It's okay to stare. I think I have a nice rack too.

NM_Shooter · May 17, 2009, 10:52:33 AM

OK... behave.

I am wanting to take my geriatric collie with us camping this year, as he does not do well in kennels. He won't eat for a week. Since I'll be putting a motorcycle and a dog crate in the back of my truck, that means I lose a lot of space for hauling coolers, firewood, and beer

I've wanted one of these for awhile. I went to Harbor freight and bought their receiver basket, but when I got home and put it behind my trailer it just looked silly. So I pulled out my wire welder and got after a custom one. I'm not much of a welder... but I can sort of stick two pieces of metal together once in awhile without burning holes through the tubing. Actually, by the time I was done with this, my beads were looking pretty good. Oh.... and I wore leather and didn't get any third degree burns. Ahem.

It's just shy of 8' long, and is 24" wide by 8" deep. I welded two receivers onto the main beams of my trailer so I could slide this on and off as required.

I'll have to watch where I tow a bit, as I don't want to be dragging.....

I still need to wire brush it and paint it, and I am going to fasten the basket to the receiver tubes with some grade 8 bolts just to be on the safe side. Total cost was $180 plus a day of my life.

diyfrank · May 17, 2009, 11:26:27 AM

Nice work, you get an "A".

May 17, 2009, 11:28:32 AM

Nice job Shooter

Not to be a know it all, but you might what to drill little weep holes under the frame tubes. If you don't and water or condensation gets in them after one winter your sq. tubes will be round and they might split.
If you weld the expanded metal in evey spot it will make the frame more rigid.
You might need a brace across the middle for coolers, beer and fire wood.

have fun,W

glenn kangiser · May 17, 2009, 12:29:00 PM

Looks good, Frank. Handy and could double as a spare bunk.

firefox · May 17, 2009, 01:49:23 PM

Whitlock, that is very good advice especially about the weep holes.
Bruce

May 17, 2009, 04:47:22 PM

Frank looks good. I will have to agree with Whitlock and add a horizontal brace mid center of the two receivers and maybe a couple gussets at each end. Yes it looks sturdy but being on the "tailend" it will bounce a bit and lord knows I wouldn't want youor welds to break.

You might consider mounting a couple of lights in the back corners of the basket to be auxillary when you stack all that beer and firewood up to conceal the trailer lights.

StinkerBell · May 17, 2009, 04:59:39 PM

That is a nice rack!

But maybe it is a good idea to blur out your license plates so I do not get the urge to stalk you.

NM_Shooter · May 17, 2009, 08:47:26 PM

These are great ideas...

A cross brace the long way or the short way in the middle? I am thinking the short way... I like the idea of putting duplicate lights on it. Maybe I'll put backup lights on it too so i can see better when backing. I didn't think of the weep holes... another good idea. I'll need to do this before I put my 9000lb porta-band away.

Okay... more welding. Oh... and I am planning on bolting the cage to the receiver tubes too.

MountainDon · May 18, 2009, 04:56:20 PM

Excellent idea on the weep holes. Even here in this desert it freezes. The tire rack I welded up several years ago developed some rounding of the lower ends of some of the square tubing after s few years.

Nothing broke but there was water in them when I drilled holes.

Looks good BTW. Though it's a guaranteed dragger on my road in.

May 18, 2009, 10:57:35 PM

Would you like my license plate number, Stink? hmm

StinkerBell · May 19, 2009, 01:03:29 AM

I am just trying to point out that there are weirdos on the net. Some time those people befriend others on a board like this, a board that becomes a family and then steal their identity or even stalk them. Now I am not saying someone here would do that, but it has been known to happen.

MountainDon · May 19, 2009, 01:05:49 AM

You are so right Stink. I've been googling and oogling "female with large funny hair rollers" for months now.

Note that I blurred the plates on my Jeep, wherever those are posted.

NM_Shooter · May 19, 2009, 09:00:04 AM

Hmmm....I have noticed that others do this too...blur their plate #s. Can someone enlighten me as to why that might help, or how it could hurt for someone to be able to see a plate #? I can drive down the road and see thousands. Take pictures of them and post them.

Wassup with that?

StinkerBell · May 19, 2009, 09:53:17 AM

Well on small BB, or just BB's in general after awhile people are not so guarded. Things like names of their children slip out or other personal information. I have done it myself, I have met up with others made some really good friends over the years. BUT, there are those who lurk/troll on BB's in hope to find out information about a person. Placing your license plates could get someone not only your first name, but your last name and home address. If your spouse is listed on the registration now someone has your spouses information.

So, now I might have that information and you have told me what type of work you do. Not to hard to track someone down to their place of work. Now I have three pieces of information on you. four is usually the magic number (the ss#) however it is not always needed.

I have personally tracked down family members with even less information on the net with much success. My Brothers biological father, who he knew until he was 6 months old. I found, well actually I tracked down his widowed wife...I did not have the man birthday at all. I had his name and where he lived in 1971, that was it.

May 19, 2009, 11:00:48 AM

Okay. I'm safe now. Well, as far as license plates go anyways.

Feel free to stalk me however. I could use some entertainment. Probably would delight my neighbors too.

NM_Shooter · May 30, 2009, 01:49:39 PM

Okay... finished. I wonder how long it will take before I get a ticket because the gear in my basket is obscuring my license plate? But seeing as how that plate is all blurry anyway, why would they care?

I guess I could move the plate to the basket carrier, but then it would not be permanently mounted to my trailer. Hmmm...

Acid test coming up soon for a quick weekend camptrip. I'll load it to the gills and bounce it down the road.