Welders? Any welders on this site?

[SeanKroll]

Question...

I'm thinking I'd moving a 3400 pound gooseneck camper across a yard.

I was wondering about having a diy coupler made for my mini and need input.

I have a dedicated hitch plate for the mini. I'm imagining a 2" square tube with a 2- 2 1/4" ID pipe welded perpendicular, with some keeper pins.

 

[BlackSmith]

A fifthwheel camper I take it..?

 

[Tree09]

Does the mini have enough power to do that? That seems like a bit much....

 

[BlackSmith]

I’m up in the sticks with poor interweb connection, no access to a pipe chart. 2 1/4 id is not a nominal pipe size unless there is a 2 1/2 heavy wall, don’t know. Not room in my head for all dat. Machine tube can be had in 2 1/4 if that’s the only thing that’ll work.

 

[Tree09]

2 1/2 sch 80 is 2.32 id, which should be close enough for this i think. I just don't think a mini has enough strength to move that. 34000 pounds is pretty steep, and a fifth wheel is 20 percent or more tongue weight

 

[lxskllr]

34000 pounds is pretty steep,

Divide by 10. 3.4k. Don't know anything about welding, and not sure what a mini is in the context, but that doesn't seem insurmountable as a rolling load,

 

[FireFighterZero]

did you guys add a zero?

 

[Tree09]

I assumed the 3,400 pounds was a typo, why would you put a 5th or goose on 3k......

 

[lxskllr]

OTOH, 34k is a pretty big camper, no? That would be 17 VW beetles.

 

[Tree09]

Yeah, but I've seen those.

 

[Tree09]

If it's that light, i would just do a single clamp on one, rather than it's own dedicated quick connect. I would also considering just using the actual hitch if you could. Maybe something as simple as chaining the hitch to the bucket.

 

[flushcut]

I still need to add the leg bracing but I'll do that monday.

 

[flushcut]

Question...

I'm thinking I'd moving a 3400 pound gooseneck camper across a yard.

I was wondering about having a diy coupler made for my mini and need input.

I have a dedicated hitch plate for the mini. I'm imagining a 2" square tube with a 2-View attachment 99340 2 1/4" ID pipe welded perpendicular, with some keeper pins.View attachment 99339

I would keep the cup for the king pin as close to the plate as possible to minimize the leverage as much as possible.

 

[SeanKroll]

Agreed, minimize the leverage.

I'm told 3,400 # Alumalite. Tandem axle. Bunk over the hitch, making the right much shorter than a bumper pull with the extra length for a bunk.


My friend doesn't have a hitch or truck. It was delivered by the seller. The intention was/ is alternative housing, stationary, not as a travel rig. When delivered, someone left for the weekend, and took their car keys with their car in the camper spot, so the camper was parked 15' to the side of the desired spot.



What about square tube with a 2" ID?

 

[flushcut]

I did find on Speedy Metals. com they have a 2 1/2" OD with 2" ID with 1/4" wall thickness. It DOM tube. Should be perfect.

 

[Tree09]

Although the spot you normally clap ro is 2", I'm thinking you need bigger to accommodate the larger part which is 2.812" so i would use 3" pipe

 

[SeanKroll]

Thanks. No measuring so far. I'll check into pipe at the store.
Also considered a large wooden block with a hole carved in it, with keeper pins of some sort, if the pipe size is hard to find.

 

[flushcut]

Go with metal.
You should be able to fine 3"id tube, just make sure it is DOM (drawn over mandril). Now that I think about it it wouldn't matter if it has a weld seam on the inside or not, should be easy enough to get rid of if there is.

 

[Tree09]

3" pipe is very very very common. If you find a pipe contractor he will often just give you a for chunk for your project. If you were so inclined that you wanted a very secure attachment, you could even make a set screw out of a large diameter bolt with a nut welded to the side of the pipe.

 

[Al Smith]

FWIW 3" ridged steel conduit is 3.090 ".Slightly less wall thickness the sced 40 pipe .It would be plenty strong enough for this project .Don't get threaded steel conduit confused with EMT ( thin wall ) because it's not the same stuff .

 

[SeanKroll]

The nut and bolt method send like the easiest way. Maybe 2, opposed, side to side.


Thanks.

 

[ruel]

My old f250 with a rotten homemade flatbed dump and no hitch plate/ bumper. Price was right and the old gal caught my eye. Want to two my pizza oven trailer with it, maybe 2500/3k lbs.

Frame was chopped off maybe 4-5 inches behind the rear shackle. Is that enough room to bolt a hitch plate on? Can I get away with having someone weld on a plate to the frame?

How bout the cross members/ frame leveling for the flatbed?

 

[cory]

Keep it simple: Fly 09 out (fares are dirt cheap) have him set you up nice nice, pay his reasonable fee, s'all good. Oh wait, you're a Mainer, you aint afeared of doing a lil welding yourself

 

[Tree09]

Any other pictures of the frame? Maybe from the side looking in? I'm having a hard time figuring out what's what there. Usually when you do a bed it sits on the frame, this almost looks like they went inside it...

 

[ruel]

I can take some more tomorrow. They cut out a 4x8 beam to the curve of the frame, and strapped it down. Then the dump rails sit flat on top of that, pinned in the back by the "hinge". Basically a work around for the 250s curved back frame.

Not afraid of non critical welding, but a tow hitch is kind of important to get just so. I'd feel bad if my oven got loose!