Mental exercise, I want a gin pole.

[Dr Dean]

Yes it is a leased truck, that's why no holes and also why no gooseneck hitch. I've tossed out the idea of a crane trailer but that would by company policy put me into the realm of e logs.

I've been thinking that 2 section poles are the way I'm going to have to go. 16 ft poles so 8 ft sections would still fit in the box. the mounts would be at least 30 inches off the ground. The 2 section poles would allow me to be able to do most of the work with the 8 foot poles and then on the rare occasion I need the extra height I could add the extra poles.

It is going to have to be a skid setup that sits in the bed. The thought just occurred to me how about anchoring the front by running 2 cables between the cab and the box down to the frame.

[midmosandblasting]

Does it have a trailer hitch ie receiver ?

[Matt Shade]

What about taking out 2 or 4 of the bed mounting bolts, and running them through the floor plate on your skid ? I'm sure they are long enough, least they were on my last truck although it was a ford.
I think running cables over the front would just mean if something decided to move that the front of the bed would get bent. I have seen lots of trucks with the front of the bed bowed towards the cab, doesn't take much.

[Ironman]

It's a leaser...so....
Remove the rear bumper to save from damage and store it. Make a bumper out of channel and put ears on it. There is your gin pole anchors.
Now to anchor the winch.
If you have no hitch in the bed, you can set up an angle iron frame about 18" wide that spans the width of the truck and anchors under the box edge lip. Then to keep it in position at the front of the box, have 2 anchors that go over the top and into the box holes. now it can't come up and can't move back. This should be good for an atv type winch.

To remove it unbolt the box hole anchors and unbolt one side of the frame to get it out from under the box lip.

[Dr Dean]

I'm getting lots of good Ideas here. I like the idea of anchoring to the stake pockets. Anchoring to the bumper or receiver hitch means the tailgate is shut which would take away my workbench and access to my tool box.

The boss Is under the impression any crane/lifting device has to be attached to the frame. He's kinda a stubborn individual I had another go around with him over another deal here, even with OSHA, DOT, and company regulations in hand stating the opposite he wouldn't change his mind. Oh well whatever just go at it a different way.

So here's what I am thinking. A skid/frame that sits in the bed of the truck on the floor that holds everything I normally carry. Toolbox, air compressor, 25 gallon oil tank. Built into the skid would be a rail along the sides and the front with a method of engaging the stake pockets, some sort of a clamp arrangement, this would keep anything from sliding. I think I will have to keep the cable to the frame or maybe a flat bar to the frame to hold the front down. At the back of the bed I have a 3/8 gap between the tailgate and the bed I believe a 1/4X2 flat would make his requirement for frame attachment. Along the front I would like to build a box for large tool storage, kind of like a cross over box but goes all the way to the floor. Through the box put a receiver hitch tube at the top of bed height to mount winch and top gin pole anchor. I am thinking the best spot for the pole anchors would be at the top rail of the skid, I can't decide on anchor location. I think the best and easiest would be at the top rear corner. Once I have the poles up I think I would move the winch to a socket built into the rear of the skid since my toolbox is over half the width of the bed. I will try to draw what I am picturing this weekend.

Material sizing is the next hurdle, it needs to be strong but not overly heavy. Pole size I am thinking 1 1/2 DOM tube. The skid 1 1/4 square tube.

[Matt Shade]

I would position gussets on the bottom of the skid that line up with the factory bed bolts. Take a bolt out, run it through the gusset and you are anchored right to the frame, without a bunch of brackets up the side to stake pockets and what not.
I don't put much faith in stake pockets for strength. When I still had a pickup bed I put bull ring anchors in all my stake pockets and a guy that was helping me load up some shit on a jobsite bent both bed rails tightening the ratchet strap. He was an idiot, but he didn't have to work that hard to do it.

[Matt Shade]

My bad, it looks like dodge bolts their bed down from underneath. Ford has 8 big torx head cap bolts that run through the bed floor and cross members into the frame.

[Dr Dean]

All I am asking of the stake pockets is to keep the skid from sliding in the bed. Normal use it will be fine, head on with a semi most likely will be fail, but I'm sure in the case of that I won't care.

Sent from my E6810 using ShopFloorTalk mobile app

[milomilo]

Some Amish drawings would be good.

[greywynd]

Use 4 short ratchet straps at each corner to the bed tie downs. It works for, and is recognized by DOT for salt spreaders weighing a ton or two.


Sent from my iPhone using ShopFloorTalk mobile app