Howdy! Yup, homegrown. I took my time as it was one of my first ever welding projects. All corners are gussetted and heavy beads on the welding. Took some grinding time, but it was worth it. Without the plywood floor, the whole rack only weighs about 30#. John
Howdy! The spare is bolted down and covered with a canvas boot to keep the sun off of it. It is there for trail runs as well as street driving. I carry tents, tables, chairs, water jugs, whatever else for camping, which sometimes involves some easy 4x4. I have also carried a lot of logs up...
Howdy! a Cruiser is so heavy that the weight up on top is not much of a problem. My rig is over 7 ft at the rack, and just for giggles I carry my spare ( 80+#) up there. No prob. I have carried over 800 # on it. John