Front mount bike rack using tow hooks?
I’m in my shop trying to work out the simplest way to carry our bikes on the road with our 5th wheel. Our rig doesn’t have a rear receiver, so installing one or beefing up the rear “bumper” are th...
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I wanted a cooler rack for the front of an Isuzu Trooper I used to own. I took some measurements at the two points where the bumper mounted to the frame and had a shop cut 2 L brackets out of some 1/4 inch steel plate and drill the holes needed to use the existing bumper bolt locations using a sketch that I provided.
I purchased some 1-1/4 square tubing, 2 1-1/4 receiver sockets, 1/2 inch hitch pins and longer bolts to replace the original bumper mounting bolts. I already had some 2 x 2 angle and expanded sheet metal. I helped and a friend welded up everything for me. Later when I bought a small TT I had a spotting hitch made that I could pin into the 2 sockets to make moving the trailer around easier.
The only problem that I occasionally had was if I didn't pull or push the cooler rack or hitch evenly it would bind. I didn't want to use grease so I used a rubber mallet I kept behind the front seat to tap on it to get them sliding again.
What I did sounds like what you're thinking about with the hooks.
I purchased some 1-1/4 square tubing, 2 1-1/4 receiver sockets, 1/2 inch hitch pins and longer bolts to replace the original bumper mounting bolts. I already had some 2 x 2 angle and expanded sheet metal. I helped and a friend welded up everything for me. Later when I bought a small TT I had a spotting hitch made that I could pin into the 2 sockets to make moving the trailer around easier.
The only problem that I occasionally had was if I didn't pull or push the cooler rack or hitch evenly it would bind. I didn't want to use grease so I used a rubber mallet I kept behind the front seat to tap on it to get them sliding again.
What I did sounds like what you're thinking about with the hooks.
