Who has put a hoist/crane on their pickup?

[aquan8tor]

Hey folks. Its been a while since I've posted here. I got a new-to-me log-getter pickup, a '96 Ford F250 4x4 powerstroke, with about 2000lbs capacity in the bed, even though its got a 3/4 ton rating. DMV has it rated at 10,000 GVWR, axles are rated for 10700.

Long story short, I'm looking to put a hoist/crane of some sort on the bed to make it easier to load logs and large turning blanks for the lathe.
There is a lot of what looks like junk on ebay, some bolt to the bed, some actually mount into the hitch receiver. Those make me a little more nervous, but maybe they're okay. I don't know. The ones that bolt down definitely have a much higher capacity, but I'm leery of drilling into the bed, and especially of a 15+ year old pickup. I want to be able to load at least 5-6' long logs, maybe longer, and up to 20" dia. If I can get the top of the log high enough above the bed, I should be able to swivel it into the back and lift up a little on the end to help it in. I'm not a big guy, but I'm no wimp either. I need some help with a hoist!

These are a couple that I was looking at.

2000LB Swivel Lift Hoist Truck PickUp Crane Davit 1TON | eBay

Black Bull 1000 lbs Pickup Truck Bed Portable Crane! BRAND NEW! 90 Day Warranty! | eBay

500 LB PICK UP TRUCK HYDRAULIC PWC DOCK JIB ENGINE HOIST CRANE HITCH MOUNT LIFT | eBay

 

[gemniii]

I've been looking into it for my F350.
People have wrote that the ones that mount in the bed, like the HF ones, tend to twist themselves and the bed. I'm leaning toward one that will hook into my hitch, with drop down stabilizer legs.

 

[aquan8tor]

That's kinda what I was afraid of. The body of my F250HD flexes a fair bit with a heavy load in it. I don't want to bend the bed up with the first really heavy log. I'm thinking the hitch/drop-down thing could work out alright for what I need it for. I just might have to make my own though.

 

[john taliaferro]

Ive made one that is mounted to the bed like the hf unit with a plate made that fits the over to the frame to spread the weight .No dought if it was a 2 ' square it would rip its self outof the bed . For the height i used a small top bar from a small tractor with it screwed out it puts the boom at a 45 degrees , the winch is hf 3500 lb and pulling sideways it will lift a rear tire on 78 f250 camper specal . Its got ball berrings in the swivel , thats my only issue a 1500 lb log on a slope pined me to the truck , we have to watch close where you stand .

 

[aquan8tor]

That sounds like something I need to see!! Any pics??

 

[GeeVee]

Given you know the stresses are the problem, I will clutter your mind with another option?

If you want a pretty truck bed, don't put logs in it.

Taking the bed off a truck frame isn't tough so modify the crane and bed so it can handle the work, but will the bed remain pretty? Prolly not.

Mount the crane to a low trailer, and care less about the log or the trailer, but work less too.

 

[aquan8tor]

The bed of my truck aint pretty. I don't think anybody is worried about the LOOK of the dents so much as metal fatigue. Creases in metal lead to cracks, etc. The hoist would HAVE to be bolted to the frame. As for a trailer, that's a lot more than I want to deal with--many of the logs I'm harvesting are back in the woods, or in someone's yard that I can't easily negotiate a trailer into. It defeats the purpose of having the hoist in the first place. If I had a trailer, I could just drag the logs up a ramp with a winch. The fact is, I don't want a trailer.

 

[rarefish383]

I've been thinking about puting a crane on my 8' dump trailer, so it wouldn't be that much different than a pickup bed. I'm steering completely away from the type of cranes that were pictured above. I'm gonna use four posts in the corners and build a gantry type crane. On a pickup you could use the six standard pockets in the bed. Use an I beam that sticks out 2' beyound the end of your bed or tailgate, and a chain hoist. I saw a guy do this on a trailer similar to mine and it worked so easy and fast it was unbelievable. No torque or twist to the bed or frame of the truck. I don't know how to do graphics, so I'll see if I can find some pics to post, Joe.

 

[gemniii]

I don't know how all trailer hitches are formed, and I expect a lot are NOT like mine.

But on mine I've open ends on the side, the same size as the receiver.
My dreams were to have somebody fab up a hitch that hooked into one of those sides and the center receiver so I had two support points on the frame, then drop a leg down to the ground.

 

[aquan8tor]

Gemnii, that's a great idea, but I don't know if the legs on the sides of the hitch are completely necessary unless you're putting some BIG things in the bed. A standard hitch receiver--I don't know the class ratings, but a 2" square receiver, should take at least 1000 lbs on it. The weak part will be the hoist before the hitch. I think my receiver is rated for over 2000, but I'm not sure. The legs that drop down to the ground are a lot more important, IMHO. They will bear more weight than the hitch itself.

I've been thinking about puting a crane on my 8' dump trailer, so it wouldn't be that much different than a pickup bed. I'm steering completely away from the type of cranes that were pictured above. I'm gonna use four posts in the corners and build a gantry type crane. On a pickup you could use the six standard pockets in the bed. Use an I beam that sticks out 2' beyound the end of your bed or tailgate, and a chain hoist. I saw a guy do this on a trailer similar to mine and it worked so easy and fast it was unbelievable. No torque or twist to the bed or frame of the truck. I don't know how to do graphics, so I'll see if I can find some pics to post, Joe.

Now this is an idea I hadn't considered, and a good one at that. I have access to a fair amount of scrap and a good welder, which would make fabbing it up easy, but it would have to wait til fall at the earliest--too much to do right now. The removable hoist would be a lot quicker to modify.
The thing about the six point rack is, I don't know if she who must be obeyed would go for it, because right now, (due to my good graces, ) the truck is her transportation, as I have to drive over 100 miles round trip to work every day in the little car, which gets 35+mpg.

 

[aquan8tor]

Given you know the stresses are the problem, I will clutter your mind with another option?

If you want a pretty truck bed, don't put logs in it.

Taking the bed off a truck frame isn't tough so modify the crane and bed so it can handle the work, but will the bed remain pretty? Prolly not.

Mount the crane to a low trailer, and care less about the log or the trailer, but work less too.

So after reading your post again, taking the bed off and putting a steel plate to stiffen it doesn't sound like that bad of an idea either. Decisions, decisions....