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tools- pickup accessory

brisketbean | Posted in Tools for Home Building on February 20, 2008 08:11am

Here is a little load leveler and bed extender we knocked together to facilitate hauling longer items on trucks without racks. Took about 30 bucks worth of material and about an hour to build. This dude slides right into the rec iever hitch and works great.

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Replies

  1. User avater
    Luka | Feb 20, 2008 09:23am | #1

    And it'll take about three hours for me and other dialuppers to download the pic.

    ;o)


    Yeah, it may be cold, but at least it's a wet cold !

    1. JMadson | Feb 20, 2008 09:53am | #2

      Is a couple of minutes better? 

      1. User avater
        Luka | Feb 20, 2008 09:59am | #3

        Much.Thank you.Ok, now THAT is cool !Now I wanna make one.;o)


        Yeah, it may be cold, but at least it's a wet cold !

  2. Hudson Valley Carpenter | Feb 20, 2008 10:06am | #4

    An ingenious solution.  Thanks for posting it.

    1. JMadson | Feb 20, 2008 04:00pm | #5

      I'd hate to rearend the back of that load.

      Semi's have to add the extra bar on the bottom of their trucks to prevent decapitation. With this so low to the ground, are you sure this doesn't require something similar?  

      1. Hudson Valley Carpenter | Feb 20, 2008 08:27pm | #10

         

        "I'd hate to rearend the back of that load.

        Semi's have to add the extra bar on the bottom of their trucks to prevent decapitation. With this so low to the ground, are you sure this doesn't require something similar? "

        Good point.  Potentially dangerous.  And the liability on any homemade device, attached to a vehicle is going to be on the vehicle's owner.

        1. brisketbean | Feb 21, 2008 03:50am | #11

          Some very good considerations on the potential hazards and liabilities. One thing to keep in mind, nothing is ever fool proof, when you get it close they build a better fool. I probably wouldnt use it in a large metropolitan area with all of the crazy drivers and heavy traffic, but out here where people are out numbered by cows it dosent seem to be as much of an issue, always want to use a red flag at the end of your load and a trailer brake light set up wouldnt be a bad idea either. john

  3. User avater
    hammer1 | Feb 20, 2008 04:36pm | #6

    Hope you have a strong "headache rack" on that truck.

    Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

  4. danski0224 | Feb 20, 2008 04:41pm | #7

    I've seen similar things here, but designed to work with the tailgate down.

    Something to think about if you have only glass keeping that stuff behind you.

    Sometimes, a ladder rack is a good thing.

    1. wood4rd | Feb 20, 2008 06:25pm | #8

      "Sometimes a ladder rack is a good thing."Agreed, especially if you want to bring a trailer along. 

  5. User avater
    McDesign | Feb 20, 2008 08:18pm | #9

    I want to make one of those for DW's minivan - it's got a class three hitch for the camper.  We have a great aluminum box that dad had made for our fake wood-panelled stationwagon in 1975 - fits in the roof rack, long as a set of golf clubs, tall as a paper grocery sack; waterproof, lockable; holds tons, but knocks off an honest and consistent 2.5 mpg. 

    Hope it would do better in the slipstream.

    Forrest

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