Truck bed crane for cargo (update 3/4/23)

[Hardtop]

Searched, but didn't see anything. Thinking about loading heavy gear into the truck, and my back ain't what it used to be. Has anybody added one of those smaller cranes to their truck for loading stuff like generators, sliding 5th wheel hitches, engine blocks, etc.? Cargo in the 200-500 lbs. range.

Searched around the web, but most truck cranes are too big, or stick up to high. On the smaller end, something like this might fit the bill:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200672540_200672540

I like this idea because it stows below the bed line, and could be adapted to be easily removed, and/or add a hand winch to lift cargo off the ground. But there may be better options out there I'm not aware of. Just wondering what others have used to load awkward 250 lbs. items without needing a friend to lend a hand, or using a ramp to roll stuff into the bed of the truck.

 

[44Dan44]

Searched, but didn't see anything. Thinking about loading heavy gear into the truck, and my back ain't what it used to be. Has anybody added one of those smaller cranes to their truck for loading stuff like generators, sliding 5th wheel hitches, engine blocks, etc.? Cargo in the 200-500 lbs. range.

Searched around the web, but most truck cranes are too big, or stick up to high. On the smaller end, something like this might fit the bill:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200672540_200672540

I like this idea because it stows below the bed line, and could be adapted to be easily removed, and/or add a hand winch to lift cargo off the ground. But there may be better options out there I'm not aware of. Just wondering what others have used to load awkward 250 lbs. items without needing a friend to lend a hand, or using a ramp to roll stuff into the bed of the truck.

"If" you could find a good place to mount to frame instead of just bed sheet metal I'd wonder if you would get the utility you hope for out of it with lift height limitations. Have you considered a cheap gantry crane for your garage vs taking up bed space?

 

[44Dan44]

Also this https://www.amazon.com/Products-Truck-Hitch-Game-Hoist/dp/B06ZZS6M9L?th=1

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Searched, but didn't see anything. Thinking about loading heavy gear into the truck, and my back ain't what it used to be. Has anybody added one of those smaller cranes to their truck for loading stuff like generators, sliding 5th wheel hitches, engine blocks, etc.? Cargo in the 200-500 lbs. range.

Searched around the web, but most truck cranes are too big, or stick up to high. On the smaller end, something like this might fit the bill:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200672540_200672540

I like this idea because it stows below the bed line, and could be adapted to be easily removed, and/or add a hand winch to lift cargo off the ground. But there may be better options out there I'm not aware of. Just wondering what others have used to load awkward 250 lbs. items without needing a friend to lend a hand, or using a ramp to roll stuff into the bed of the truck.

I have had the same crane they work well i put a pulley at the front and a 2500lbs winch it worked fantastic i am debating on getting another one for the new truck

 

[Hardtop]

Dan, I built a gantry crane to lift the hardtop off my old jeep YJ, and that would work well, but I was looking for something that would be mobile with the truck. The game hoist would also serve that purpose, I hadn't thought of those. Kinda wonder how wobbly that tall pole would be swinging that weight around and into the bed. The larger swing radius on the game hoist could be an advantage, though. (thinking) Hmmmm.... I *could* make one of those a little beefier. Thanks!

H3LZSN1P3R, thanks for the input! Did you feel the need to reinforce the bed or modify the crane base for a larger footprint? Or, was it anchored to the frame for strength? Again, thinking of the torque on the bed metal with a load on the end of the crane arm. Just playing devil's advocate with myself...

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Dan, I built a gantry crane to lift the hardtop off my old jeep YJ, and that would work well, but I was looking for something that would be mobile with the truck. The game hoist would also serve that purpose, I hadn't thought of those. Kinda wonder how wobbly that tall pole would be swinging that weight around and into the bed. The larger swing radius on the game hoist could be an advantage, though. (thinking) Hmmmm.... I *could* make one of those a little beefier. Thanks!

H3LZSN1P3R, thanks for the input! Did you feel the need to reinforce the bed or modify the crane base for a larger footprint? Or, was it anchored to the frame for strength? Again, thinking of the torque on the bed metal with a load on the end of the crane arm. Just playing devil's advocate with myself...

Nope i did not need to reinforce anything that was with my 05 the beds should be pretty similar in thickness if you were worried about the thickness of the bed you could always get a piece of 1/8 plate cut the same as the base and mount it underneath like a large washer to sandwich the bed material then there is no chance of any failure

 

[Hardtop]

"reinforcing plate" ... yeah, that could work, though I'd probably want to make it larger than the footprint of the lift so there wasn't a pinch point on the sandwiched bed metal. I'll take a look under the bed this weekend and get a better idea of the space available. Thanks!

