Truck crane for log loading.

Re: Touchdown!

Al Crandall

>This second picture was taken just as the log section touched down in the bed of the truck. No stress is placed on the tailgate.

Re: Details.

Al Crandall

>This picture shows a little more detail of the assembly. A �� thick plate is welded to the horizontal �tee� so that the crane�s mounting base can be through bolted to it. The �tee� is raised above the receiver so that it clears the bottom of the open tailgate by just slightly less than 1�. The arm is diagonally braced with 2 pieces of 1 � angle iron and a piece of 3/8 X 1 � hot roll steel. The trailer jacks are just bolted to the ends of the tee with the hardware which came with them.

Re: Let's roll!

Al Crandall

>This last picture shows the load strapped in place with the yellow �loading� strap, the crane secured so that it won�t swing around while on the road, and the two trailer jacks have been cranked to raise them to their limits and pivoted to the horizontal position for road travel. The next stop is my shop, where I will reverse the procedure to unload.

The crane can be taken off the truck by one person in a minute or two. Just lift the �arm/hydraulic bottle/outer support sleeve assembly� from the inner support tube of the crane. Then remove the clevis pin from the receiver, and the whole welded tee assembly with the orange inner support tube and the jacks can be slid from the receiver. It is not too heavy for one person, but its shape makes it an awkward task.

Re: Let's roll!

Terry Quiram

>Hi Al

Nice post and a slick way to solve a back breaker problem. Do you require a bumper jack to take the weight off the crane to remove it from the hitch opening?

Terry

Great Project

Clem Wixted Jonesboro AR

>Al,

Even though it would be a more complicated assembly, would it be useful to have the lift offset to one side of the receiver to give more room to swing the log when loading?

When there is weight on the truck bed does the bed lower itself toward the receiver or is it a fixed distance regardless of weight?

Great design, thanks for sharing.

Clem

Re: No bumper jack required.

Al Crandall

>"Do you require a bumper jack to take the weight off the crane to remove it from the hitch opening?"

Hi Terry. I don't think I have laid eyes on you since the E.o.P. Party at Ray's house.

No bumper jack required. The unit can be taken off in two steps: first remove the crane arm assembly which weighs 43 lbs, and then the rest of the welded mess. My digital scales weighed me and the crane arm together, but not me and the rest of it. It kept giving an error message, but my guess is between 70 and 80 lbs. for all of the support structure. Thinking that these weights might exceed some people's lifting limits, I found that I could lower the two jacks and let the wheels carry the weight as I slid the asembly from the receiver. Then I could push it like a one-handled, two-wheeled, wheel barrow. The balancing act was a litle tricky, but it can be done. If one can lift 43 lbs., then for safety's sake, I strongly suggest that the crane be lifted off and then the wheel barrow act be done to empty the receiver. Still a lot less effort than any other method I can think of to move 250 to 300 lbs into a pick up truck.

Re: Great Project

Al Crandall

>"Even though it would be a more complicated assembly, would it be useful to have the lift offset to one side of the receiver to give more room to swing the log when loading?"

Hi Clem. For my own personal use, your offset would be an unnecessary complication. There is almost 37" between the hydraulic bottle jack on the crane and my taillight lens when the crane arm is fully extended. With only a 24" swing lathe, I can't see myself going after any logs of a diameter which won't pass through this gap, and the weight might exced the limits of the crane. If, however, you have plans to lift large items which weigh less than solid wood, then an offset design might be a very useful thing for you.

____________

"When there is weight on the truck bed does the bed lower itself toward the receiver or is it a fixed distance regardless of weight?"

Class 3 receivers are supported by the truck's frame, so the relationship between the receiver and the bed is a constant. Occasionally, as the bed lowers from the added weight, you should re-adjust the cranks on the support jacks. They are rated for 800 lbs. each, but just as the load swings free from the ground, the moment arm of the crane will increase the pressure on the jacks beyond the weight of that particular lift. It would be a good thing if the jacks weren't also supporting a big chunk of the weight already in the truck's bed at the instant the load is lifted free.

what I use

Tom Sontag - St. Louis

>My answer costs more but can haul about 10 or so tons at a time.

;-)

Re: I shoulda borrowed yours.

Al Crandall

>I spent last Friday through Tuesday in Wentzville. I could have dropped by and driven yours home for a spell, right?

Couldn't you

Dustmaker Mike

>put a third wheel on it like a tricycle? After you take it off the receiver put a third wheel on it and use it to get the logs moved around the yard or shop or where ever. I like the idea I have been moveing some Large Rocks from a quarry all I can lift. The LOML wants a few bigger ones but I can not bring in any equipment to move them so maybe your idea will work I just have to beef it up.

Re: Center of mass v. triangle problem.

Al Crandall

>If you convert it to a tricycle, the center of the mass of the lift and load would have to be maintained within the triangle described by the three wheels or else the whole shebang will tip over. At the moment when the load clears the ground the length of the boom arm would put the center of gravity outside the triangle. Not saying that it couldn't be modified in some way to accomplish what your are suggesting , but there are other, easier ways. For about $80 or so, you can buy a four wheeled flat bed wagon with 10" pneumatic tires and a 2' x 4' deck which will carry as much as this crane will lift in one load. If I were you I'd build the crane for my truck and buy the wagon for my yard. The combination of the two should make you Superman in your wife's eyes.

I have one of these wagons which I take with me into the woods when I harvest turning blanks.

Re: Truck crane for log loading.

Ray Thompson

>Hey Al, there is a new tree trimming outfit on 236 between me and Anderson that is filling up the site with short logs. They just moved in a splitter so my guess is they are going to produce firewood. I have stopped several times but haven't found anyone there yet to inquire about blank material. I can't seem to get there at the right time. Ray

Re: Truck crane for log loading.

Phil Murray

>Thanks Al for the great solution. (That was my query of several weeks ago.) Think that offsetting the crane by a couple of feet might make the handling even easier. Just knew someone here would have an ingenious, inexpensive answer.