Advice on aluminum foldable ramp for truck(material and possible design)

[cubangt]

I want to try my hand at building a small lightweight foldable aluminum ramp for my truck, it needs to be strong enough to support a 32" wide walk behind lawnmower.

so the advice i need help with is what kind of aluminum to get, i dont have the weight of the mower, but its def less than a 4wheeler and those harbor freight ramps work, but looking for something more compact.

I have tig setup and spool gun setup, so i will try with both, i have only welded aluminum once and that was many years ago and it was more for learning and technique than anything else..

Should i go with angle, square tubing?
the ramp length will be around 5.5ft long and around 38" wide to allow a little room on each side in case i dont go up the center of the ramp..
It will be hinged in the middle, so around 2.75ft it will be hinged,

Just looking for help understanding the proper material needed and how to insure that because its hinged, it doesnt buckle or collapse in the middle.

[MMW]

I would use 6061 tubing. Not sure of size but you could check the harbor freight and other vendors to get an idea of tubing size and weight rating.

5.5 ft seems a little short for a pick up. May have issues with mower bottoming out as you transition from ramp to bed. That is one reason ramps are bowed upwards to lessen the transition.

[ryanjones2150]

I agree, 6061 tubing, probably .125 or better for the rails.

[cubangt]

thanks, ill see if i can stop by harbor to check it out..

So based on that bowed middle section, is there anything to take into consideration when cutting and hinging that section?