 

[Hardtop]

Update --- Lets see if this works. First time trying to post a picture. These are various metal parts cut to size for my take on a hitch-mounted crane for my truck. I didn't want to drill through the metal of the bed, and there is a LOT of stuff going on near the suspension, too much for me to attempt placing supporting braces at the rear corner of the short-bed. I've seen various hitch-mounted cranes on the net, but most of them looked "sketchy" to me, or were far too expensive for my budget. Thought I could take a shot and make my own base for what is supposed to be a bolt-down crane for a utility bed with a 1000 lbs capacity. I had some scrap metal left over from making a cargo trailer, jeep modifications, and other projects, so I gave it a shot. Here's the bigger components after using the chop saw and drill press.

 

[Hardtop]

Link to crane in question: https://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-capacity-pickup-truck-bed-crane-with-hand-winch-61522.html

Objective: a cheap base for a crane, that was hitch mounted, modular, can be set up to travel with the truck while assembled without losing ground clearance, could be adjusted for uneven ground, with no part weighing more than I could pick up with one hand. The main column has an adjustable inner column with an adjustable foot. The angled legs have pivoting feet, and the cross brace adjusts for different leg angles as the height is changed. The cross brace is also captured to the inner leg to keep it centered (the center bolt shown in place was just for a fixed point during the creation of the base. I tend to design projects on the fly while making them) Flip the hitch and I get 4" extra clearance, making the base foot even with the center of the rear axle when the inner column is raised. The lateral support arm can be moved to allow the whole crane to slide towards the middle of the truck for travel. Adjustment of the foot and arms is through 7/8" threaded rod (not all-thread, this is a couple grades stronger. I wanted acme square-cut threads like I have on my work vise, but couldn't find any locally). The doubled-up nuts are just to increase thread contact area and also lock everything in place when tightened. The holes in the cross brace tubes allow me to see how far the threaded rod is screwed into place, ensuring I don't put a load on only a couple threads. The whole thing clears the side of my truck, the bumper, the tailgate path, and the flat top is level with the bed height.

Yeah, it's clunky looking. I have a few details to finish before paint. It's ugly, I'm not a designer. I'm also not a pro welder, so the welds aren't as pretty as I'd like them to be. The only power tools used were what I had... the chop saw, 3-1/2" angle grinder, drill press, and the welder. But I will say I went through a few cutting discs and abrasive pads making small parts out of bigger materials. That said, it is plenty strong enough to mount the crane and safely support more than the crane is capable of safely lifting. Pictures of the crane in use will come, weather, paint, and time allowing. But as my original intent was to be able to lift and install/uninstall a 250 lbs auto-sliding 5th-wheel hitch in my truck by myself without hurting my aging back, I think it will work.

And if nothing else, it will make a nice job-site vice stand.

 

[44Dan44]

Awesome! Necessity is the mother of invention. Thanks for the update.
Before you get to paint stage, how cool would a swivel be at the hitch so you could take it to either side of the truck?

 

[Hardtop]

Hi Dan, and Thanks! Although a swivel could be pretty easy to make ( couple plates, thick bolt for pivot, piece of UHMW plastic to reduce friction) the limiting factor would be clearance with the receiver safety chain loops when in this lower setting, and the rear bumper when the "stinger" is flipped for more ground clearance. Could be done though.

I dealt with this problem by drilling the main support arm so the crane can be used from either side of the truck. I can actually switch sides without removing the main arm from the stinger-- just pull the pin, slide it over, replace the locking pin (bolt) in it's new position, and swap the crane side to side. I've already welded a couple nuts to those two holes you circled so the main arm can be locked down to prevent the little bit of play between the two metal components (that same rattle you get when the stinger moves up and down in the receiver while towing a trailer).

But your idea could be a benefit for swapping sides without breaking down the crane from the base. Couldn't swap sides during travel mode with the base slid to the middle though, the main arm would hit the spare tire stowed under the bed.

 

[44Dan44]

Probably a better candidate for the terrible towing pics thread but made me laugh.

 

[Hardtop]

Wow. Just wow. The tounge weight rating looks like it's exceeded with the way that hitch is moving when he lifts the motor. Leverage is a bitch in this case. And where is he going to move that motor to? Can't swing it into the vehicle, and I wouldn't want to be behind him if he's going down the road with it hanging off the end of that hoist. Don't think I'd want my hands or feet under that motor changing parts. It ain't the hoist, it's what's supporting it that counts. Thanks for the laugh and the grimace.

 

[diesel_driver_3500]

Here you go!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4GLW5AszWg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9DA0GMPqQ8

I follow this guys YouTube channel. He is a machinist in Florida and owns a couple of "hobby" machine shops. He has almost 600,000 subscribers and does some cool work. These seven videos cover the construction of a hitch mounted crane on his 2020 (?) Ram 2500. You can skim through the videos and get some good ideas on how he constructed his crane.