Custom hitches

If you fine one let me know. That's the set up I'm wanting to do.
 
Why not just buy that one if it is what you are looking for? Or is that just not heavy duty enough for you? Just wondering that is all.
 
It's only rated for 5k trailer and 500 lbs tongue weight.. It'd tow a small ski boat, but that's about it.
 
As long as it doesn't fail, I don't forsee a problem with building one. I'm not sure of the legal issues, but I've never seen one being checked before at a roadside stop.

I have a custom built drop hitch, and I've never had an issue with it. Granted it isn't the structual receiver.
 
maybe just get a tag off another hitch after you build one and put it on there? if they look? ive never seen or been pulled over so they could look at my hitch
 
It all comes into play if there is a wreck on the DOT stuff.

You will need someone who is DOT certified to build it IIRC, we looked at adding a hitch to a 650 at work one time and since it had a liftgate it would be a full up custom fab job. We could not build it ourselves due to lack of DOT cert, take an airplane apart into a bunch of pieces and put it back together, but no can do to build a receiver hitch.
 
Ive many homemade hitches, beds, bumpers, etc. if you can weld its easy. as long it dont break
 
Only thing I can think of is if it broke whatever damage was done would be liable by the builder/owner of the truck. I just built a rear pipe bumper for an '08 DMax with the reciever built into the piping. All the welds were full penetration 6011 route passes and then 7018 after that so I don't think it will be going anywhere...
 
Often the challenge isn't actually building the hitch (lots of folks are excellent fabricators and could build a bullet proof hitch), but with the legality of the fabricated part.

If there's any type of accident and you have something hooked to that hitch, there's a chance that you could be investigated, fined, and sued because the hitch wasn't officially tested / rated.

Granted, the odds of that happening are fairly slim, but it has happened.
 
I wonder what someone would have to do to get a reciever, hitch or bumper rated?

I mean most Ranchhand type bumpers I see are rated at 10,000 towing 1,000 tongue, but I have seen identical looking designs claim a rating of up to 18,000 towing and 6,500 tongue?

Same thing with hitches, I see a plain adjustable hitch rated for 10,000 towing that is out of the same material as one rated for 5,000?
 
I didnt realize their were any legal issues with building your own hitch. Learn something everyday i guess.
 
I don't know about legality, and the safety of my hitch has come up in another thread already. But I think the main thing here is, if you build and install your own hitch, you are 100% liable. Whereas, if you have a hitch built or installed, you could transfer some of that liability to others.

I can say, right after we put the gooseneck hitch in my truck I got pulled over cuz my wonderfully crappy dodge headlight decided to explode. And the guy noticed that I didn't have the lil hooky things for the safety chains. (I know, I know, trailer = passenger) He got his flashlight and looked all at the hitch where it's welded to the frame on both sides and didn't say anything about that. Just gave me a ticket for the safety chains.
I would say, check your state laws about it.
 
My gooseneck hitch is home made, I got pulled over on the side of the road for 2 1/2 hour full blown FMCSA inspection and not one word was said about the hitch.

If you build one this is one area were you would want to overbuild :)

BBD
 
BigBadDodge said:
My gooseneck hitch is home made, I got pulled over on the side of the road for 2 1/2 hour full blown FMCSA inspection and not one word was said about the hitch.

If you build one this is one area were you would want to overbuild :)

BBD
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I completely agree. Do you have pictures of your hitch Scott?

I over build everything if it has any relation to safety. I just built a rear pipe bumper for my gf's Duramax, I used (4) grade '8' 1/2" bolts and (1) grade '8' 7/16" bolt on each side of the frame.

A few of my friends have done their own goosenecks, some I like some I don't.

Anna, go buy some 6"x6" angle iron that is ATLEAST .250" thick and weld them to your C-channel like an upside down L so it runs flush with the outside of the frame, then put 3-4 grade 8 bolts in each side. And if you want some cheap safety chain hooks get some big U-bolts and use those.
 
I always thought it was odd that a gooseneck has safety chains and a fifthwheel doesn't and you put a gooseneck conversion on a fifthwheel and still no chains.WTF!!
 
i made an adapter that fits my pulling hitch so that i can pull a trailer without changing hitches. used 3/4" steel. i always like to overbuild, i dont think ill have a problem with it.

Garrett
 
My main worry is the legal issues.. My welder/fabricator built the semis that did wheelies in the James Bond movies.. Just to name one of the many cool things he's built over the years. He's very good, I have no worries about that. It's the sue happy lawyer just in case the off chance anything at all happens that worries me..

But the chances of that happening, like someone said, are slim.. So I guess I'll see what Walt wants to build for me..
 
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