Building a back porch

[craigf250]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the StrapRings. Regardless of where the bike is mounted, I have found these
to be very handy. I like them because they lower the mounting attachment point and don't interfere with
the control cables.

Don't remember where I got them, but these guys have them.

http://pitposse.com/straprings.html

Craig

 

[Barko1]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the StrapRings. Regardless of where the bike is mounted, I have found these
to be very handy. I like them because they lower the mounting attachment point and don't interfere with
the control cables.


Thanks, had mine out yesterday, faster than antelope

 

[krj]

At Craigf250 & Cort; nice work, very solid!
I've seen a couple 'back porch' setups carrying a lot of weight (one w/ a KLR650 far enough back to enable access to, & full operation of rear door) based on a single point hitch mount with little -if any- reinforcement. Always made me shake my head in wonder.
Are the receivers for the dual stingers fabricated as well, or are they a purchased product?
Making me rethink my recent purchase of a front mount receiver for my Tundra...

 

[Cort]

......Making me rethink my recent purchase of a front mount receiver for my Tundra...


I think you will find that front receiver is very handy...can be used for so many things.

Cort

 

[Barko1]

At Craigf250 & Cort; nice work, very solid!
I've seen a couple 'back porch' setups carrying a lot of weight (one w/ a KLR650 far enough back to enable access to, & full operation of rear door) based on a single point hitch mount with little -if any- reinforcement. Always made me shake my head in wonder.
Are the receivers for the dual stingers fabricated as well, or are they a purchased product?
Making me rethink my recent purchase of a front mount receiver for my Tundra...


You can by them, blue ox sells some. I'm getting mine fabricated, front is good too!

 

[craigf250]

Nice Antelope you got there! Is that a Suzuki you're riding?

I fabricated the receivers myself, both for the F150 & now the F250. I'm attaching a few pics of the very scientific process
of figuring them out. Alot of crawling around, scratching my head & staring. As usual, the hard part is the design & layout.
Fabrication goes fast.

And I agree, the front receiver should come in handy. I have plans to build one for extra storage, just gotta figure out how to not
block too much airflow. Maybe if I put a little 150 dirtbike up there.......

 

[Barko1]

Nice Antelope you got there! Is that a Suzuki you're riding?

I fabricated the receivers myself, both for the F150 & now the F250. I'm attaching a few pics of the very scientific process
of figuring them out. Alot of crawling around, scratching my head & staring. As usual, the hard part is the design & layout.
Fabrication goes fast.

And I agree, the front receiver should come in handy. I have plans to build one for extra storage, just gotta figure out how to not
block too much airflow. Maybe if I put a little 150 dirtbike up there.......




Yep, a DR650. Never carried a bike up front although I have seen it done. The DR might be a little big a Yam 250 might fit the bill. I'm still working these ideas in. I'll have the front receiver, the rear with a step option, the porch, a small trailer, bigger trailer, got to have all the bases covered. This weekend it was an enclosed trailer but if I can avoid dragging that I sure will.

 

[1tonpaulie]

I like both Cort and Craigs ideas for the back porch. I agree with Barko about moving the porch further back for better access to the camper door. I like the way Craig went through the bumper in two different locations. I think if you use just the hitch and extend it out it might be to springy. A friend has one that just uses the hitch. I going to try it this weekend with my 650. I let you know what happens.

 

[1tonpaulie]

I got to use a friends Versa Hauler this past weekend. Nice unit but for $525.00 plus freight to pricey for me. This back porch sounds great till you try one. With the BRP as Barko calls it, I would need two extra sets of hands to load and tie down. I think my trailer is worth its weight in gold.

 

[Barko1]

Trailers certainly have their benefits, cargo is more secure, there can be more of it , weather protected but of course more weight, more wind resistence, forgetting and pulling into a regular parking spot . Not knowing where I can turn around down the trail is a concern as well. I got into some snow on a back road and decided to bail out, had to position the trail at a 90 angle on the road, drop it, get the truck turned, rehook, and get the heck out of there. The hieght of the porch isn't totally figured yet but the welder gets fired up next week. I think on mine the deck will rest immediately on top of the receiver bars, probably high enough to make loading a 650 a bit of a pain in the arse but with having door access I won't have to load and unload all the time.

In July I have a New Mex to Montana to Labrador to New Mex trip on the agenda and prefer not dragging a trailer the whole way so I will strap the Segway on the front receiver, the porch and bike on the back and will probably be over 25" Actually on a moving along sort of trip I don't tend to use the bike much so it may stay home??

