Hitches are Heavy - How to Routinely Install/Remove????

[scottyb]

Well Scotty. Some people are stronger than others. Some hitches are heavier than others. Some of us have had desk jobs for the past 45 years and aren't as strong as we were when we worked construction.

I hope you understood that I was referring to the Ford OEM, which probably weighs 1/2 of that. There's no way i would be lifting 130 lbs by myself. I'm still paying for stunts like that. I do work construction, but from the seat of my pickup or my desk chair.

Seriously, I had considered leaving it connected to the pin until I found out how easy it was to remove. If I were in your shoes, I would let the hydraulic landing gear do all the work.

 

[porthole]

So, this thread got me wondering again.

I have a nice winch hanging from the rafters in my garage. Works great - on a truck that can actually fit in the garage.
Some angle iron and pipe. This spans five rafters. The winch slides left and right for alignment.

https://heartlandowners.org/showthr...re-heavy?highlight=pullrite+hitches+are+heavy


Hanging from the king pin. Have done that - once. Way to difficult to get lined back up to drop in the bed. And at near 300 pounds, it has to be lined up perfect, fore-aft, side to side and level.
And if you are not careful, you can easily have the lowered tailgate hit the forward baggage door on the trailer.


I bought a used engine hoist off Craigslist, $45. That works pretty good and has just enough reach to pick the hitch with the tail gate down. But it is much more stable moving the hoist in with the tailgate up. The hoist has enough lift to almost clear the tailgate up.
The engine hoist has just enough drop to allow the hitch to land on a Costco dolly. From there the hitch gets rolled under the Cyclone.

The problems with any small jib-crane are capacity (where you need it, eg extension), reach, drop, rotational ability under load and vertical lift / drop

Plan C has always been one of the truck mounted cranes.
Parking lot sale at HF this week.

This for $69
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-capacity-pickup-truck-crane-60732-9889.html

This for $59
http://www.harborfreight.com/2500-l...winch-with-wireless-remote-control-61297.html

I had some 3/8" aluminum plate, made backing plates for the top and underneath of the bed.

I mounted the electric winch to the side of the jib.
Mounted the fairlead to the end of the jib.

This will do until I can come up with better rollers and direction change wheels.

Sandwiched the two 3/8" plates with 1/2" bolts to the right rear corner of the bed. Used bolts long enough to allow permanent bolting of the plates, but with enough exposed thread for the crane's base to drop over the bolts.
This way I can remove-install the crane as needed.

Reality. I have just enough reach with the jib extended all the way, almost. With my cable lift not enough reach, so I still have to use the supplied hook.

The little crane worked OK for what I wanted, it lifted the hitch. The winch also did it's part in lifting.
Rotating was a different story. Lot of friction with 300 pounds hanging on the end of a 53" arm.

After rotating just a bit the the truck's bed showed it was not strong enough and the hitch pulled the floor up in the corner just enough to allow the hitch to rest on the bed. Nothing a persuader can't fix.

Back to Plan B. Have to assemble my not portable engine hoist to get the now not mounted hitch out of the bed.

I think this can still work though.
Later today I'll be heading over to our local metal goods supplier to see if I can get an 18" square piece of aluminum, 3/8" to 1/2" thick.
18" will give me enough coverage to pick up what little structural steel is under the bed.

 

[EPaulikonis]

I recently put the hoist from Harbor Freight into my Dodge's bed. It's definitely not the optimum solution, but it does the job of saving my back.

I use the hoist to move our ISR Pro Series hitch and mounting frame as well as my Honda 3000IS generator. I put an additional hook on the chain and also have a lifting strap that makes the pick much easier. The additional hook is useful for moving within the bed and keeping the load from swinging wildly as I manually move the boom. I snug up the chain and only have 1 or 2 links, especially for the generator that I put right against the cab of the truck.

