

[@Heyjaybird]

What would ya do, if ya had an enclosed 4x6 trailer with a ramp, all wood in fiberglass out

[@stanleywolford1349]

mine has springs across the top like a garage door, with the cables running to the top corners of each side of the door. go look at a enclosed trailer dealer, I'm sure they have some there, to give you some ideas.