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Making my own tiedowns How to

MN_Ben
Explorer
Explorer
This is the second set of tie down I made so I thought I would snap some pictures and tell how I did it. You will need some fabrication tools. Metal chop saw, grinder, and welder were the tools I used.


I started with what I had laying around.
Square tubing
Angle Iron
Flat metal
black pipe large enough for 3/8โ€ #8 bolts to slide thru
Chain

The finished installed tiedowns do not extend past my tires.

I only have the finished pic of the rear tiedowns. They slid into the ends of my existing reciever on the truck. I drilled a hole through the reciever and the tiedowns and put a long 1/4x20 #8 bolt thru so the tiedowns do not slid out. You could use some type of pin if you would like to make it easy to remove. I leave mind on all the time. They do not rattle and act as a nice step to get up in the bed of the truck.

As you can see, I cut one end at an angle where the end tiedown plate is. This makes them parallel with the side on the truck.








Now you will have to take some measurements of how high you frame is, how far out you need to reach from your frame to be able to attach your turn buckle system.
I made the angle iron taller than the side of my frame so that I could attach the fastener that wrap around the frame.









I then attached the length of pipe that extends out from under the truck. You measurement will vary.





A brace is needed, I used a small piece of angle iron.




And put on the end plate that you will attach your turn buckle system to.





Now I did not want to drill through my frame. Plus the fuel tank was in the way on the drivers side. So I made these hooks to wrap around the frame and fasten the tiedowns with a #8 bolt.







This is how I made themโ€ฆ
I cut a chain link and half and welded the two pieces to a piece of black pipe. I made sure the โ€œhookโ€ opening was large enough to allow the frame to slid in.











This pic shows a scrap piece of metal that is the same thickness of my frame. I used it to make sure I had enough gap in the hook.
I welded the chain link onto the black pipe and then cut the pipe to the proper length.





Here is a picture of the hooks wrapped around the inside of my frame with a #8 bolt going thru them and attached to the tie down. There is a hook on each corner of the tiedown attaching it to the truck frame.





Picture of the tiedown mounted to the frame. On the driver side, I did disconnect the emergency brake cable and re-route it thru the tiedown.








This is a picture of the back side of the frame with the hooks coming around it.





Picture of the tiedown coming out from under the truck. Everything was primed and painted.









Every year I hit them with a rattle can of black spay paint to keep them looking fresh. I guess you could take them somewhere to have them powder coated if you want to spend the bucks.

For the comments below, I used to have these pics on photobucket, until greed took them over. They are now hosted on imgur. If the pics are still missing, let me know and I may be able to get you a link to a google doc.

I hope you enjoyed this write up. I also have write ups on how to add a bypass filter for a F250 super duty to keep the oil cleaner longer LINK HERE.
2006 F350 Dually PSD
2008 Keystone Laredo 29RL 5th Wheel

2002 F250 7.3 PSD -SOLD
2004 Lance 1130 -SOLD
2005 Lance 981 -SOLD
2000 Lance 1010-SOLD
199? Texan 650 -SOLD
Ford FX4 Ranger -SOLD
30 REPLIES 30

MN_Ben
Explorer
Explorer
ykphil, go for it! The first one is usually a prototype anyway. If you need to fasten one tube on top of the other, you could use some type of gusset and grade 8 bolts.
2006 F350 Dually PSD
2008 Keystone Laredo 29RL 5th Wheel

2002 F250 7.3 PSD -SOLD
2004 Lance 1130 -SOLD
2005 Lance 981 -SOLD
2000 Lance 1010-SOLD
199? Texan 650 -SOLD
Ford FX4 Ranger -SOLD

jaycocreek
Explorer II
Explorer II
I posted a picture of a truck that lost the TC which had frame mounted tie downs..Drove right out from under it with acceleration,I assume..



Any tie down system is subject to failure depending on the nut behind the wheel..

I to have used the now primitive tie down systems of the past which never failed me in any way with tough use in the mountains of Idaho..They just worked but are considered primitive by internet standards today..

The happi jack system works just fine if used correctly as does the frame mounted but as you can see,the frame mounted system can fail...

