Bolt on Transport reciever hitch

[hansgoudzwaard]

Do you sell the plans by download? Sorry, I don't get out much.

The bolt on looks very impressive. Do the square headed bolts have a point on them?

They must have a technical name.

Thanks in advance.

[Frank S]

Do you sell the plans by download? Sorry, I don't get out much.

The bolt on looks very impressive. Do the square headed bolts have a point on them?

They must have a technical name.

Thanks in advance.

I hadn't given much thought to making plans for this item. A couple of reasons behind this is #1 since I would not be the one fabricating it I would not be able to guarantee it would be constructed to meet DOT transport safety requirements. Nor do I manufacture them for sale due to the exorbitant product liability ins costs. or the cost involved to have it certified for sale to the public as a towing device.
All I can say is that the guy who borrowed it from me nearly 5 years ago still has it and uses it a lot he has probably used it behind 100s of truck to tow his go home vehicle for well over a couple 100,000 miles.
No the square head bolts do not have points to them they were flat ended and some of them were cupped> the biggest downside to the bolts being used to clamp to a vehicle's frame is it will damage the paint or coating on a new vehicle, but if tightened properly it won't ever slip.
I wold make up a set of plans if I can come up with an iron clad build / use disclaimer to protect myself.

[Toolmaker51]

I hadn't given much thought to making plans for this item. A couple of reasons behind this is #1 since I would not be the one fabricating it I would not be able to guarantee it would be constructed to meet DOT transport safety requirements....... Liabilities....... yaddy ya.... but if tightened properly it won't ever slip.
I would make up a set of plans if I can come up with an iron clad build / use disclaimer to protect myself.

"I only conceived and sketched this concept."
"You adjusted materials, sizes, construction & installation for a situation not under my TOTAL control, therefore I cannot be connected beyond providing said conceptual sketch." (signed) (dated)

Basically waterproof, except the Litany of Litigious Lawyers (who can't get a real job) hunt with an auger mounted in a cordless drill. It's been said the reason we have so many lawyers, is because we have so many lawyers.
I recently completed a 3-1/2 spin across the Midwest, Northeast, and Near South, ~3300 miles. Two glaring things were evident.
1) Material of ANY type supporting current POTUS, virtually zero.
2) Endless billboards for liability, injury, and criminal offense 'law offices', outnumber any other sort of advertising.

Shakespeare said it best.

[Captn Roy]

Do you sell the plans by download? Sorry, I don't get out much.

The bolt on looks very impressive. Do the square headed bolts have a point on them?

They must have a technical name.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Hans, The bolts you are referring to do indeed have a name. They are referred to as a "Cup point case hardened steel square head set screw". Found in the Acklands Grainger listings for this type of screw. I'm quite sure that there are many other suppliers that could help finding and supplying them.

I agree with Frank on his concerns about making plans and the level of talent a person might have or not have when using them. Many folks have "there way of doing things and there lies the concern. If something is misunderstood and a problem arises, who is responsible. On the other side of the coin what kind of experience does the person drawing the plans have also?

Personally I would not change one single thing in the design or materials in this project. The build is the way it should be and I would trust it crossing North America, Rockies an all. It is a heavy duty build that will give a sure and confident result. Naturally the installation and removal will have the weight of the components to deal with but that could be easily handled alone with a simple jack system that would bear the weight such as a transmission jack would do for a transmission. If so required. That would depend on the person having to do the installation.

If you look closely at all the well taken pictures of Franks build you should be able to determine all the materials required and pretty much figure out the dimensions with a tape measure, and a truck frame would be handy also. That would also depend on your level of experience also. If you have doubts though and you think some help would be required. You could bring the photos and description to a welder fitter and they could give you a running start on the project. To someone with some knowledge in the trade a picture does tell a thousand words, Sometimes being enough to not really require a plan or drawings. Most truck frames will be similar and the materials and hardness-strength will be common knowledge to a tradesperson. Again, they should respect the build though. Frank has already pointed out that the merits have been proven over thousands of miles without a single problem.

Enjoy your build Hans, Frank was very kind to have shared this and I have no doubt as to the amount of experience he has also shared time & time again with this community. rr