Rear Bumper W/ Spare tire /becomes a Table

[Ron Dickey]

I mesured the distance from the ground to the hight that my wife s arms would rest on the table top.
40" my wife is under 5' I am 6'
The top of the table can be no higher then 40" from the ground.
The distance from the ground to the bottom of the bumper is 16"
The table in my case is 18 1/2" high
So I have a lot of figuring to do.

I probably will simply make the top part first. Mesure it and then cut the support pole to the correct height. I do not want the height of the pole to be to high, this is where the thickness of the arm would be important. I do not want it to twist and brake when opening. A square peace of wood might work better then say a 2x4 And of course a Metal square arm might be The stronger idea.
I am thinking about not just the table weight, stress put on the swing arm, but what I might put on the table. Like my Tankless hot water heater.
Most SUV spare tire units have a support coming from a higher point as well as the bumper for added support. I could do this with my tailer I have a 2x4 frame built into the rear of my trailer.


I am planing fo add a Chain or cable to the tire and connect the other end to the frame for safty. The swing arm will be bolted to the bumper when closed.

I will try and do some drawings of what I said above and photograph them.

[Ron Dickey]

I weighed my Tire, wood top, tire support board and bolts that came to 25 lbs.
I had wondered about if the swing board might twick or twist with the weight as it swang out. I looked at iron square tubing at The Home Depot cound a bar for $15. I did not get it but began to wounder how much it would cost to make of iron. I wondered how much it cost Ol' Bitty's to have hers made? Her's is a little more albrate then I would do but my tire is smaller too.

I have a tire mount from Horbor freight for attaching in the front but I want it to counter balance the trailer weight so I can put more in the trailer with out it making the tung to low.

it could be welded to a swing up set of bars if I go that direction.
I am having fun with this figuring out cost, safty, and usefullness.

[godskid]

My spare tire is currently attached to the front, as you pictured. So I will continue to follow your musings here! I like the metal bar concept. Now for the connecting bits!

Deb

[del]

Here is a couple pics.





del

[Ron Dickey]

thanks Del

One bar makes it much much simpler With strong support.

Did you bend the bar or get it that way?

I like the simple stop to keep the tire from bending to far when becoming a table, Smart.

did you have a welder build it or do it yourself?

Very simple and to the point.

I asked Doug H. if I was crazy to use a 2x4 for the arm he said**{and I miss quoted him what he said is below. } sorry doug.

I know a couple of welder who migh help me out with this project if I can get it drawn out of paper so they understand what I am saying.

Ron

[del]

thanks Del

One bar makes it much much simpler With strong support.

Did you bend the bar or get it that way?

I like the simple stop to keep the tire from bending to far when becoming a table, Smart.

did you have a welder build it or do it yourself?

Very simple and to the point.

I asked Doug H. if I was crazy to use a 2x4 for the arm he said that wood is unpredicablt and could break with out notice. or something like that.

I know a couple of welder who migh help me out with this project if I can get it drawn out of paper so they understand what I am saying.

Ron

Those two trailers were at ITG3, and not mine. As for wood, I do not know how to go about that, they did make masts out of wood, for years on ships, replaced with metal (later fiberglass) because it was easier.

del

[bobhenry]

Ron:

Seeing doug's pic I had a brain fart. Hit up a local muffler shop and have them bend you one They can even weld a stub section on the side for the continental tire to fit on and stretch a slip fit stub for the tire mounting plate. Now you can slip the tire off the horizontal tee and slip it on the vertical up sweep and have a table. Be sure and drill them for a safety clip.

I had the boys at muffs and tails bend my 2 piece chimney for my potbelly stove and it was something like $18.00. I asked them if it was a crazy request they said no they fab a lot of projects for folks.

[doug hodder]

I asked Doug H. if I was crazy to use a 2x4 for the arm he said that wood is unpredicablt and could break with out notice. or something like that.
Ron

Ron...I said nothing of the sort, where the hell did you get that??. I said that I wouldn't build what you are wanting to using 2x4 construction and that the 2x4's might not give you the strength that you need when you have a tire and wheel bouncing on it. Doug

[Ron Dickey]

I I I I guess I did not read it slow enough oops sorry Doug. I started to copy it but that was a letter to me.

Ron

Doug have you seen any of these units with tires??
I guess just a wood table would work best?

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

Ron:

Seeing doug's pic I had a brain fart. Hit up a local muffler shop and have them bend you one They can even weld a stub section on the side for the continental tire to fit on and stretch a slip fit stub for the tire mounting plate. Now you can slip the tire off the horizontal tee and slip it on the vertical up sweep and have a table. Be sure and drill them for a safety clip.

I had the boys at muffs and tails bend my 2 piece chimney for my potbelly stove and it was something like $18.00. I asked them if it was a crazy request they said no they fab a lot of projects for folks.

You are the first I have seen with a stove like that neet.

thanks for the Idea.
I think I will print out both pix's and show them to my welding freind or a muffeler shop.

maybe I will make a table first then when I know the hight and working do it in metal and put in the tire on then.

[godskid]

Since I have a 2" hitch, and no room on my bumper to actually put a bar (the lights would have to be moved) what do you think of chopping the top off this bike rack, and mounting a tire to it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0224749882

I'd have to figure out a swivel of some sort to tip the tire over, to become a table. But at least this would provide a little more rear protection, and would move the tire from the front.

bumper pic (with xrover's gear, before I bought the tear)
http://godskid.ingodsfamily.com/Teardrop/tear-6.jpg

[godskid]

Or, an alternative to the bike hitch above -- anybody know where I could get one of these
http://www.awdirect.com/receiver-pivot- ... CID=BASE08
with no electronics inside, and hopefully therefore cheaper? The shape is perfect!

[bobhenry]

Take your cute little rig to a welding shop and smile sweetly and tell them what you are trying to do. You will have them eating out of your hand and for a whole lot less than $200 - $300. Print off the pics in my album of Marges convertable table and take them with ya to show them it can be done and how.

[Ron Dickey]

Deb,

Here are some pix's for you Print out the one
Look in my album for shots 1 and 3

The conncetion bolts I find interesting.

I got these from http://www.etrailer.com/
they offer sever brands. this is by hidden hitch.

Show them these and the one that Del offered and of course Ol' Bitty's.

Ron

[Ron Dickey]

Del

how is your swing out table attached to the tire?
is it bolted with a Y nut
Can you show the other side??

Yours is the simplist I have seen.

I think I will make mine out of wood so I can experiment with what works and what does not then have it fabricated in metal.

For the swing part, I plan to make a top guide like o bitties made out of wood with a metal reinforced bolt hole and have a metal L bracket [1/8 th in thick] at the bottom to run the bolt through.
the swing arm will have a metal piece running along the back to reinforce the arm plus off gaurd the wood when closed.
the upright arm layed on the swing arm with side pieces at same depth to keep it from swinging when turning corners while driving. the upright board will not be very high maybe a foot or two.
The attachment for the wheel to turn to become a table is still bing woked on.
By the time I am done I may have spent more money then it costs to have a welder make it. Which make me think twice. But I will know more exactly about hight and what not to do.
I will run a cable through the tire and connect the tire to the frame so if it does fall it will only scare the guy behind.

As to wheather I put the tire there when traveling is unknowen (I tend to say to hell with it) but with out the tire it will be about 6"s shorter when flat as a table.
I will attempt a new drawing of what i am saying.