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Garage Floor Traction?


jacrider

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For lots of the sled season our sleds go in and out of a garage with concrete floor.  We are fortunate to be able to sled right from the driveway to the trails.  Garage isn't heated all the time, so snow/ice builds up largely from run-off or melt from under the tunnel.

 

Any suggestions for what we can put on the floor to retain some traction for the sleds?

 

Was wondering about building a wooden grid of 1 x 4" boards to allow water/ice to drop below and something the track/studs can grab.

 

The rubber products we have in our trailer would be ok, but hard to keep in place as I don't want any fasteners in the concrete.

 

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

 

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I have always used conveyor belting on the floor to protect it from the studs. It’s heavy enough it doesn’t move much and if you get a piece just a bit wider than your track you can run your dollys  on your skis. You can usually get some from any quarry or lumber mill that uses conveyors. They will usuall give you a used chunk for free. If that doesn’t work for you, then I believe TSC stores carry the horse stall mat, which is thick and heavy, and would work as well but obviously you would have to pay for that.

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22 hours ago, DRJ said:

I have always used conveyor belting on the floor to protect it from the studs. It’s heavy enough it doesn’t move much and if you get a piece just a bit wider than your track you can run your dollys  on your skis. You can usually get some from any quarry or lumber mill that uses conveyors. They will usuall give you a used chunk for free. If that doesn’t work for you, then I believe TSC stores carry the horse stall mat, which is thick and heavy, and would work as well but obviously you would have to pay for that.

 

I tried this it a few years ago. I found the salt water sat under the mat and eventually ate (pitted) a good portion of the concrete where the mat sat. I started to use the traditional three point dollies. I would either pull the sled out the garage with all the dollies in place or remove the one under the track and simply drive out with the ones under the skies. I found this the most effective. In fact the one under the skies would simply pop out once I hit the snow on my driveway. 

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1 hour ago, ontariof7 said:

 

I started to use the traditional three point dollies. I would either pull the sled out the garage with all the dollies in place or remove the one under the track and simply drive out with the ones under the skies. I found this the most effective. In fact the one under the skies would simply pop out once I hit the snow on my driveway. 

 

this is what we do as well. if you have power in the garage, throw a 220v "milk barn heater" and or infrared style heater(s), in the garage. depending on the size, all you really have to do is get the space above 35f, and things will get soft, and melt off. nothing like having clean dry sleds each morning to ride. We have 3 small heaters in our small 12x24 garage, I turn them on the second we get there, and turn them off as we leave from our stay. I can get it as warm as 70 in there, if I want/need. Usually I shoot for about 50-55. I have one 220 heater mounted near the ceiling with the fan. I have a 110v infrared heater mounted mid way down one long wall, and one small space heater on the floor, mid way down the opposite long wall. once you melt things out, and then turn the heat off, the cold will usually evaporate the little water that was left from the previous nights melt off. I have had up to 5 or 6 sleds in the garage at night, and the floor may be damp, but, not water or ice covered by any means. 

 

the last night of our stay, the sleds go into the garage, the next morning (our departure morning), I go out, the sleds are mostly melted out, I spray the entire rear and front suspensions, inc the drive axles, idler wheels, rails, track clips, with wd40, (it is MADE for this), to disperse water. then I top off the oil, fuel, give them a good once over, so I know, when we return to ride again, the sleds are ready to roll out of the garage, and ready for anything we are to do with them.  It really only takes a few minutes to do this but, it adds so much more life to your sleds. stops rust in its tracks, lets you visually inspect the whole sled to find issues, before they strand you, and just gives you the peace of mind, you will (should) have an uneventful mechanical experience, your next trip.

 

just consider it, a labor of love. Ski

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Ski wheelz! They work for more than just gas stations.

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I also just back sled trailer to garage door, open trailer door so it lands just in front of garage cement floor, back or just pull sled to bottom of trailer door, place dolly under track and once skis slide off of the end of trailer door, I have a couple pieces of plywood they slide onto, than place Dollie’s under each ski and voila, in garage on dollies. 
Garage is heated and usually set anywhere from 10 to 16 degrees Celsius in there, snow melts fast, push snow and water out the door since I don’t have a drain in the garage (kind of wish I installed one now). 
 

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6 hours ago, skidooboy said:

 

this is what we do as well. if you have power in the garage, throw a 220v "milk barn heater" and or infrared style heater(s), in the garage. depending on the size, all you really have to do is get the space above 35f, and things will get soft, and melt off. nothing like having clean dry sleds each morning to ride. We have 3 small heaters in our small 12x24 garage, I turn them on the second we get there, and turn them off as we leave from our stay. I can get it as warm as 70 in there, if I want/need. Usually I shoot for about 50-55. I have one 220 heater mounted near the ceiling with the fan. I have a 110v infrared heater mounted mid way down one long wall, and one small space heater on the floor, mid way down the opposite long wall. once you melt things out, and then turn the heat off, the cold will usually evaporate the little water that was left from the previous nights melt off. I have had up to 5 or 6 sleds in the garage at night, and the floor may be damp, but, not water or ice covered by any means. 

