Rear Bumper W/ Spare tire /becomes a Table

[Ron Dickey]

WARNING: if you make this of metal or Wood make sure it is secure and safty cables or chains keep the tire from falling and hitting a car behind while on the road.
My tire is HF trailer tire and is not as big or heavy as regular car or truck tires used by many teardrop and TTT units.
THINK SAFTY FIRST

This is to show what I did I am not a professional just doing the best I can. My design will not be perfict I am learning as I go.
Corrections or better Ideas are always welcome.

It was pointed out that metel ones are stronger and there are many welders both prof. or neighbor out of home type who could weld one for you.

You might want to just make a table and keep the spare else where.

Many SUV's have these but they are made of iron and are secured to the body.

to continue:

I have been working on doing this for years. I even went to the point of looking at Classic car shows and photographing the Custom Kits. Which I plan to also add to my Album.

I have only my hatch at the back and if hit buy a hopefully slow moving car I am done for. I have a place where a bumper can be added.
I also want to add the tire back there and make it swing away so i can open the hatch.

Can you offer any ideas or photo's of yours or others

If you fill unsafe with a tire there you could just do a table/ 3rd light.

[bobhenry]

Got Ol' Bitty's in my album.











God bless Marge

[Ron Dickey]

whow.... nice

I had heard about your spare but had not seen it till now.

I was thinking of just putting a 2x4 across the back and attaching a gate hinge on one side and a 2nd 2x4 infront of the first and attaching a Vertical wood piece to that in the middle and attaching the tire to that. But it offer no function other from locking the hatch and offering a place for a 3rd brake light to be seen.
I know a welder who could fabracate something like that for me. Not sure of cost though. How long did it take to design that??

Met a man in Northern Cal. at the Shasta Gathering who had a round table that swung out with seats for one to sit at but it was not for his spare.

Thanks that opens up my world.

Ron

[eamarquardt]

Here's how I made my bumper to drop down to access the galley and to pull out so I can carry a small motorcycle.





The cutouts for the taillights are visible in the bumperup picture.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Gus

[Ron Dickey]

I am very thankful to you for you offerings of ideas.

I think I have figured out how to do it in wood.

I cut a bumper out for starts it sticks out a little on the sides so in so backing it will protect the rear trail lights. My hatch was out farther then the bumper area so if hit it would get the total wham. So now I have a 2x4 ready for a second one that will hold the tire and opening hing.

I painted the bumper semi glossy white. I am ready for the next step.

[Ron Dickey]

Got Ol' Bitty's in my album.



God bless Marge

1. I have a gate hing for swinging the spare tire bar in and out.
2. I will cut the top for the trailer spare tire table tomarrow and bolt it through the center hole that the axel goes in.
3. I have a rear board attached to the tire so I can attach it to the mast that the tire will hang on and become the center post for the table.
4. I am working on a wood swing out lock like the above picture to keep the bar open and away from the hatch.

[godskid]

Got Ol' Bitty's in my album.





God bless Marge

Oooooo!!! Does anybody MAKE a connection setup like this? Or, are the parts readily available to a non-welder? I *like* this setup!!!! A bit of rear-end protection, and a built-in table. Wow!! I want one......

[Ron Dickey]

If any one wants to go into production of such a thing like Grant, or any of the manufacturers find the orginator of this idea and give them a cut.

If you are doing it your self, I am finding so far it is not hard.

I cut the top of the table today I am not super skilled but I drew a line and cut it with my jig saw I might follow with a router or just sand out the kinks.

I figured out to ways to hinge the main swing out bar.
1. with a hinge
2. with a L-bricket and running a bolt through it like a pin and eye ranch gate operates.

I am taking pictures and down load will be attempted today.

Ron

[godskid]

Yes, pics please. I can understand pic3 above, but as a city gal I'm not familiar with what you are calling a pin and eye ranch gate! I'm not sure about how the tire switches from one position to the other. Thx!

Also, I don't know where to GET the thing in pic3.

[Ron Dickey]

If you think my writing is confusing try my confusing drawings

The lock plate in pic 3 is made cut out of iron or wood it just keeps it from closing.

[godskid]

Got Ol' Bitty's in my album.

Actually, your drawing makes sense! (Once I printed it and got it to full size, for readability).
I was just hoping the gadget in the above pic was purchase-able somewhere. It looks a little stronger than a door hinge (but hey, I don't really know anything about it!)

Got Ol' Bitty's in my album.

I also need a diagram or verbal explanation of the above connection, cuz I'm not quite following how to affix the tire in one position or the other. Does it just hinge into both positions? Or do I lift the tire off, and re-insert the support post into the connectore in the other position? (groan...)

Deb

[Ron Dickey]

I also need a diagram or verbal explanation of the above connection, cuz I'm not quite following how to affix the tire in one position or the other. Does it just hinge into both positions? Or do I lift the tire off, and re-insert the support post into the connectore in the other position? (groan...)

Deb

Deb,

I will try and photograph it as I go. It really is prity basic. I do not weld so I am doing it in wood.

I made a bumper that will bring the bottom of the trailer forward. My hatch stuck out to much and I realized if I got hit it was a goner.

I used carrage boltes attaching it to the frame Painting it before hand with semi Glossy paint.

I attached a scrap peice of wood to the back of the wheel so if I had a flat I would siimply remove the tire from the unit and then place the flat tire back in place of it.

the side you would see if there was not table top. (infact If I had not spare tire I could in fact still have a useful table.)

I found some more scrap wood left over from my build. drilled a hole in the dead center, found by making an x running diagonally from each corner.
Then stuck in the bolt and attached a string to it and a pencel. and drew a circle. to cut out I made it 2 inches larger then the tire, so if I made some bad buts I would not have to strart over.

I used my jig saw to cut it. Other members should have some better ideas of how to do this part.

this is how the table top came out a little rough, I have a freind who has a belt sander that works well on curves. I should have cut it with my dremel or router. I filled in the cracks with wood puddy and will sand it out later then paint it with glossy or semi glossy paint.

Next I will firgure out the length of the arm, the hight of the post, and will deside whether to use a gate hinge or pin and eye hinge.
this site should give you some idea of different hinges.
http://www.technologystudent.com/joints/hinge1.htm
the barrel hinge is simalar to what I am talking about. but the top part is open so you could run a bolt through it.

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

for those more advence in they're building skills.
I met a Gentalman who was at one time a shop teacher and he had one I do not think it had a tire but it did offer a rear table. He was at the last shasta gathering 2009 and won a prize I beleave. Very interesting trailer.

here was his rear table attached to his bumper.


Ron

[godskid]

My word - that's some setup!

Thanks very much for the build pics -- keep em coming! Wood work, I can manage too, so I'll probably go your route. Though I've been looking at fold-away bike holders that fit into a hitch receiver (which I've got). I could rip the bike part away, and put my spare there! Then I'd need the fold-down-as-table part. SO I'll keep watching your pictures.

Leaving now for the Indiana gathering.... back Monday!

[Ron Dickey]

I recieved two letters from people conserned that the tire might fall off because of the holder being of wood, do to chaking and bouncing.
which means the fire will need to be secured to the fame via cable or chain so the care behind would not get a supprise package.

I was cheerfully working away on this now I will need to slow down a bit and test my work, and see if I need to rethink my drawings.

I did come up with a new idea for mountiing the tire and swing up arms for the table. Plus securing the tire to the support arm better and the bumper reducing shaking and bouncing in travel.