Bolt on Transport reciever hitch

[Frank S]

THere have been times when I have been asked to go somewhere and drive or tow a vehicle like a truck home for someone
I have a fold away tow-bar stowed in my daily driver so if the vehicle has a receiver hitch all I need to do is hook up and go. but more often than not htere is no hitch or a way to attach a 2" ball on the rear of the truck. So I made this for those times

As you can see it merly bolts to the bare frame of almost any truck large or small.

I also made many parts for it so I could configure it to adapt to almost all situations.

this shows the bolts and locking nuts


currently it is loaned out to a guy who uses it almost every day doing what I do very part time. He has connected it to well over 100 vehicles to date and has towed his D2500 over 100,000 miles across many states.
Not shown are the safety chains and cables we use to meet the DOT requirements for commercial towing

A full set of plans can be made available however the builder will be responsible for their own build quality and all safety requirements

[DIYer]

Great idea, Frank! Build it once and you've got an easily-transferable rig for almost any truck or pickup.

[DIYer]

Thanks Frank! We've added your Bolt On Receiver Hitch to our Automotive and Trailers and Towing categories, as well as to your builder page: Frank S's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Bolt On Receiver Hitch by Frank S

tags: portable, towing, adjustable

[kbalch]

Hi Frank,

Extremely useful and flexible tool! Your Bolt On Receiver Hitch is the 'Tool of the Week'!

You'll be receiving one of our official HomemadeTools.net T-shirts:

Just let me have (via PM) your details (size, color choice, and mailing address) and we'll get things processed directly.

Congrats!

Ken

[Frank S]

We loaned this hitch and all attachments for it to a guy a couple years ago along with a tow dolly and haven't seen either of them since. I talk to him once in a while, he tells me that he uses it at least a couple times a week, keeps asking me to sell it to him. I guess I should just consider that I gave it to him and make me another if ever I need one again

[Captn Roy]

Hi Frank,

It's always great to see something built by someone that enjoys the hell out of what he's doing. I drove trucks for 17 yrs. & have seen some really questionable workmanship on some products that were supposedly built for trucks. I have always been of the opinion that if it was on a truck-road tractor it should sure as **** work that way. Some products will leave no doubt in a truckers amazingly brilliant mind, hehehe, as to the confidence he should have in that piece of hardware.

Your hitch system is built to hold and there's no way that that sucker is ever going to FAIL. Hehe, just ask your buddy about that. He would never have kept it for so long if it was a dud. You did a fantastic job in your design and in the fabrication. Every trucker I know would be proud to have one on his rig, as would I. Thanks Again for sharing Frank. I've got a duce & 1/2 and I'll be replacing the wimpy thing I have on there now shortly. Now that I've seen yours, I'm ashamed at the one I installed above the pintle. Hehe.

Good work Frank, be looking forward to more from your grey matter warehouse.
Respectfully, Ray R.

[Frank S]

I finally told the guy he could have it since he needed it and I no longer did. So he gave me $800.00 for it and the tow dolly he was happy and I was happy the last time I talked to him he said in all the times he had used it he had only 1 complaint that it was a little heavy to wrestle under a truck with a bead on it. I told him to cut it up and toss it if he didn't' like it any more because it was his. He allowed that he would never do that.
I used to build sloping roll on ramps for the heavy haul RGNs and have had guys to have their new trucks delivered to me from the dealerships before they even drove them for me to install my ramps on them. Back when I was doing those there were a couple of major trailer Manufactures who made their own but would often recommend my ramps to guys buying new trailers over their own. Kaylin Siebert used to send someone to me about once every couple of months. either for ramps or to modify one of their trailers

[hansgoudzwaard]

Do you sell the plans by download? Sorry, I don't get out much.

The bolt on looks very impressive. Do the square headed bolts have a point on them?

They must have a technical name.

Thanks in advance.

[Frank S]

Do you sell the plans by download? Sorry, I don't get out much.

The bolt on looks very impressive. Do the square headed bolts have a point on them?

They must have a technical name.

Thanks in advance.

I hadn't given much thought to making plans for this item. A couple of reasons behind this is #1 since I would not be the one fabricating it I would not be able to guarantee it would be constructed to meet DOT transport safety requirements. Nor do I manufacture them for sale due to the exorbitant product liability ins costs. or the cost involved to have it certified for sale to the public as a towing device.
All I can say is that the guy who borrowed it from me nearly 5 years ago still has it and uses it a lot he has probably used it behind 100s of truck to tow his go home vehicle for well over a couple 100,000 miles.
No the square head bolts do not have points to them they were flat ended and some of them were cupped> the biggest downside to the bolts being used to clamp to a vehicle's frame is it will damage the paint or coating on a new vehicle, but if tightened properly it won't ever slip.
I wold make up a set of plans if I can come up with an iron clad build / use disclaimer to protect myself.

[Captn Roy]

Do you sell the plans by download? Sorry, I don't get out much.

The bolt on looks very impressive. Do the square headed bolts have a point on them?

They must have a technical name.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Hans, The bolts you are referring to do indeed have a name. They are referred to as a "Cup point case hardened steel square head set screw". Found in the Acklands Grainger listings for this type of screw. I'm quite sure that there are many other suppliers that could help finding and supplying them.

I agree with Frank on his concerns about making plans and the level of talent a person might have or not have when using them. Many folks have "there way of doing things and there lies the concern. If something is misunderstood and a problem arises, who is responsible. On the other side of the coin what kind of experience does the person drawing the plans have also?

Personally I would not change one single thing in the design or materials in this project. The build is the way it should be and I would trust it crossing North America, Rockies an all. It is a heavy duty build that will give a sure and confident result. Naturally the installation and removal will have the weight of the components to deal with but that could be easily handled alone with a simple jack system that would bear the weight such as a transmission jack would do for a transmission. If so required. That would depend on the person having to do the installation.

If you look closely at all the well taken pictures of Franks build you should be able to determine all the materials required and pretty much figure out the dimensions with a tape measure, and a truck frame would be handy also. That would also depend on your level of experience also. If you have doubts though and you think some help would be required. You could bring the photos and description to a welder fitter and they could give you a running start on the project. To someone with some knowledge in the trade a picture does tell a thousand words, Sometimes being enough to not really require a plan or drawings. Most truck frames will be similar and the materials and hardness-strength will be common knowledge to a tradesperson. Again, they should respect the build though. Frank has already pointed out that the merits have been proven over thousands of miles without a single problem.

Enjoy your build Hans, Frank was very kind to have shared this and I have no doubt as to the amount of experience he has also shared time & time again with this community. rr