 

[TemeculaTim]

I turned an old off-road rack into a back porch by welding receiver stock to it. It has worked out real well. I will be building another one that will include a receiver hitch to allow me to atach a bike ramp for my XR.

 

[K7MDL]

I got to use a friends Versa Hauler this past weekend. Nice unit but for $525.00 plus freight to pricey for me. This back porch sounds great till you try one. With the BRP as Barko calls it, I would need two extra sets of hands to load and tie down. I think my trailer is worth its weight in gold.



Look for them used on Craigslist or equivalent. Save a bunch of $$$. They are listed very often as people decide it is not for them, or they used it for a one time purchase and delivery home, or got out of riding. I see them almost every week. I found a Versahauler VH55Ro used 1 time for $325 locally. I also have a open trailer with storage box for 2 bikes, but prefer the hauler for when I am solo. I can open the Grandby door just enough to step up on the hauler ramp and step into the camper, no need to remove the bike (short term).

 

[Snider]

+1 on the Craigslist.. I bought a really nice (used)Joe Hauler carrier that had never even been used. Heavy duty with the "Cam-Lock" stabilizer. I can put my BMW street bike or my YZ250 dirt bike on it and haul them with no worries.. I cut out some plywood and made a porch that secures on the carrier when the bike is unloaded.. It's really cool.
Check out the Joe Hauler carriers. they are the real deal...

 

[Barko1]

Well I finally got my hauler/back porch finished enough to put to work. I had my diesel mechanic/fabricator build it and he struggled with it. I think the biggest challenge is getting the two receiver hitches and tubes just right so it can slide in an out reasonably easily. Right now getting it out is a little stiff so I have loaded a bike on it and will drive around a bit to help it "break in". He used heavy square material/tubes. I have two receivers attached/welded to the back of the F250 (in addition to the middle one). We placed the bike holder far enough back so that I can open the door almost 90 degrees with the bike loaded, but not so far back to overload things. I can jump on the porch and nothing really moves or flexes. So far my dogs approve, nice platform for them. I had this built in large part for peace of mind, knowing that the bike is solid and I don't have to think about it. I also got the porch/platform for easy in and out for dogs and people, and finally more space to haul and store crap, I figure I can carry several large noisy generators. It even has a receiver tube on the back so if I want to haul my small trailer with the porch installed I can do that. The neat LED light set up fits right into that rear receiver, plugs into my trailer connector and gives me tail, brake, and turn lights on the back of the carrier where they can't be obstructed by the bike (a closeout at Sierra Trading Post). Still need to paint and use may dictate a few changes, already thinking maybe add some E-Track for tying stuff down.

Bike loaded, plenty of room for me to get in and out. Welded tie down loops on the corners.

Here it is empty, sorry about the light, you get get an idea of the size, mesh desk is strong without being too heavy, no water to collect, not slippery.

Here you can see the two receivers

From below

Rear lights, slides into the receiver, plugs into an extension from the trailer connector

Couldn't put the bike all the way to the end, too much weight out too far plus you need to have a place to tie it down and that can't be straight down.

Nicely welded

I have a front receiver hitch as well where I can carry my daughters Segway

So an extended cab, 8' bed, front rack, rear porch... the not so nimble F250 turns as well as

That last picture shows my little/high clearance trailer that I can tow behind the porch if I ever needed to. I now have multiple configurations I think I'll like this new addition, of course normal parking spots are probably out of the equation but I can haul a bike, a big bike, securely, and have good camper access, without the need for the trailer. I guess I could haul the bike and the boat behind that Making me it for a trip...

 

[1tonpaulie]

Nicely done Mr B. Looks well thought out. Maybe a few tweeks and time will tell. In my neck of the midwest you better paint that porch. The snow and salt are coming. Happy travels.

1tonpaulie

 

[Barko1]

I started with paint/primer yesterday but too windy . I learned a new technique, put a hole in the bottom of a spray can of your favorite paint (nail with a rag over it), then drain the paint into a real spray gun, and spray away I thought the can would blow but it just hisses the propellant out (no doubt causing global warming). I have a little cheap sprayer that came with some other air tools and it is so much better than the can.

 

[ntsqd]

I think that I would add some structural diagonals from the rear receiver forward and out to the two mount tubes to eliminate any tendency of the trailer to try to parallelogram the porch's frame. Other than that minor critique I like it.