To the op...Nice job!!!
Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04

ykphil
Explorer
Explorer
Great job, I want to do that but only for my rear tie-downs. I have a lot of scrap steel tubing laying around and access to a heavy-duty press (but no welding equipment), so I am wondering if I could just cut a single length of square tube (one for each side of the hitch receiver) inserted and secured in the hitch receiver with a bolt like you did, long enough to protrude to where I want to connect the turnbuckle, and bent slightly at an angle toward the front of the truck. Then instead of welding a plate at the outer end, could I simply drill one hole and attach a heavy-duty quick-link to connect the turnbuckle? Would this work?

burningman
Explorer II
Explorer II
Bedlam wrote:
The campers were lighter while the beds and bumpers were heavier in the past.

The big ones werenโ€™t! But the trucks did have more steel in the body.
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.

mountainkowboy
Explorer
Explorer
Bedlam wrote:
The campers were lighter while the beds and bumpers were heavier in the past.


I don't know about light...the S&S is 4,500lbs ready to camp....LOL. But yes my trucks "steel" is thicker overall. I've heard that there was a stiffener kit available for later model truck bumpers that tend to flex more than the older ones. I will be doing similar rear tiedowns for the superhitch for Red soon.
Chuck & Ruth with 4-legged Molly
2007 Tiffin Allegro 30DA
2011 Ford Ranger
1987 HD FLHTP

GeoBoy
Explorer
Explorer
Bedlam wrote:
The campers were lighter while the beds and bumpers were heavier in the past.

X2

Bedlam
Moderator
Moderator
The campers were lighter while the beds and bumpers were heavier in the past.

Host Mammoth 11.5 on Ram 5500 HD

mountainkowboy
Explorer
Explorer
finsruskw wrote:
What's to understand, the end of the bumper is not the frame.


Hence the "educate yourself" it is not a "weighted" tiedown point in that system, it is just a stabilizer, and my truck doesn't have paper thickness faux-bumpers on it either.


finsruskw wrote:

I know why Jack is so happy now!!


This is the same system I've had for almost 20 years...paid for it once and it can be used on any truck made.
Chuck & Ruth with 4-legged Molly
2007 Tiffin Allegro 30DA
2011 Ford Ranger
1987 HD FLHTP

burningman
Explorer II
Explorer II
MountainKowboy said - โ€œHahahaha armchair engineer who doesn't understand the design of the Happijac system. Been using it for over 20 years on 4 different TC's and 3 different trucks in all kinds of weather on and off road. The biggest problem with the system is people not using it correctly....educate yourselfโ€

Heโ€™s right, I can back that up with the exact same experience. They do work fine.
Remember a lot of us were hauling campers before most of the modern gear was around. We used the clamp-on tiedowns, the Happijacs, and others.
Our campers stayed on and our trucks didnโ€™t break.
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.

finsruskw
Explorer
Explorer
What's to understand, the end of the bumper is not the frame.
You want to drill a brand new $50,000 + truck full of holes, knock yourself out.

I took the happy jack stuff off a '15 Ford the PO had the camper I bought mounted on mounted on and tossed it in the scrap pile.

I know why Jack is so happy now!!

SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Explorer III
This is the ONLY forum where I cannot directly upload pictures from my hard drive...so I don't.
2015 Backpack SS1500
1997 Ford 7.3 OBS 4x4 CC LB

mountainkowboy
Explorer
Explorer
finsruskw wrote:
Nice job!!Certainly better than a bolt in the end of the bumper and puny bolts through the tin front of the truck bed like you know who does it!!!


Hahahaha armchair engineer who doesn't understand the design of the Happijac system. Been using it for over 20 years on 4 different TC's and 3 different trucks in all kinds of weather on and off road. The biggest problem with the system is people not using it correctly....educate yourself.
Chuck & Ruth with 4-legged Molly
2007 Tiffin Allegro 30DA
2011 Ford Ranger
1987 HD FLHTP

finsruskw
Explorer
Explorer
Nice job!!Certainly better than a bolt in the end of the bumper and puny bolts through the tin front of the truck bed like you know who does it!!!

ajriding
Explorer II
Explorer II
MN Ben, nice work. I can see photos now.

That looks like the way I would make it. Lots of little pieces, and the frame mounts are: one with angle iron, one with a plate, whatever is lying around is how you made it? Nothing like a good pile of scrap steel to inspire design.

I sourced the half links (different project) from the Home Depot bucket under the chain display, I asked if I could have them free as I did not have a big bolt cutter at home.

I was thinking to somehow grab the back of the c-channel frame too, but you beat me to it.

In the end,as time constraints, I will give Torklift mounts a try. Very,very unlike me to not make something, but theirs are pretty nice too.