Louisiana Off-Road Vehicle Association (www.lorva.org) is the state wide association that is formed to protect the recreation of off-roading in the state of Louisiana. This is not a club but a state organization to help conserve the sport of off-road trail riding. Joining LORVA will increase the power of like-minded individuals in the state.

South Louisiana Trail Blazers (www.sltrailblazers.com) was formed in 1998 but it is the fastest growing off-road organization in the state. The Blazers are passionate about their hobby! They have joined with the Army Corps Of Engineers-New Orleans District to form an ATV off-road park at the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway. Their website address is www.mvn.usace.army.mil/recreation/Recreation_Sites_Bonnet_Carre.asp. When they are not busy on the trails, they also get heavily involved politically, which is very important to the future of ATVs and off-road trails. If you would like to learn more about this bunch, check them out on the web or e-mail the New Members Contact at: lilcajunmudder1@cox.net.

Balls-Deep-ATV (www.balls-deep-atv.com) (Hey, folks! I don’t pick the names, I just write about ‘em!!) is a new club that was started in 2005 and is based in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. They attend most mud events in Louisiana and East Texas. Judging by their pictures, THEY LOVE MUD. They are looking for new members that enjoy a family-type club to join. For more information contact Balls-Deep by email: ballsdeepatv@yahoo.com.

Climb ATV Club, Inc. (www.climbatv.com) Climb ATV Club, Inc. is a family-oriented group based in West Monroe, La. They have quarterly organized club rides and enjoy splashing the mud or hitting the trails on the weekends. This group has a primary goal of promoting the recreation of ATV riding.

While ATV clubs are a good way to get involved it may be a good idea to contact the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council’s (NOHVCC) state representative for more information on how to start a local club, or even to find more clubs that may already be going in your local area without you being aware of it. The state representative for Louisiana is James Barrett. Barrett can be reached by calling 985-851-5356 or email him at jbarrett@mlind.net.

Louisiana has some of the best places to hit the trails or sling a little mud with a group from your area. If I did not include your group, then submit your club here to add your group to their club list. ATV Source is one of the best ways to publicize your group or organization.

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For instance, are you looking to load your ATV onto a trailer or truck? Are you trying to load in the mud, snow, rain, dirt, etc.. Also, are you going to be loading by yourself because if this is the case it is highly recommended that you purchase a ramp that is extra long to make the angle less severe. With that being said, one of the last options to consider before purchasing an ATV ramp is deciding which style of ramp will best suit your needs/wants.

Here is a list of the ATV ramp styles currently available:

Types of ATV Ramps

• Bi fold - Folds the width in half. (Harder to fit under ATV when storing for travel)
• Trifold - Folds the width in thirds. (Easiest to fit under ATV when storing for travel. Available with an open center track please verify before purchasing a ramp to make sure the open center is ok for your situation.)
• Dual Runner - Two separate ramps (”runners”) available in folding or non-folding styles. (Somewhat easy to fit under ATVs but requires a higher ground clearance ATV.)
• Hitch Mounted Ramps - Attaches to trailer hitch (receiver) and folds up for storage/travel.

Please note that straight ramps require additional length in order to avoid bottoming out some ATVs when cresting the bed compared to arched ramps.Now that you have a better understanding of the many different styles of ATV ramps we are able to go to the next steps to help determine which ramp setup is best for you and your ATV.

Important facts to consider when choosing an ATV ramp system:

1: Total Overall Weight(Found by combining the following):

• Dry Weight: Check ATV owners manual.
• Fuel Weight: Check ATV owners manual – gallons x 8.5 lbs.
• Accessory & Attachment Weight: Check ATV owners manual.
• Driver’s Weight
• Load/Cargo Weight

ATV ramps are designed for equally distributed weight across at least 4 tires/2 axles. DO NOT assume that the weight of the ATV is equally distributed across multiple axles as most likely the weight on one axle is greater than on the other. NEVER exceed the weight capacity of the ramps. It is recommended that you always get an ATV ramp system that has a weight capacity that exceeds the weight of your ATV especially in the case where you might upgrade or purchase a larger ATV in the future. After all, Why buy ramps twice?

2: Ramp style choice.

3: Ramp width needed to accommodate ATV. (Allow yourself to have extra width space on the ramps to make loading and unloading safer/easier.)

4: Load Height: What is the load height from the ground to the bed of your truck or trailer while on level ground ?

