welding/building a hitch for a isuzu NPR

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Hey guys. This catering company called me and asked if they can have a hitch welded onto the back of their NPR box truck.  They said that they will only be using it to pull their 3000 lb smokers/barbqs around. Right now it has a step deck on the back and they guy want the hitch that he bought welded underneath the step deck.    Right now I'm thinking: 1. Do you guys take on jobs like this or is this just too much liability? (done correctly the strength will be fine, but you cant prevent people from towing large/heavy trailers even though you may be designing a hitch with a specific tow rating)2. if you take this job on, what would be the way to go about doing it?  Not really sure a good way to go about it. The step bumper is pretty solid, so if I come up with a way to weld the hitch the guy has underneath then it should be a solid design (for 5K and under trailers)Last edited by outdoort; 05-25-2016 at 02:03 PM.Dynasty 200DX   (2014)Millermatic 211 (2015)Optrel 864   (2014)Smith Medium duty MBA 30510 (Xmas 2014)Tennsmith 16ga 4ft finger brake (2015)Trailblazer 325 EFI and excel Thermal dynamics Cutmaster 82Miller maxtron 450
Reply:And to clarify, I don't plan on just welding the hitch underneath the step bumper without some form of reinforcement from either the frame rails or the two vertical channel irons you see that the step deck attaches to.   On both sides there are also reinforcement bars that hold the step deck to the outside of the frame rails. I could blow out the hole step deck and start over, but I just need some ideas.Dynasty 200DX   (2014)Millermatic 211 (2015)Optrel 864   (2014)Smith Medium duty MBA 30510 (Xmas 2014)Tennsmith 16ga 4ft finger brake (2015)Trailblazer 325 EFI and excel Thermal dynamics Cutmaster 82Miller maxtron 450
Reply:Just being a hobbyist, I don’t have any insurance. So I only build hitches for myself, and very close friends. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Thanks for responding CEP. U always give some good pics with ur response too!  Ya, I'm not entirely sure I even want to take on this job. Seems like something I would prefer to fab in my shop and I don't think the customer wants a fully custom replacement bumper.Dynasty 200DX   (2014)Millermatic 211 (2015)Optrel 864   (2014)Smith Medium duty MBA 30510 (Xmas 2014)Tennsmith 16ga 4ft finger brake (2015)Trailblazer 325 EFI and excel Thermal dynamics Cutmaster 82Miller maxtron 450
Reply:Building hitches can be a dangerous game! I have no problem building them for myself. Or close friends. None of my friends will abuse a hitch. Not true with the average guy out there! Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:How are your welding and fabricating skills? Can you weld good enough to pass a structural welding test? You really can't mess around with this stuff. If you don't have the skills, I wouldn't do it. If you do have the skills, have at it.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Originally Posted by snoeproeHow are your welding and fabricating skills? Can you weld good enough to pass a structural welding test? You really can't mess around with this stuff. If you don't have the skills, I wouldn't do it. If you do have the skills, have at it.
Reply:well I can pass a 3 g Mig, dualshield, and 7018 test. working on my 6g.  So I'm confident I can put down solid welds, I just feel like I need some engineering help with the hitch design. I feel like if i would do it, that I would wana rip out the whole bumper and start over again with a custom bumper. ( I guess if I did that Id probably be fine designing something good, but the hitch thing scares me) Insurace guy has always said, "Your good for everything untill u have a claim, then they will require you to be covered for that specific activity in the future".Dynasty 200DX   (2014)Millermatic 211 (2015)Optrel 864   (2014)Smith Medium duty MBA 30510 (Xmas 2014)Tennsmith 16ga 4ft finger brake (2015)Trailblazer 325 EFI and excel Thermal dynamics Cutmaster 82Miller maxtron 450
Reply:Remember, it's not the guy pulling his 3k lb smoker. It's the other guy who borrows the truck on the weekend to pull his brother in laws wife's 3rd cousin removed's 15k lb cabin cruiser to the lake. I'm not being dbag, smarty pants nor advocating for the protection of nuns, puppies and small children.  But I'd simply say nah and pass."You can't out puke a buzzard"
Reply:Originally Posted by outdoortInsurace guy has always said, "Your good for everything untill u have a claim, then they will require you to be covered for that specific activity in the future".
