Double Hitch Turns Flatbed Into Tilt Trailer

2022 - Volume #46, Issue #6, Page #24

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Boyd Brue turned his flatbed trailer into a tilt trailer with a second ball hitch. He can hook it up to a receiver hitch with a 2-in. ball, tilt it, load it, lock it and go.
“I had the flatbed and figured out an easy way to make it into a tilt bed,” says Brue.
Brue attached a 4 by 4-in. square, 1/4-in. box beam to the frame so it pivots vertically underneath the original hitch. The box beam extends slightly beyond the original hitch to the front. At the front end of the box beam, he attached a ball hitch coupler. On the top side of the box beam, he attached a hitch ball to match the original ball hitch coupler.
When he is ready to load or unload the trailer, he unlatches the upper ball hitch coupler. A tall screw jack attached to the side of the original hitch is lowered onto the ground, and Brue uses it to jack up the front and tilt the trailer into position.
“When fully loaded, I lower the jack until the upper ball hitch coupler and the trailer ball on the box beam meet,” says Brue.
Realizing the ball hitches have a little play, Brue made one other addition to the lower hitch. He installed a 3/4-in. threaded bolt through the beam and through the existing hole in the upper hitch.
“When the two hitches come together, the bolt extends through the upper hitch and I lock it down with a nut and washer,” says Brue. “This creates a firm, rigid connection between the two hitches.
Brue took advantage of the spare tire mount on the upper hitch to add an electric winch when needed. He mounted the winch to a 2 by 8-in. board long enough to extend across the tire and the front side of the trailer. He nailed a second 2 by 8-in. board at the end of the first, anchoring a 10-in. bolt between them.
He used wire rope clips to create loops at the ends of a short length of 1/4-in. steel cable. The loops attach to either end of the bolt, between pairs of large washers that hold the loops in place.
The middle of the cable anchors to a wood disk close to the front of the hitch. The disk is slightly beveled where it meets the hitch, creating a niche or groove to hold the cable.
“When I need to pull something onto the trailer, I can set the winch assembly in place, hook up the anchoring cable and go to work,” says Brue. “As the winch cable tightens, it tightens the anchoring cable to the hitch also. When I’m done, it’s easy to remove the anchoring cable and winch assembly.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Boyd Brue, Rochester, Minn. (ph 507-269-4087; boyd.brue@gmail.com).

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Double Hitch Turns Flatbed Into Tilt Trailer WAGONS/TRAILERS Conversions Boyd Brue turned his flatbed trailer into a tilt trailer with a second ball hitch He can hook it up to a receiver hitch with a 2-in ball tilt it load it lock it and go “I had the flatbed and figured out an easy way to make it into a tilt bed ” says Brue Brue attached a 4 by 4-in square 1/4-in box beam to the frame so it pivots vertically underneath the original hitch The box beam extends slightly beyond the original hitch to the front At the front end of the box beam he attached a ball hitch coupler On the top side of the box beam he attached a hitch ball to match the original ball hitch coupler When he is ready to load or unload the trailer he unlatches the upper ball hitch coupler A tall screw jack attached to the side of the original hitch is lowered onto the ground and Brue uses it to jack up the front and tilt the trailer into position “When fully loaded I lower the jack until the upper ball hitch coupler and the trailer ball on the box beam meet ” says Brue Realizing the ball hitches have a little play Brue made one other addition to the lower hitch He installed a 3/4-in threaded bolt through the beam and through the existing hole in the upper hitch “When the two hitches come together the bolt extends through the upper hitch and I lock it down with a nut and washer ” says Brue “This creates a firm rigid connection between the two hitches Brue took advantage of the spare tire mount on the upper hitch to add an electric winch when needed He mounted the winch to a 2 by 8-in board long enough to extend across the tire and the front side of the trailer He nailed a second 2 by 8-in board at the end of the first anchoring a 10-in bolt between them He used wire rope clips to create loops at the ends of a short length of 1/4-in steel cable The loops attach to either end of the bolt between pairs of large washers that hold the loops in place The middle of the cable anchors to a wood disk close to the front of the hitch The disk is slightly beveled where it meets the hitch creating a niche or groove to hold the cable “When I need to pull something onto the trailer I can set the winch assembly in place hook up the anchoring cable and go to work ” says Brue “As the winch cable tightens it tightens the anchoring cable to the hitch also When I’m done it’s easy to remove the anchoring cable and winch assembly ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Boyd Brue Rochester Minn ph 507-269-4087; boyd brue@gmail com

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