With the above information decided upon a ramp setup can be purchased. Please take careful consideration to select a ramp length that you believe will be long enough for you to drive up safely since most ATVs have a wheelbase/ground clearance ratio that will climb almost anything the length of the ramp at your load height, in most cases, will come down to what you believe will give you the easiest incline. A rule of thumb to figure this out is to drop the tailgate on your truck or trailer and place one end of the tape measure on the truck tailgate or trailer and measure out on an angle till you find a length that looks optimal.

*Always wear a helmet and proper protective gear when riding your ATV*

Brief introduction on ATV batteries

There aren’t all that many things you have to understand, know and remember about ATV batteries simply but in order to properly maintain your ATV battery, the first thing you’ll need to know are the very basics. The Do’s and the Don’ts. Most ATV batteries these days are lead-acid batteries which means that they are made out of lead plates, oxide, sulfuric acid and water solution. There are two common types of ATV batteries and they are the conventional type popularly known as ‘floated’ and then there are the AGM type of ATV batteries which translates into Absorbed Glass Mat.

The low-down on ATV battery maintenance

Usually, one would have to perform the usual ATV battery maintenance only 2 or 3 times a year. that shouldn’t be all that hard to fit into your schedule. just do it during the weekend – in fact, if you have kids who complains of nothing to do and nowhere to go during the weekends, use that time to perform ATV maintenance! But let the kids do the general ‘cleaning’ part of the process, though unless they’re old enough to be careful about getting themselves fried in the process of ATV maintenance!

You should never wear any jewelry when maintaining your ATV battery, so, remove them all before you start. Replace the jewelry with proper gloves, old and ready-to-be-discarded clothes and goggles. The ATV battery should be washed with a nice mix of baking soda and water – a few spoonfuls of baking soda with a pint of water should do the trick. Once done washing, check the fluid level of the ATV battery and refill it with distilled water. And right about now, connect the ATV battery to its charger and start trickle-charging the battery.

That’s not the end of the ATV battery maintenance process because while charging the ATV battery, you should spend some time cleaning up all the connecting points inside the ATV, rub a little grease or Vaseline over the connections and tighten the positive cable connections. The ATV battery maintenance process is almost over – cover the positive connections of the ATV battery and then start greasing up and cleaning the negative connections now.

If you’re from out of state or a foreigner who wishes to explore ATV riding in Wisconsin, we have compiled a list of places that we think rocks and you should visit them whenever you’re in Wisconsin! There are too many ATV trails and tracks in Wisconsin to name but we’ll pull out a few of our favorites here.

Little Rice ATV Trail
Little Rice ATV trail of Wisconsin is located in Oneida County and is one of the best ATV trails we have ever ridden in in Wisconsin. The trail runs about 45 miles through scenic forests, woods and rivers. You name it, you’re going to go through it. The view, in itself, is absolutely breath-taking. You’ll go through the tough four seasons Timber Venture Forest Lands and then just when you’re ready to rough it out, you’ll get the chance to enjoy the complete unspoiled Willow Flowage. Along the ATV trail, there are many stops and rest areas for quick catch-ups and rests. If you wish to explore this Wisconsin ATV trail, call 715/356-7350

The Dusty Trails ATV Club
The one good thing about the Dusty Trails ATV Club is that they are an organized bunch of people who dedicate a large part of their lives to promoting ATV riding as a sport in Wisconsin. They have a website up where you can find more information about their club. The Dusty Trails ATV Club has approximately 110 miles of ATV trail for you to go crazy over. You’ll love the trail systems that weave in through the hills, curves through the beautiful hills, valleys and rivers. One more thing, as the name suggests, this is a sandy ATV trail, so, be prepared to get a little sanded-up. no biggie, just as long as you bring your goggles and ATV helmet along, you should do just fine.

Chippewa County
Now, if you’re a glacier type of person, this Wisconsin ATV trail will certainly keep your adrenalin pumping. Although it is relatively short (15 miles) compared to other ATV trails, it provides amazing scenery of hills and valleys. It is one of the more challenging trails that we have been on. The ATV trail was created thousands of years ago because of the appropriate glacial topography – good thing too. You’d be crazy to miss out on this one. There are lakes and ponds, rivers and hills, valleys and woods….completely spectacular!

Go on and start planning an ATV weekend trip to Wisconsin! You won’t regret it.