Add a Crane: A Handy Helping Hand for Your 1/4 ton Military Trailer (1 Viewer)

[greentruck]

Now for some finishing touches. I mentioned before doing something to keep the comealong from slopping off the top of the boom when there's slack in the cable. I came up with a cheap, easy solution. Here's the top of the boom with the items I'm describing here.

Note the bungee balls are being used to take up noisy clanking slack in the system.

We'll first deal with the U-bolt farthest to the right first. It's purpose is to keep the cable from dragging on the edge of the lower boom, etc.

 

[greentruck]

Next up you see a U-bolt with an attached spring. It's obviously compressed. It's what I'm calling a slack adjuster. The reason it's needed is that as the boom rises the distance between the eyebolt on top of the pivot and the end of the comealong shortens.

Here the installed spring is next to the way you usually see it come as part of the package of stuff you get as a door restraint with many storm door closer cylinders.

The spring provides just enough travel to work with this crane. The crane's load doesn't go on this spring, as it's carried by the cable. The spring simply keeps the system in place on top of the boom.

Another view...

Somewhere along the way in this project, a new sticker appeared on the rear of the trailer.

While there aren't any Land Cruiser parts on the trailer except the old alloys of our 80 series, it's what powers the trailer into the wild.

Contacting Beno/Onur at Land Cruiser Parts and Consulting:

Hoping for a new set of steelies so all the wheels match on the rig...when the budget gets in place.


Once I get things painted, I'll post up a finished pic or two.

 

[Enigma]

Not to rain on your parade, but why not just a "standard" receiver mounted type crane?

https://www.amazon.ca/Maxxtow-Towing-Products-70238-Receiver/dp/B008CE0WCW

or

Portable Pickup Truck Crane | Princess Auto

 

[greentruck]

Interesting options, but they all start at least a $100 higher than the HF crane, come along, plus mounting hardware was for me, plus needing to install a receiver on the rear of the trailer (also adding to its overhang/limiting the trailer departure angle). And that'd likely weigh more and put that weight at the wrong end of the trailer when it's empty.

The outriggers are nice, built in with those items I see. I've still not done enough testing to see whether those matter or not so long as I keep the max load at 200 lbs, but they would be easy enough to add on my tongue.

EDIT: couple of more thoughts. The receiver mount cranes tend to require you to think ahead and install when needed. Having the permanent mount means you're ready when you need one. If need be, you can pull everything above the tub lip except the mount/swivel tube if you need it out of the way as much as possible for some other cargo.

The tub lip install keeps thing pretty much outta the way. I'd be worried about toting a receiver mount crane on the trail, hanging around back there.

And while it can interfere with hauling 4x8 sheet goods (my old rack I used won't work with the new crane in the way) it is otherwise ideally positioned. And it doubles when stowed extended as a ridge pole for your tarp -- or maybe even doubles as an extra bedroom for two friendly short folks.

 

[greentruck]

Today I was prepping for a house painting project and that involved loading the powerwasher into the M101 CDN with the crane for the first time. First, take out the pin that locks the boom in travel position and use it to help stash the bungee cord-ties I use to hold the comealong handle in place. I also set the handbrake to provide a good example of safe operation.

With the boom fully extended, when let down it will drop the load behind the axle.

Depending on the weight of what you have, this could potentially cause the front of the trailer to rise. Leaving the trailer's lunette locked into the pintle works OK if you don't have a set of rear jackstands. But the real cure is to shorten the boom to a more appropriate length for the load, which I do here.

Note that the length of cable supplied with the comealong is just about ideal length here, as it just reaches the floor with the load leveler attached.

 

[greentruck]

Here you see the crane boom pushed into the next to the last notch (300 lbs) and the cable cranked up to raise it as close to the boom end as possible with the come along.

With the boom ram and handle positioned so that the crane is between me and the load, I've lifted the powerwasher high enough to clear the bed lip. I'm not in the pic, but I did this from inside the bed, where the weight helps steady the trailer. Obviously, the trailer be itself is heavy enough to get out and let it hang while I took the pic. Generally you'd want to stay in the trailed until you have the load swung into it to prevent getting out causing the trailer to tip with heavier loads. So I'm still thinking about installing outriggers up front on the tongue.

Now the load is swiveled into the trailer.

The boom ram is bled off and lowers the load, i.e. do not use the come along to lower it.

The load lands behind the axle, so one must take care not to let it be too heavy or the trailer could tip backwards. To obviate concerns about this, I may also install rear trailer jacks to supplement the ones up front on the drawbar. Shortening the boom could also solve the problem, but this reduces its reach.

The load is tied down as well as the boom

 

[se2000]

Adding some swivel up tongue jacks mounts on the 4 corners and with 2 jacks you will add a lot of stability. Look at the roadside traffic bulletin board signs. They have mounts on all 4 corners to level and stabilize the sign. You could even get extension pipes that would make them better outriggers. I have a utility trailer that was a sign and now just the frame with a PT deck and stake sides. I use the jacks way more than I thought I would. They even work great for changing tires