Match aluminum ramps to three things: the deck height you are loading onto, the weight you are rolling up, and the end type for where the ramps attach. Longer ramps give a shallower loading angle. Capacity depends on the rating of each ramp and of the pair together, not on length.
What to look for in aluminum ramps
- Material. All-aluminum construction. The weight saving is the point: the 6 foot pair of Heavy-Duty Aluminum Loading Ramps in the 3,000 lbs per ramp configuration (GH-16072) is listed at 72 lbs, and the 8 foot foldable pair at 120 lbs, which GEN-Y says makes the ramps easier to lift, carry, and store.
- Capacity. Every GEN-Y ramp page gives two numbers, one per ramp and one per set. Both are limits. Check which one you are reading before you compare anything.
- Length. Length decides the loading angle for a given deck height, and it limits which capacity ratings you can order. The part number decides which of those you get.
- Width. Ramp widths run from 11 inches on the shed ramps to 45 inches on the trifold. Match the width to the track of what you are loading.
- Traction. Wide plate-style serrated cross rungs run the length of every GEN-Y ramp family, which the product pages say provide traction in wet or muddy conditions.
- End type. The heavy-duty and foldable ramps use hybrid hook-and-plate ends, designed to hook straight onto a car hauler trailer deck.
How to choose the right length
Measure your deck height first. GEN-Y publishes a deck height range for most of its ramps:
- Heavy-duty and foldable ramps: 15 to 36 inches
- Arched ramps: 12 to 30 inches
- Shed ramps: 6 to 18 inches
The light-duty and trifold ramps have no published range, so match those to your deck by measurement.
GEN-Y's product page says longer ramps give a gentler loading angle.
You can work out the angle yourself. Divide the deck height by the ramp length, both in inches, then take the inverse sine of the result.
Worked through: a 30 inch deck with an 8 foot ramp is 30 divided by 96 inches, which is 0.3125, and the inverse sine of 0.3125 is about 18 degrees. Put a 12 foot ramp against the same deck and it is 30 divided by 144, or about 12 degrees. Same load, same trailer, six degrees of difference.
At a 30 inch deck height, here is how the whole range compares.
| Ramp length | Loading angle at a 30 inch deck |
|---|---|
| 6 ft (72 inches) | about 25 degrees |
| 7 ft (84 inches) | about 21 degrees |
| 8 ft (96 inches) | about 18 degrees |
| 10 ft (120 inches) | about 14 degrees |
| 12 ft (144 inches) | about 12 degrees |
| 14 ft (168 inches) | about 10 degrees |
Those figures are our arithmetic from the two measurements, not a GEN-Y rating. GEN-Y publishes no maximum loading angle, so the clearance question is one to settle against your own vehicle or equipment before you buy.
How to read the capacity rating
Two numbers, and they are easy to confuse. Per ramp is what one ramp carries. Per pair, which GEN-Y also calls per set, is the two together, and it is double the per ramp figure.
Both are limits, and they work at the same time. The whole load has to stay under the per pair figure, and the weight on any one ramp has to stay under the per ramp figure. If what you are loading goes up a single ramp, which is how a motorcycle usually goes up, the per ramp number is the one that governs.
Here is what that looks like across most of the heavy-duty line:
| Length | Per ramp | Per pair | Part number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft | 3,000 lbs | 6,000 lbs | GH-16072 |
| 6 ft | 5,000 lbs | 10,000 lbs | GH-17072 |
| 8 ft | 5,000 lbs | 10,000 lbs | GH-16096 |
| 8 ft | 7,000 lbs | 14,000 lbs | GH-17096 |
| 10 ft | 5,000 lbs | 10,000 lbs | GH-16120 |
| 10 ft | 7,000 lbs | 14,000 lbs | GH-17120 |
| 14 ft | 4,000 lbs | 8,000 lbs | GH-16168 |
Read down the table and the useful point jumps out: the highest-rated pairs are 8 and 10 feet, at 14,000 lbs, while the longest pair on offer, the 14 foot, is rated 8,000 lbs. Several lengths also come in two ratings, so a 6 foot pair can be 6,000 lbs or 10,000 lbs depending on which part number you order.
That gives you the order of work. Pick the length that gives you an angle your equipment can clear, then check what that particular configuration is rated for, and order the part number that covers your load.
Ramp types compared
| Family | Length | Width | Capacity | Deck height | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy-Duty Aluminum Loading Ramps | 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, or 14 ft | not listed | 3,000 to 7,000 lbs per ramp, 6,000 to 14,000 lbs per pair | 15 to 36 inches | Low-clearance, single-vehicle car hauler trailers |
| Foldable Aluminum Loading Ramps | 8 ft, folding to 4 ft | 15 inches | See the product page | 15 to 36 inches | Loading onto car hauler trailer decks, in a folding design |
| Light-Duty Aluminum Loading Ramps | 78 inches or 94 inches | 12 inches | 600 lbs per ramp (1,200 per set) or 750 lbs per ramp (1,500 per set) | not listed | Motorcycles, ATVs, and lawn equipment |
| Aluminum Arched Ramps | 94 inches | 12 inches | 750 lbs per ramp, 1,500 lbs per set | 12 to 30 inches | The same loads, in an arched design |
| Aluminum Trifold Ramps | 69 inches | 45 inches | 1,500 lbs per ramp (the page also lists 1 set as 3,000 lbs) | not listed | ATVs and smaller equipment, folding down for storage |
| Aluminum Shed Ramps | 40 inches | 11 inches | 600 lbs per ramp, 1,200 lbs per set | 6 to 18 inches | Lawn equipment and other small wheeled vehicles |
Every family above is made in the USA and carries a limited lifetime warranty. If you damage one ramp rather than the pair, there are replacement single ramps for the heavy-duty line in every length.
Safe loading basics
GEN-Y publishes the same four rules on every ramp page:
- Use the ramps only for their intended purpose.
- Secure the ramps properly to the vehicle or trailer before loading.
- Store the ramps properly on the vehicle or trailer before moving.
- Never let the loading weight exceed the ramps' rating.
The fourth one carries a consequence beyond the obvious. On the heavy-duty ramps, GEN-Y states that exceeding the rated weight is not covered under the limited lifetime warranty. Beyond these four rules, GEN-Y publishes no further loading guidance. For the wider pre-tow routine, our towing equipment safety checklist covers what to walk round before you pull away.
Where to go next
Measure your deck height, work out the angle your load needs, then match the rating to your part number. The full range of aluminum loading ramps covers 40 inch shed ramps up to 14 foot heavy-duty pairs, all made in the USA. To buy in person, use the GEN-Y HITCH dealer finder or call (574) 218-6363.
