LMAO
Now I concur on the front hitch & wireless camera combo. I myself want the below bumper hitch but being a 2wd I have other issues to deal with as far as choices. Now I am very interested to see what you come up with as far as a wireless camera on the boat. I would think that since the signal having to go about 30+ft at least to the screen. So is that a problem and what is IP?

Keep up the good work and thanks to all for their input on this subject.

 

Internet Protocol. Essentially, it's video over Ethernet cable or WiFi, using the same video streaming as internet TV. There is a terrible lag in the video, but at parking lot speeds - it's manageable.

When I say IP camera, I should really say "WiFi" camera - because it would be wireless.

 

Thanks you for explaining . Sorry when it comes to tech stuff I am SO inept.
I am better with a hammer or a wrench in my hand. I guess I am more like a caveman. LOL

 

To wrap this up, I'm going to cut and paste from my boat towing thread:

As you can see here, the power steering pump cooler is not an issue - the hitch might actually divert more air to it.





Here it is in all it's glory.





And now the caveats.... First off, this thing is really high, so you need to make sure the trailer can reach that height. You can use a drop hitch (with a really big drop) to get the trailer level, but this is for maneuvering only, not for towing - so level shouldn't be important unless something scrapes on the ground. The drawback to the drop hitch is it applies a twisting force to the receiver if the drop hitch distance is dramatic. I'll explain that better. Take your right arm and push on your left fist. Big whoop, right? Now... hold the top of a broom handle in your left fist and push on the bottom of the broom with your right hand - keeping the broom vertical with your left fist.

Another caveat... the hardware in the hitch kit is bright, but the hardware mounting the bumper is painted. You can see the difference in the second picture above. You'll want to find a good paint solution for the hardware that takes on road debris at freeway speeds.

Speaking of hardware, the bumper is mounted with 4 bolts - but the hitch uses 8. There are 8 grooves in the truck mount, but not on the bumper. Be prepare to drill 5/8" holes, or 1/2" holes and auger them out a bit - with really precise measurements and good aim.

The license plate no longer fits. I'm going to buy a license plate mount that fits in a 2" receiver, but I zip-tied the plate over my Ford emblem until the part arrives.

I think the hitch receiver under the bumper is a better approach, but I'm not equipped to drop the front springs to install a unit like that.

 

Installing the Curt front hitch was easy, and I am no master mechanic, just been a shade tree all my life. On the springs you just support them and slide the hanger bolt out then back in. I am sure you could easily do it after seeing all the things you are capable of.

 

Blasphemy!!!!

 

Thanks for the photo of the PS Cooler. I'm still not a fan of that placement in terms of cooling performance, but your photo will help future folks see and decide for themselves, as there are few photos out there that show that detail.

The hitch height issue you mention is not a trivial concern, in terms of the amount of leverage that a drop hitch multiplies against the thinner frame horn flanges that the hitch attaches to. A drop hitch will want to pull forward against the top part of those frame horn flanges, and push the lower part of those flanges rearward. However, presuming the loads are not suddenly applied, the issue will not likely ever be observed in real world usage.

The use of a drop hitch could present another unexpected caveat... that being the amount of distance between the outer sphere of the ball and the semi vertical portion of the drop bar. Some of those steep drops do not afford enough clearance for the trailer coupler to swing all the way through!

I prefer all cast Bulldog couplers (two out of my four trailers have them). They are commonly used on bumper pull live stock trailers, like two horse trailers, presumably because they are a safer attachment to protect the lives of the animals. They are also used in construction trailers, until one steps up to the pintle eye system.

The beauty of the Bulldogs is that there are no fussy finicky wear prone little parts to lock the coupler onto the ball. The ball retention feature is external, and part of the coupler itself. However, the hinge for the retention on a Bulldog coupler is forward of the ball. This forward vertical hinge is what can collide with the vertical drop bar of steep drop ball stingers.

Some boat trailers have rather fancy surge brake systems associated with the ball couplers, so I mention the ball to drop bar clearance ahead of time, in case your boat trailer coupler has some meat forward of the ball.

Rich, on the plus side, one advantage that a high mounted front receiver hitch has is for the placement of a hitch mounted safari rack to haul stuff camping off road, while maintaining a fairly high approach angle. Hauling bicycles for example, where bicycle rack has a fixed arch designed relatively low for ease of access, but that may end up being too low for an approach angle off road. A higher mounted front receiver hitch placement could solve that problem, if it exists for some.

Removing the front spring bolt was only necessary for MY modified Warn front receiver hitch installation. As bigb56 just mentioned, the Curt front receiver hitch (which didn't exist as an option back when I mounted my front hitch) doesn't involve messing with the front springs... just so future searchers have that clarification.

 

Of what Y2 speaks of....
Bulldog - Trailer Couplers 2-5/16 15k

 

It's been so long since I installed mine I thought I did pull the spring bolts out but looking at the online manual I see now that I only had to remove the nuts.

 

I removed and replaced my spring bolts with longer ones, from the F-59 stripped chassis that uses wider front leaf springs, because I doubled the thickness of the side plates holding my hitch to the frame, to make the hitch more resistant to off axis yaw pulls, and to also serve as a foundation for a snow plow mount (the 1/2" side plates, not the hitch), as the side plates follow the same angular geometry that Ford recommends for plow mounting and attach to the frame in the same area Ford recommends as well.

A slightly longer front spring eyelet bolt afforded enough room along the axis of clamped parts to add more two more 1/4" plate thicknesses without compromising bolt tension or open threads remaining on the non clamped side of the nut. No hitch instructions called for that extra step.

 

Dig the bike rack idea. Saves room in the bed and no need for tying them down in the trailer, plus with a little ingenuity, one could use it for just about anything. Thinking, a removable lightbar/kc light setup. Working platform, front boat pusher...

 

I like the work platform thought - maybe an overhead creeper attachment like I've seen on FTE. I'd see the overhead creeper as a "D'oh" kit... you just know stuff's gunna get dropped into all the engine's hiding spots.

 

I am surprised you do not have a skidsteer for tight space maneuvering.

 

Do you mean the "Top Side Creeper"? Or do you mean the "Sky Creeper"?


I built the Sky Creeper for two reasons:


1. At the time (17 years ago), the Top Side Creeper didn't exist.


2. I already had an engine hoist to that I was tripping over to fit in the garage. Last thing I wanted was yet another large steel object to have to find a place for to store.


With your garage already quilted with motors and engine parts, I suspect that you already have an engine hoist. Just add a longer tube of steel, and voila, SkyCreeper.





When I posted that photo a year ago, some of the tougher guys on the forum questioned how difficult it would be for them to get on the thing.


So I've added a couple of new photos...




Notice the WHITE towel draped over the top of the engine that isn't being worked on (acts like a white valley), to catch any parts that do drop, with a contrasting background.







She's working on the turbo, btw.

 

I remembered this thread a couple of weeks ago when I saw what looked like a homemade front hitch arrangement on a F450/F550 at a job site. I thought you guys may be interested in seeing it, so I've posted the pic below. It may be commercially availalble, but it had the appearance of being a custom shop-fabbed device from where I was standing. I know that the company who owns the truck used it to maneuver a long flat bed trailer which was loaded with pipe (trailer was at least 30' long).