snow blower / hitch hauler unit

[sweetk30]

had a request for a custom built hauler for a snow blower .

here is what i fabbed up .

2x2x3/16 square tube / 1.5x1.5x3/16 angle sides / 1.5x1.5x1/8 angle ends / 1.25x1.25x1/8 angle center strips / #9 expanded metal raised edge for floor and ramp traction . 4 3/8 dia eye rings for tie down points 1 per corner .

 

[sweetk30]

all painted up .

 

[sweetk30]

then reflective stickers added for little night time safety . and tested on my suv to show how it is used .

 

[sweetk30]

quick basic price point using few online metal price places i added up a price of just under 200 bucks no shipping tho since i had almost all in stock .

1 qrt of paint and 2 cheepy brushes . the 2x8x8 pressure treated plank cut in 2 .

then few hr's of cut/grind/weld/paint and bam this is what we come up with .

if i build more i know i can get the price point down a bit buying the metal in bulk lengths from a wholesale place i have conections with . so this was a good testing point for time/ price /easy of making . only thing that ***** is painting the expanded metal .

 

[sweetk30]

if you needed to go buy a unit built like this at this level what kind of price point do you think i could get ?

this is MUCH better than those super cheep crappy basket things for 49.99-109.99 range thats for sure .

and its still a 1 man install/remove with no hoist needed

 

[larry4406]

Very nice!

What locks the ramps in the up position?

I would suggest welding on some loops or hasps to aid in tying down the snow blower. You could also put in lights that connect to the trailer light circuit associated with the hitch.

No clue on the price point.

 

[Kaizen]

I’ve never liked the single point of support on those tailgate things. If you could add some hook points at each end that could be hooked to the bumper it would be very sturdy. One other idea is a tube on the rear edge to put a flag in so driver doesn’t forget its there and backs into something. After plowing for twelve hours it can easily happen. [emoji106]


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[sweetk30]

ramps are setup to drop on the pocket holes only . then put in truck or strap to the unit .

it has 4 3/8" dia rings already for tie down points .

I already hauled a 1ton chevy pickup rear axle on it before I had the expanded metal on it . there around 350lbs by them self . she is real strong over the store purchased **** .

if anything I figured you guys would like it .

 

[laser3kw]

Think about adding some fold up out riggers as support while loading. You would only need one on the ramp end. It would act as a jack stand and take all the stress off the weld joint on the center post while loading. Fold up and be on your way after it is loaded.

 

[Spencer Was Here]

I was surprised to see you go with wood ramps after making everything else out of metal.

If I were using it, I would prefer metal ramps that either stored in pockets underneath like this one:
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200466691_200466691

or ramps that hinged up and stored in an almost upright position.

It definitely looks heavy duty enough, but if I were using it I would at the very least add some straps of both sides up to the bumper or stake pockets.

 

[Thumper68]

Nice job! Very similar to one I built A few years ago, needed a way to haul the snow blower with the Tahoe, I hinged the ramps made out of metal stair tread material. I put the ramps on the left side since tough to load a machine from the curb side.

I was in a hurry to get it done so no paint and I used self adhesive reflectors on the back.

Only thing I would do differently on mine is to space it out more from the hitch, tough to get the pin in and out of the receiver.

 

[brycez28]

I have one that I made a couple years ago, with just random pieces of metal I had laying around. Instead of expanded metal, I used angle iron. The snowblower tires fit snug between the rungs. I wish I had made it a few inches deeper. 90% of the time I unload/load from the back, not from the side. Some extra space to turn would be nice. The hitch tube on mine had a slight bit of play when in my truck receiver, which would cause the hauler to have a little play on the ends. A bar the slides under each end of the hauler and fits snug under the hitch would fix this.

 

[Don Campbell]

Very Nice