snow blower / hitch hauler unit

[sweetk30]

had a request for a custom built hauler for a snow blower .

here is what i fabbed up .

2x2x3/16 square tube / 1.5x1.5x3/16 angle sides / 1.5x1.5x1/8 angle ends / 1.25x1.25x1/8 angle center strips / #9 expanded metal raised edge for floor and ramp traction . 4 3/8 dia eye rings for tie down points 1 per corner .

 

[sweetk30]

all painted up .

 

[sweetk30]

then reflective stickers added for little night time safety . and tested on my suv to show how it is used .

 

[sweetk30]

quick basic price point using few online metal price places i added up a price of just under 200 bucks no shipping tho since i had almost all in stock .

1 qrt of paint and 2 cheepy brushes . the 2x8x8 pressure treated plank cut in 2 .

then few hr's of cut/grind/weld/paint and bam this is what we come up with .

if i build more i know i can get the price point down a bit buying the metal in bulk lengths from a wholesale place i have conections with . so this was a good testing point for time/ price /easy of making . only thing that sucks is painting the expanded metal .

 

[diesel4me]

Pretty neat!....
Maybe you could use that galvanized mesh used on drywall for traction mats on the ramps ?..

A friend made something much like that to haul his riding mower,he welded a pipe in the square tubing between where it enters the receiver hitch and secured it with 2 pins,to allow the tray to tilt,so he could just drive the tractor up on it with no ramps..

His truck sagged pretty bad once it was loaded on it though,his tractor has a plastic bin grass catcher,when that thing fills up with wet grass it adds a good 150+ lbs to the load..he has fears the pipe he used may not be beefy enough,wishes he used schedule 40 or 80 instead..personally,I wouldn't want a 600 lb riding mower hanging off the back of my truck,and would fear some tailgater would end up hitting it..

 

[sweetk30]

he only wanted it for the few times he hs to go blow out family driveways . hated to put it all the way up in the bed of the truck so the 20" hitch height works perfect for load/unload .

 

[diesel4me]

It would be fine for a not too large snowblower or walk behind mower--a riding mower is pushing the limits of most vehicles suspension ,hanging that far off the back..

My friend noted his truck sagged enough to leave only a foot or so of ground clearance with the tractor loaded on it,and the platform hit bottom on some steep inclines and driveways,he is thinking of adding casters to the deck.. ...he also said it makes a very noticeable uneasy feeling taking sharp curves at speed..and it makes for tough parking too,at stores,but he doesn't usually take the truck to go shopping when the tractor is on it..

Some years ago those carriers were very common around here,guys would put a front receiver hitch on their 4x4 pickups and put a huge tool box or cooler on it,up front...seen more than one that rear ended the vehicle in front of them,with the load being tough to see,lower than the hood,and it made for some messy crash scenes--tools all over the place,dozens of beers scattered all over the road!..some guys put "sight poles" on them like you see on plow blades so they could judge the distances better..

 

[runamok151]

You could put some hex head screws into the wood instead of using the expanded steel for traction. 3/4" screw w/ a 1/4" hex head in a zig zag pattern up the board. It'd be like putting studs on a tire. A lot cheaper that expanded steel and no painting.

 

[skunked]

will be interesting to see how much the snowblower moves around with the slop in the receiver tube. I've seen jam nuts welded to the receivers that help eliminate some of that....

 

[sweetk30]

the 4ft x 8ft sheet of expanded metal was 60 bucks local . I used 1/2 the sheet for the whole job . if I order it threw my buddys work I know I can get it cheeper than that walk in off the street price.

 

[dhcomp]

will be interesting to see how much the snowblower moves around with the slop in the receiver tube. I've seen jam nuts welded to the receivers that help eliminate some of that....

That was my question.

The threaded pin setup on the Thule racks helps a ton, would work good here too