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Old 08-19-2019, 08:41 AM   #1
BB_TX
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Pin box bike rack mount

I am posting this at the request of Woodworker for more details of the pin box mount I made. Here is the procedure I used and some more pics.

I bought a 12" receiver tube at Harbor Freight (also available at trailer supply stores). I already had some 2"x2" angle iron laying around. Since I already had angle iron available the total cost was about $20 for the receiver tube.

I inserted the bike rack into the receiver tube and held it up in front of the trailer to see approx how long the side arms would need to be for the bike rack to clear the front of the trailer. Then I cut those 2-3" longer than I thought I needed and drilled holes in them to match the pin box bolts. I mounted those arms to the pin box using the lower pin box bolts and leveled and squared them to each other. Then I cut the two cross members about 1/8" longer than the space between the arms to make it easier to install/remove the frame when I wanted. The bolts pull in any excess.

I put the rear cross member between the arms as far back as I could without it touching the top of the pin box, about 1/2" clearance and clamped it in place. Then I held the rack/receiver tube up again to see approx where the front cross member should be mounted. I clamped it in place and set the rack/receiver on top to verify the location and marked the side arms where to cut off the excess.

I removed the side arms and cut them to the marks I had made and reinstalled them and clamped the cross members back in place. And again set the rack/receiver on top to verify clearance to the front of the trailer. When satisfied, I spot welded the frame members together. Then I removed the frame again and did a continuous weld on the underside of all the members and receiver.

Cleaned welds and painted and ready to go. No part of the frame touches the top of the pin box.
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Old 08-19-2019, 09:09 AM   #2
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Great job! Thanks for sharing.

D.
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Old 08-27-2019, 09:14 AM   #3
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Bill,
Thanks so much for going above and beyond. I'll show the pics and instructions to my welder buddy. My pin box is the MorRyde and a slightly different design, but it has the 2 rows of three bolts and we can work with that.
I'll send some pics when completed.
Steve
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Old 08-27-2019, 01:53 PM   #4
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Looks good. We made a canoe carrier simulator.
People would ask why we carried our canoe up there and I would tell them I was too old to put a motor boat up there.
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Old 08-27-2019, 05:09 PM   #5
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BB TX,
Being capable of welding myself, I thank you for the effort to post the information and details. I am sure there are several folks that will benefit from same and I certainly would not want to discourage others from posting useful information.


However, I still vouch for the more logical location in the receiver on your tow vehicles rear bumper. Its out of the weather and bugs, the bikes are ready to go to town with you without reloading and most importantly the bikes are very low to the ground and easy to load/unload (no matter if your hooked up or not). And yes you still have plenty of room between the bikes and the trailer. If your concerned about issues with the bikes being in the way when you hitch or unhitch fear not as they make a tilting bike rack that cures that problem (it wasn't an issue with our bike rack with our old tow truck and trailer). Of course the HC 381TH cured the issue with the basement garage.....
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Old 08-27-2019, 05:20 PM   #6
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Bill thanks for posting this. I copied your design a few years ago and am extremely happy with how it turned out. James, can you post photos of the bike rack hooked up while towing the 5th. My rack would not allow hook up to back of truck while towing 5th.
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Old 08-27-2019, 05:31 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by h2ojocky View Post
Bill thanks for posting this. I copied your design a few years ago and am extremely happy with how it turned out. James, can you post photos of the bike rack hooked up while towing the 5th. My rack would not allow hook up to back of truck while towing 5th.
Unfortunately can't at this time as we are stuck in New Mexico full time for work and rack is in Arkansas. But it did work very well for us with plenty of room. Depending on your truck and trailer, you may have to use a drop down hitch or extension to allow for the bikes to sit back far enough to drop tailgate but it is super easy and has all the advantages over both the front of truck and on the hitch locations.

Also as mentioned they make a very similar bike rack to the one everyone recommends that has a hinge to allow it to be angled down towards the ground which would be ideal for the application and hitching/unhitching. If your buying a new bike rack that is an option I would consider.

What exactly was your clearance issue?
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Old 08-27-2019, 05:33 PM   #8
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Now that I think of it our older truck was a short bed. Hmmmmmm.....


Can someone answer the question: Is there less room between the truck bumper on a long bed and the trailer vs a short bed truck?
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Old 08-27-2019, 07:20 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtlakejim View Post
........

However, I still vouch for the more logical location in the receiver on your tow vehicles rear bumper. Its out of the weather and bugs, the bikes are ready to go to town with you without reloading and most importantly the bikes are very low to the ground and easy to load/unload (no matter if your hooked up or not). And yes you still have plenty of room between the bikes and the trailer. If your concerned about issues with the bikes being in the way when you hitch or unhitch fear not as they make a tilting bike rack that cures that problem (it wasn't an issue with our bike rack with our old tow truck and trailer). Of course the HC 381TH cured the issue with the basement garage.....
As I mentioned in a previous thread on the same subject, I do not have room between the back of my truck and the front of the trailer for a bike rack. You may. I do not. With my tailgate down I have maybe 6” clearance. I have to be fairly straight on when hooking up so the corner of the tailgate does not hit the trailer. And it would hit if it were down and I made a turn. With a tilting rack the top of the bikes would probably be under the front of the trailer. And unless it had some kind of tilt stop, it would be sliding along the ground when backing. And yes, my hitch pin latch is centered over the axle.

As for bugs, no different than a front hitch that I don’t want. And I also do not want the bikes on the rear of the trailer.

And I don’t take my bikes to town, or sightseeing. We don’t ride them for that and I would not want to always have to haul them around trying to park or have to unload them before every trip to town.

My arrangement is more logical for me. Obviously yours is to you.
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