help with adding a reciever tube to a flatbed

[tpolley]

i'm adding a 6 inch receiver tube to a flatbed. currently the flatbed has the standard hitch made of 5 inch by 1/2 inch thick angle iron welded between two pieces of channel.
my original plan was to buy a 6 inch reciever tube, cut it to about 4.5 inches, set it on top of the angle iron trailer hitch and weld it.
when i bought the receiver tube i took some measurements and found its too short for some of the heavier 3 way trailer hitches. one particular hitch stuck out the back of the reciever tube about 1/4 inch. however i don't even own any of these hitches so i don't see it as being a problem. i just feel better planning for the future.
if i cut 1.5 inches off of the reciever tube it would be just long enough for probably 75% of the trailer hitches out there.
if you'll direct your attention to the pictures you'll see that my idea is to leave the reciever tube 6 inches long. i'll cut a square hole in the angle iron about 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches and slide the receiver tube in to the hole so that the "collar" will be flush with the angle iron. i will then weld the holy **** out of every joint.
my problem with this idea is that i'll be removing quite a bit of metal from the angle iron. i'm affraid it will not be nearly as strong even tho the hole will be, for the most part, filled in with the reciever tube. the receiver tube is 1/4 material.
i'm affraid that over time any weight will cause the angle iron to sag or warp or distort and crush the reciever tube.
if i don't cut a hole in the angle iron and don't cut the reciever tube down it will be sticking out about 2 inches or so and i think that's too far.
i could weld the reciever tube under the angle iron and i may end up doing that.
what to you guys think?

 

[mustangmike68]

I wouldn't be worried about the angle iron, it will be filled with the tube and welded. Your idea looks good to me. Just not sure how much weight it can tow to begin with, being only supported by the ends. It looks like it was put there incase your rearended the car does not go under your truck. If you can support it to the truck more it would help greatly.

 

[nissan_crawler]

agreed, with that wide of a span, at minimum, I would weld a 1/2" thick piece at the back of the horizontal piece you're welding the receiver to. (standing on edge, so it's like the angle iron at the front side.

Otherwise, I would be worried about the weight of the trailer trying to twist the back of that piece up and down on bumps.

 

[Yonnee]

I'm not familiar with your towing regulations in the States, but here in Australia, home-made towbars are frowned upon, and all towbars are required to have a certification tag attached. Having said that, most of those Hayman Reece hitch receiver towbars made here are rated between 2500 and 4500Kgs (4500 and 7500lbs) tops. The material the rest of that towbar's made from, if you can't haul 20,000 lbs with it without it breaking, I'll eat my hat!!

The idea of sticking the tube through the angle iron is ideal, as you're not restricting the length of different hitches you can use.

 

[35mastr]

Your idea will work. But as already posted. It needes to be plated all the way up. Or you may end up twisting the **** out of that angle.

 

[tpolley]

thanks for all the suggestions, however i don't understand what y'all are trying to explain about adding horizontal pieces and such. here are some pictures of the framework.

 

[Vernmotor]

here what I think is good ,,,and what everyone else is trying to say ( I think ) LOL

 

[dledinger]

5" X 1/2" angle? Maybe I am nuts...but I bet it's tougher than the class IV receiver setup on my truck.

I used 6" X 1/2" angle to build the rear bumper on a tow truck several years ago. It was not boxed or braced...just straight angle iron with a pintle hook bolted directly to it. I know for fact that rig saw loads that far exceeded Class IV ratings.

Either way.....with your plan that hitch should be as strong as it was originally designed for. If you go by that, and you can't really go wrong.

Before you do a bunch of welding and bracing...I would consider what it was originally rated for, and what you plan on hauling.

 

[nissan_crawler]

here what I think is good ,,,and what everyone else is trying to say ( I think ) LOL

Nope, in the first picture, I would move that plate up, so it's flush with the bottom. In other words, cut a square for your receiver to go through that one, just like the back part. I realize due to the angle of the pieces coming from the bed, it might have to be set forward an inch or two, or even be angled forward some at the top.

In the second, you have it right, IMHO.

Edit: Like this

 

[tpolley]

i'll be hauling a camper trailer with it. not sure what size as i haven't bought it yet. at most a 24 foot camper. in the not too distant future i'll likely be pulling a 16 foot flatbed trailer with a toyota corolla to the salvage yard. maybe one day i'll buy a tractor. i'll need to be able to pull that.

 

[knucklehead]

i would cut a hole in the back of the angle, slide the receiver tube in & weld in place. next, from the top of the receiver tube run diagonal braces upward & forward to give lateral support. then it would be bulletproof.