Mounting a truck crane onto a trailer

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sirbuildalot

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I am, thinking of getting one of these...

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200672540_200672540?cm_mmc=Bing-pla&utm_source=Bing_PLA&utm_medium=Material Handling > Hoists, Lifts + Cranes&utm_campaign=Ultra-Tow&utm_content=52512&msclkid=fa09285a3c30121d4dfe747285693794


to mount onto a heavy duty trailer I use to retrieve firewood. Sometimes logs, sometimes rounds. I also use the trailer for getting lumber, moving small tractors, picking up implements, etc. For $99, if it works out, I may purchase a second one to assist loading a large round onto a splitter, provided of course, it was attached to as really heavy base that wouldnt topple over.

Has anyone else mounted a crane like this? How did it work out. The trailer is only 5 x 10, but the crane swings out of the way when not in use.
 
I was thinking of doing the same thing.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
 
Harbor freight sells them as well for $94.99


https://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-capacity-pickup-truck-crane-60732.html

York,

The lift goes from 9" to 56", so essentially 4' of potential lift. If the top of the trailer rails are only say 30" off the ground, it should easily load it. Remember its 4' of lift from the point where the crane is mounted.

I believe this is the exact same Harbor Freight crane, only orange instead of gray. This individual uses it to load a truck. Much higher off the ground than my trailer bed.

 
Something to consider would be putting jacks on the corners of the trailer either side of the hoists mount for stabilization.
My reference is when I've tried to use an excavator for a mall task while it was on the trailer, As soon as I reached over the side of the trailer, a big trailer, the trailer cranked way over and I thought the springs were going to snap. Even with a large truck, lifting from the sides needs stabilizers.

00i0i_4SLcyMNtJCD_600x450.jpg
 
4CA89E9B-E2DB-4028-B03D-78A3ACC3F39E.jpeg I mounted an engine crane to mine. Rotates 270 degrees. Has remote with 5000 pound winch. Works nice for everything from logs to Milling machines. You have to remember to counterbalance heavy lifts and any time the trailer isn’t level, the load will try to swing down hill. I drive the wheels onto blocking or use a high lift jack to overcome the issue. Look at my avatar. It’s covered, but you’ll get the idea.
Edit: Here is a better photo.
 
There is another crane available that rotates 360 and gives more height than the OP shows. I think the were around $200. They even had them capable of mounting in a receiver hitch. Not Harbor Freight. Maybe EBay. Thay aren’t near the lifting capacity, though. It all depends on what you want. I believe they had a cable, boat style winch on them, as well.
 
I did basically the same thing cmsmoke did for my splitter.

MVC-019S_12.JPG


The ram is not used at all but I kept it there for adjustments. mainly got it for the tapered roller bearing in the bottom of the pivot and the predone tubing.

MVC-020S_10.JPG


get some of these pulleys and I welded a keeper on it from cutting a piece of pipe in half.

MVC-022S_3.JPG


MVC-023S_3.JPG


Make up some simple mounts so that the cable will clear everything.

MVC-018S_13.JPG


Then mount an ATV winch on the back. You can pick these up for less than $100.00 and this one has 30ft of reach with a cordless remote so you can walk along side while it drags or lifts it.

MVC-024S_10.JPG


Pretty useful and NO way you want to pump that much. The one you show does not have enough stroke anyway but you could make it work with a winch.

MVC-018S_55.JPG


MVC-009S_1.JPG


MVC-002S_14.JPG


It'll lift most anything you want it to. More details on it in "my splitter build" album link below.
 
I bought a Northern Tool/Harbor Freight pickup crane for about $100 to put in my trailer. It CANNOT bolt into the pickup box with 4 bolts like the sales literature says ('easy install, four bolts'…). It is pretty obvious that the rated capacity of the crane is far more than the strength of a pickup box body.

I made various modifications for my needs:

1. Reinforced underneath the bed of the truck with tubing to the frame rails.

2. Modified the boom for use underneath the restricted space of a topper.

3. Extended the height of the vertical pipe, and moved the upper mount for the hydraulic jack inward to get more lift range, at less load capacity.

4. Added a boat winch to get much more lift range (and faster). (Topper tilts up to either side and I can lift over the sides now.)

5. Changed the pins and hooks.

6. Added some holes to be able to pin it from rotation and not let a load get out of control.

7. Modified the handle and release valve to eliminate the loose handle that was always lost.

8. Made a pipe extension to raise it up for use in an open bed pickup, or to lift over the side when my topper is tilted up (see this article).

9. Added some 'theft protection' against grab and go thieves.

10. Made a small frame with casters to mount this on and use it as a shop crane/cart to move the pump around my garage. I had an engine hoist but it takes too much space so I gave it away.

11. Made another mount so I could use the hoist portion in my pickup, either with or without the topper in place.

On an open bed trailer, I would use a longer stroke shop crane to get enough lift to reach beyond the tailgate, or to lift over the side. This crane won't do either. However, the shop crane height would not work under a topper.
 

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how about a used auto crane(name brand i think) that most heavy equipment service trucks have.
 
I've seen truck cranes in junk/scrap yards that looked serviceable , but never asked. I built a gantry on the back of my dump trailer that worked great. Used 4x4's I had laying around from other projects. i think all those pics were on PB. I'll see if I can find some.
 

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