FYI,

I found a 91-94 Dodge or Plymouth mini-van receiver trailer hitch fits the sides of the front frame rails of my 65 1/2 almost perfect. I believe Draw-Tite made this one. It was marketed thru UHaul. I installed hitches many moons ago and recognize their product. I had mine already, but these should be dirt cheap in salvage yards. It's unobtrusive under the front bumper and doesn't stick out so much that your shins take a beating. I haven't hit mine at all.

Unfortunately, these are all for the small 1 or 1 1/4" draw bar, but it fit my needs perfectly. I use the truck to precisely park my pop up camper after trips. Most trips we take the Windstar to carry the family. I just pull the drawbar from the Windstar and plug it into the truck. Frontal parking is so much easier.

I cut off the tabs for mounting to the Dodge product and drilled four 1/2'" holes (7/16th is also large enough) into sides of the mounting arms. You can leave the tabs if you like, they don't interfere with anything, but it looks cleaner w/o them.

I used the two slotted holes near the front of the frame. Position the hitch,
use the slots to mark where you will drill the first 2 holes on the hitch. Once these are drilled reposition the hitch and insert the bolts to loosely position the hitch. Bring the back of the hitch up until the receiver is level and clamp the rear to the frame and drill thru the hitch and frame with a 1/8 in. drill bit on each side of the truck. Pull the hitch back off and drill the rear holes in the hitch off the truck. Again position the hitch on the truck and use the large holes in the rear of the hitch and the 1/8" holes in the frame to guide your drilling of the large holes thru the frame. I used two large flat washers between the hitch and frame to take up some space at the rear. You will also need to use a washer on either side of the slot in the frame at the front.
Use at least grade 3 bolts. Higher grade if your expect a tongue weight of over 350 lbs.

Wear eye protection and proper clothing when drilling under the truck. Those metal cuttings will be hot. It was no fun getting these slivers in/out of one of my eyes in the old days. It only took once to learn that lesson. You can drill the rear holes on the truck and skip a step, but I had my fill of hot slivers long ago and choose to avoid 50% of them by the above method.

If you want a 2" receiver in front. Simply cut the small receiver off and the weld a 2" in place of the small receiver.

 

Excellent idea. I used to park private planes in my teen years and we used an old truck chassis with no cab and a homemade drawbar setup welded to the front frame rails. I never even thought about an old reciever hitch.

 

Funny, you mention parking planes. I learned the technique parking and moving boats using a WWII aircraft tug. Had a flat head 4 banger and 3 on the floor. It was practically a tank with 1" plate at the front and the rear panels, dually wheels in the rear. Even the fenders where 1/4 plate.