Reply:I agree with CEP, I won't do any welding on hitches because you never know how someone will over load the hitch or improperly load a trailer. There was a terrible accident not to many years ago where I live. A guy had done some welding on his trailer, he loaded the trailer wrong and the hitch failed while going down the highway. The trailer separated from the truck, crossed the grass divider and hit a young college girl driving home from classes. The trailer cut the top of the car off decapitating the young girl. The owner was charged with man slaughter and ended up in prison.
Reply:If you decide to do it just remember triangulation is your best friend. And do it in 3-D too.  Then when you think you have it all figured out how to do it add one more in the picture for safety sake. Use bolt( Grade8or better) to secure it to the frame do not weld there. If it was me I would not fasten anything to the step. Build all the supports independent of anything there. just like a class IV trailer hitch. and use the smaller square (1.5x !.5) hitch to keep anyone from using it the wrong way.Klutch 220si mig , stick, and dc tigHobart 140 AHP ALPHA 200X 2016Lotos LTP5000DSmith O/P
Reply:Originally Posted by kctgbI agree with CEP, I won't do any welding on hitches because you never know how someone will over load the hitch or improperly load a trailer. There was a terrible accident not to many years ago where I live. A guy had done some welding on his trailer, he loaded the trailer wrong and the hitch failed while going down the highway. The trailer separated from the truck, crossed the grass divider and hit a young college girl driving home from classes. The trailer cut the top of the car off decapitating the young girl. The owner was charged with man slaughter and ended up in prison.
Reply:Originally Posted by tinker001I. and use the smaller square (1.5x !.5) hitch to keep anyone from using it the wrong way.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWUntil some knucklehead puts one of those 1 1/2" x 2" receiver adapters in it, then tows the 15000 lb boat....
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWUntil some knucklehead puts one of those 1 1/2" x 2" receiver adapters in it, then tows the 15000 lb boat....
Reply:It's a truck, and needs a real truck hitch. As above mentioned you never know what someone will try to do with it. A real hitch to match trucks tow capacity or none at all. It works the same with a 2,000 pound rated couple or trailer that a guys TRIES to load a skid steer on it.
Reply:"It'll just be used to pull my sea doo to the lake on Sunday afternoons."2 years later this guy buys it and the nuns, puppies and small children are about to have their worlds turned upside down.  Forever.
Reply:Thats Funny as hell pipeliner!   Ya told the guy no can do. Kinda sucks turning down work, but as of now, I think I will refuse all trailer hitch or trailer modifications without even going out to look at the job.   I don't see a problem doing a job building a new trailer as there is a whole lot more variables you can control with the design and build, but this stuff kinda scares me too much.Dynasty 200DX   (2014)Millermatic 211 (2015)Optrel 864   (2014)Smith Medium duty MBA 30510 (Xmas 2014)Tennsmith 16ga 4ft finger brake (2015)Trailblazer 325 EFI and excel Thermal dynamics Cutmaster 82Miller maxtron 450
Reply:Originally Posted by BD1It's a truck, and needs a real truck hitch. As above mentioned you never know what someone will try to do with it. A real hitch to match trucks tow capacity or none at all. It works the same with a 2,000 pound rated couple or trailer that a guys TRIES to load a skid steer on it.
Reply:Sometimes you just have to pick your battles. This copied Super Hitch I built for a friend. He ran crane for me. I put my life in his hands every day for years! If something happened to that hitch, he would say he bought the pickup with it on. Never in a million years would he sell me out. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Originally Posted by Pipeliner"It'll just be used to pull my sea doo to the lake on Sunday afternoons."2 years later this guy buys it and the nuns, puppies and small children are about to have their worlds turned upside down.  Forever.
Reply:As others have stated, if your not insured for it don't take it on.
Reply:Sometimes I wonder how anything ever gets done... but if you have to ask how to do it, should you do it, YOU shouldn't be doing it. Sent from my SCH-I605 using TapatalkRyanMiller Multimatic 200 tig/spool gun/wireless remoteMillermatic 350P, Bernard/XR Python gunsMiller Dynasty 350, Coolmate 3.5 & wireless remoteCK WF1 TIG wire feederMiller Spectrum 375 XtremeOptrel e684Miller Digital EliteMiller Weld-Mask
Reply:Walk away.I welded a hitch for a friend.It was for a popup camper.Next time I saw the rig he had 2 cows in a horse trailer hitched on.Later on he hitched on to load that bent the hitch tongue down.The Tongue was part of a factory part I had on hand.My weld held but a heavy load bent the tongue down.I had told him that his Jeep was only good for light loads.I had welded the tongue to the cross bar 1/2 inch steel with 7018 He was trying to score with the lady farmer who owned the cows.