The bed in the Dodge isn't strong enough with the MFG supplied hardware to handle the light loads I'm working with. I used the supplied steel "L" bracket that came with the hoist, but I also put down a much larger steel plate in the top of the bed to spread the load across three of the bed's ribs. I can't see a time where I'd put a 1,000lb. load on the hoist, but it does work for the lighter loads I'm trying to move.

 

[JohnD]

I don't have a 5th-wheeler, but a bumper-pull . . . but my hitch assembly still weighs around 50 pounds or more!

In otherwords . . . I **** every time I have to put it in or take it out!

It is a PITA . . . but something I just have to live with.

 

[porthole]

When I had that style hitch I found the balance point on the hitch and bolted a piece of webbing, forming a loop, to the assembly.

Made it much easier to remove and install and gave a good purchase point.

I still do the same thing with my pintle hitch.

 

[JohnD]

When I had that style hitch I found the balance point on the hitch and bolted a piece of webbing, forming a loop, to the assembly.

Made it much easier to remove and install and gave a good purchase point.

I still do the same thing with my pintle hitch.

Not sure what you mean here . . .

 

[VMooreSR]

I don't have a 5th-wheeler, but a bumper-pull . . . but my hitch assembly still weighs around 50 pounds or more!

In otherwords . . . I **** every time I have to put it in or take it out!

It is a PITA . . . but something I just have to live with.

View attachment 35246

John, Maybe something like this. http://www.amazon.com/HitchGrip-HG712-Orange-Hitch-Coupling/dp/B00HSO37B0

 

[porthole]

John, Maybe something like this. http://www.amazon.com/HitchGrip-HG712-Orange-Hitch-Coupling/dp/B00HSO37B0

Same concept, but with nylon webbing I had laying around = no cost

 

[JohnD]

John, Maybe something like this. http://www.amazon.com/HitchGrip-HG712-Orange-Hitch-Coupling/dp/B00HSO37B0

Somehow I don't think that will help.

50+ pounds is till 50+ pounds!

 

[VMooreSR]

Somehow I don't think that will help.

50+ pounds is till 50+ pounds!

Just thought it might be a better balance.

 

[porthole]

Not sure what you mean here . . .

Piece of webbing pinched between the drawbar and pintle hook.
Makes sliding the hitch a lot easier.

 

[porthole]

Made a separate thread for my bed mounted hoist.


//heartlandowners.org/showthread.ph...hydraulic-crane-winch-etc?p=412362#post412362

So, this thread got me wondering again.

I have a nice winch hanging from the rafters in my garage. Works great - on a truck that can actually fit in the garage.
Some angle iron and pipe. This spans five rafters. The winch slides left and right for alignment.

https://heartlandowners.org/showthr...re-heavy?highlight=pullrite+hitches+are+heavy


Hanging from the king pin. Have done that - once. Way to difficult to get lined back up to drop in the bed. And at near 300 hundred pounds, it has to be lined up perfect, fore-aft, side to side and level.
And if you are not careful, you can easily have the lowered tailgate hit the forward baggage door on the trailer.


I bought a used engine hoist off Craigslist, $45. That works pretty good and has just enough reach to pick the hitch with the tail gate down. But it is much more stable moving the hoist in with the tailgate up. The hoist has enough lift to almost clear the tailgate up.
The engine hoist has just enough drop to allow the hitch to land on a Costco dolly. From there the hitch gets rolled under the Cyclone.

The problems with any small jib-crane are capacity (where you need it, eg extension), reach, drop, rotational ability under load and vertical lift / drop

Plan C has always been one of the truck mounted cranes.
Parking lot sale at HF this week.

This for $69
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-capacity-pickup-truck-crane-60732-9889.html

This for $59
http://www.harborfreight.com/2500-l...winch-with-wireless-remote-control-61297.html

I had some 3/8" aluminum plate, made backing plates for the top and underneath of the bed.

I mounted the electric winch to the side of the jib.
Mounted the fairlead to the end of the jib.

