Ramp Plans

Building a good ramp can provide a lot more fun when running your trucks, than if you were to simply lay a sheet of plywood over something. When you construct a ramp, you open up a world of possibilities because you're not restricted to a simple design. I chose to make a curved ramp, like skateboarders use. Below is a quick plan of the ramp that my dad and I built. The design has worked very well and a well tuned monster truck, doing around 35MPH should be able to see around 7+ feet using it.

The sides of the ramp are made of 3/4 inch plywood. To maintain the integrity of the ramp a 2x2 was used to brace the lower rear corner. A 2x4 ties the bottom of the ramp sides together near the front. The 2x4 was chosen over a 2x2 because it helped add a little more weight to the front of the ramp. The bracing that resides under the ramp surface itself, is nothing more than 2 inch wide strips of 3/4 inch plywood.

The ramp surface is made from scrap 1/8 inch paneling, and is secured to the braces and the sides by wood screws. As a matter of fact, wood screws were used exclusively throughout the construction of the ramp as nails could possibly loosen over time.

From the front of the ramp until the 23 inch mark, the ramp is a typical sloped ramp. However, after that point, it starts to slope upwards in an arc to add extra lift to the vehicle running up it. When installing the ramp's surface onto the curved portion of the ramp, you'll find it's best to have another pair of hands. One person will need to apply pressure to bend the paneling into the curved shape, while someone else screws it down.