 

the last night of our stay, the sleds go into the garage, the next morning (our departure morning), I go out, the sleds are mostly melted out, I spray the entire rear and front suspensions, inc the drive axles, idler wheels, rails, track clips, with wd40, (it is MADE for this), to disperse water. then I top off the oil, fuel, give them a good once over, so I know, when we return to ride again, the sleds are ready to roll out of the garage, and ready for anything we are to do with them.  It really only takes a few minutes to do this but, it adds so much more life to your sleds. stops rust in its tracks, lets you visually inspect the whole sled to find issues, before they strand you, and just gives you the peace of mind, you will (should) have an uneventful mechanical experience, your next trip.

 

just consider it, a labor of love. Ski

 

Nothing beats being able to thaw the sleds every night.

 

24 x 22 insulated garage at the cottage heated with a pellet stove. With the stove trimmed down about a half bag every 24 hours keeps it at 70 or better in there ( $7.00 for a bag of pellets now).  Half the garage is a lounge/livingroom where we hang out more than in the cottage, so we keep the temps comfy.   Pop the ski's in then put them on dollies then run the rest of the sled in till I can get a dolly under the track.  When we roll out on Sunday or Mondays I top the stove up and trim it as low as possible and let it roll, looking at the security cams it usually runs for about 48 to 50 hours. No matter how cold it gets we've never seen it go below 45-50 in there when get back up Thursday or Friday.  It has a floor drain but the pellet stove runs so dry most of the the water evaps faster than it makes it over to the drain, which also helps make it more comfy in there. 

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All:  Many thanks for the feedback.  We are in the Timmins/Iroquois Falls area - so both very cold, and little/no salt.  We don't load/unload from the trailer very often, but rather leave and return to the garage as the main trails are accessible in a few minutes on a small side trail.

 

We are spray-foaming the garage this week.  It's 25 x 40 with an overhead side door for the sleds to enter in-front of the two cars.  After insulation, we will be installing a small propane furnace that will be able to get us up to 6-8- degrees C without using too much energy.  This will melt all the snow, and I hope the dry climate will deal with the melt water.

 

Based on all the comments, a conveyor belt would be great I think.  Spring time, we should get it outside to completely dry both the concrete and the rubber.

 

Thanks.

 

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if you are putting heat in, you wont need the rubber. the floor will be damp at best, and dry for the most part within a day or two. highly recommend a smart stat so you can turn the heat on and off and monitor it from home. then you can turn it on before arrival, and leave it on until the floor is dry a day or two after you leave. going that route the floor will dry out weekly. Ski

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Thanks.  Our daughter and family live there, so I can just call ahead if needed!

 

The rubber will protect the concrete floor from studs and hopefully make it easier to get some traction.

 

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On 11/25/2022 at 7:23 AM, jacrider said:

For lots of the sled season our sleds go in and out of a garage with concrete floor.  We are fortunate to be able to sled right from the driveway to the trails.  Garage isn't heated all the time, so snow/ice builds up largely from run-off or melt from under the tunnel.

 

Any suggestions for what we can put on the floor to retain some traction for the sleds?

 

Was wondering about building a wooden grid of 1 x 4" boards to allow water/ice to drop below and something the track/studs can grab.

 

The rubber products we have in our trailer would be ok, but hard to keep in place as I don't want any fasteners in the concrete.

 

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

 

One of these and if you want the ability to roll the sled around, lower it onto a set of 3 point dollies.

5126f7ae-211b-4dd2-96dc-f99ce19b215d_12-343-06black.jpg

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4 minutes ago, Puggz said:

One of these and if you want the ability to roll the sled around, lower it onto a set of 3 point dollies.

5126f7ae-211b-4dd2-96dc-f99ce19b215d_12-343-06black.jpg

Precisely what I’m doing in my new shop this season. 

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On 11/27/2022 at 9:48 PM, Puggz said:

One of these and if you want the ability to roll the sled around, lower it onto a set of 3 point dollies.

5126f7ae-211b-4dd2-96dc-f99ce19b215d_12-343-06black.jpg

Princess auto has these on special buy starting next week for 199. 
Also the sled lift too. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I drive the skis up to the edge of the floor - slide the dollies under each ski - then drove onto a 'stall mat' that i got from TSC (Peavey). Purchased a 4' x 8' mat and cut it into 3 - 16" strips.

 

Just drive the sled right in. and throw a dolly under the track to spin it around.

 

MS

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8 minutes ago, Sevey said:

I drive the skis up to the edge of the floor - slide the dollies under each ski - then drove onto a 'stall mat' that i got from TSC (Peavey). Purchased a 4' x 8' mat and cut it into 3 - 16" strips.

 

Just drive the sled right in. and throw a dolly under the track to spin it around.

 

MS

That works too. Make sure you oil dolly wheels with wd 40 on a regular basis or they sieze up from water on floor. 
I am going to make a metal turn table. Drive sled on turn it 180 Degrees drive right out. Designed to get forks or pallet Jack under neath too 😎

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A small update, we managed to find a 20' section of conveyor belt.  Going to lay this out in front of the sled door.  Will have to see how the width works with the skis.  If not wide enough, I will invest in a couple of pair of ski dollies.   Hoping this works well.  Will share experience once we get the season started!

 

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