This will do until I can come up with better rollers and direction change wheels.

Sandwiched the two 3/8" plates with 1/2" bolts to the right rear corner of the bed. Used bolts long enough to allow permanent bolting of the plates, but with enough exposed thread for the crane's base to drop over the bolts.
This way I can remove-install the crane as needed.

Reality. I have just enough reach with the jib extended all the way, almost. With my cable lift not enough reach, so I still have to use the supplied hook.

The little crane worked OK for what I wanted, it lifted the hitch. The winch also did it's part in lifting.
Rotating was a different story. Lot of friction with 300 pounds hanging on the end of a 53" arm.

After rotating just a bit the the truck's bed showed it was not strong enough and the hitch pulled the floor up in the corner just enough to allow the hitch to rest on the bed. Nothing a persuader can't fix.

Back to Plan B. Have to assemble my not portable engine hoist to get the now not mounted hitch out of the bed.

I think this can still work though.
Later today I'll be heading over to our local metal goods supplier to see if I can get an 18" square piece of aluminum, 3/8" to 1/2" thick.
18" will give me enough coverage to pick up what little structural steel is under the bed.

 

[Hansel]

I bought a 1/2 ton chain hoist from Northern tool on sale for $35 with my coupon, then I used a huge chain I had and bolted it too the supports for the garage door's. I did had some extra lag bolts for extra strength. It worked perfect, lifted it right up and backed the truck right underneath it.

 

[TX_Clay]

B&W High Rise Companion hitch (225 lbs.) that sits in the hole where the ball for a gooseneck would fit. 2 people would fight forever trying to get it to lift out of the hole. After about the third time having to remove it. Decided to work smarter not harder. Had a 2 wheel dolly handy. Rolled it up to hitch and placed the plate below the cross bar of the High Rise hitch. Pulled the top of the dolly down and lifted that puppy right up and out of the whole. Then with it balanced on the dolly plate. Rolled it to the back of the truck and son and I lifted it out. Put back in the same way, sit it on the back of the truck and use the dolly to roll it forward and set it in the pin hole.

 

[Bohemian]

POk. now let's focus on solving the problem for fulltimers who have no home base and no garage. Only the tow vehicle and the 5th wheel trailer.

How do we install and remove these heavy hitches without a garage based hoist or dolly?

 

[fredwrichardson]

POk. now let's focus on solving the problem for fulltimers who have no home base and no garage. Only the tow vehicle and the 5th wheel trailer.

How do we install and remove these heavy hitches without a garage based hoist or dolly?

In my case I don't. I assume one day I will but that will be the day I get three of my neighbors to come over and help me lift it out. Have not had to haul big items that require the full bed. Mainly plants, 4 by 4 posts and some bags of cement. In all cases they fit fine with the hitch in the bed.

 

[tomsws6]

Im strong guy but my pullrite superglide is just an awkward object to pick up from the ground... I think its around the 200lbs mark.. Its a complete beast.

 

[porthole]

POk. now let's focus on solving the problem for fulltimers who have no home base and no garage. Only the tow vehicle and the 5th wheel trailer.

How do we install and remove these heavy hitches without a garage based hoist or dolly?

I know you didn't miss this thread - have a better idea or concept?

Truck mounted hydraulic crane

 

[travelin2]

I know you didn't miss this thread - have a better idea or concept?

Truck mounted hydraulic crane

Duane

Saw something similar in the bed of a pickup up here in AK just the other day at the Seward park where stopped. If I recall the truck had NY plates.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Miltp920]

Got my 400 pound electric winch at Harbor Freight for $79. Nice. Full timers could use this or a manual chain fall IF you could locate a good tree branch, or borrow the rafters - power from your full timer campground maintenance building. I would think they would assist with that.

I like the electric winch idea. They are opening a harbor freight near me soon. Now I have a reason to go there. The guy I bought mine from had the electric winch. It was slick.