Opinions on a hitch mounted table?

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wondering whether or not this would be a good idea, I will be doing a good bit of travel between lake house, friends, and my house this summer. I have a welding table at home but am wondering if anybody has thought of a small table or platform of sorts that would mount to the trucks 2 inch receiver. Im thinking something that will fold down and bolt into place for driving and then simply be un bolted, lifted horizontally and used as a mobile work bench?
Reply:I don't see why it wouldn't work. Are you welding off this table? The tailgate and a small sheet of plywood generally makes the quickest work surface.
Reply:I plan to weld off of it, it'll give me a good place to practice and stay on top of practicing. Also it should be a fun project to build. I have some 1/4 inch plate for the top but I'm going to have to get some 2inch box steel for the rest.
Reply:Stay away from the fuel filler cap and dead grass.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:It's going to flop around more than I could tolerate. There have been people who add a second or third receiver to stabilize the surface. Last weekend I bought a platform made to carry a toolbox etc on the receiver. I put on it a 40 lb aluminum toolbox, a 90 lb vice, and my ball mount. By the time I got home the right side was 7" lower than the left. The leverage of these things is enormous. If they are built rugged enough to not bend, the necessary looseness in the receiver gives it lots of slop.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:It might be ok if you had two flip down legs.  That would be 3 points of contact.My name's not Jim....
Reply:I was thinking trailer jacks myself for legs..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I would just use 2 sawhorses before I would bother with folding hitches and jack legs and suchOld enough to know better, young enough to try it anyway.
Reply:what about drilling a hole in the hitch body and tapping it with threads have a little bar connected to a screw in which tightens down on the inner fitting table mount itself.To reinforce the threads weld a turned piece of steel round stock and tap it too! then weld it onto the hitch body! Remember this is a portable system! so don't make it too heavy or complicated.Good luck!VictorPraxairAir LiquideMillerLincoln Electric
Reply:I'm not sure whether this is going to be worth it or not, I'm still looking into it. I realized that it's going to rust badly and may be better to replace the top of a portable miter saw table with steel and just toss it in the bed when I go places.
Reply:One more voice on the 'no' side: Your biggest support is mounted on springs and the table will get in the way of accessing the bed of the truck.Build/find a folding table. You can set it up near the project, it'll be as stable as the ground under it and can be used without the truck.Be wary of The Numbers: Figures don't lie,. but liars can figure.Welders:2008 Lincoln 140 GMAW&FCAW2012 HF 165 'toy' GTAW&SMAW1970's Cobbled together O/A
Reply:You could always put a slide out bed in the truck.  Handy for loading/unloading and could be slid all the way out to function as a work bench.My name's not Jim....
Reply:Or just mount your plate to the tailgate. Boom! Fold down welding table.
Reply:http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...4325_200434325    - Nomad Welding Table And then there is the Harbor Freight copy. Its much cheaper. They say you can join 2 together for a larger table.But the 2 Harbor Freight I have are so different in dimensions and quality that they will not join to make a level surface. There's a project for you....Get 2 Harbor Freight and you can spend hours bending....cutting and rewelding so that they are the same and line up with each other.
Reply:I'm kind of liking Econdron's tailgate idea. I would take it a step further and make it twice the size of the tailgate with a hinge in the middle so it folds into the truck, with one leg in the center of the rear half for stability. Stable and quickly portable.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I like the two sawhorses and a table top idea.I offer three choices: Good, Fast, & Cheap. You may pick two.Hobart AC/DC StikMate LXHarbor Freight AD HoodHarbor Freight Industrial Chop SawDeVilbis 20 Gallon, 5 HP Compressor
Reply:I dont like the idea of welding on the truck.The welding arc sends out some high voltage spikes when the circuit opens.Weld spatter can make a mess on paint and glass.Make a small 2x3 table with 2x2 by1/8 angle.A slotted top made with small channel spaced 9/16 apart will let you use drill press clamps to hold parts for welding.
Reply:I have a Diesel truck and I weld on the back where I have a big vice mounted in the receiver hitch. I have not had a problem with the electronics but they are making them with more and more electronics all the time. My biggest complaints is like farmer37 said is all the pitted glass and mirrors. I had to replace the tail light lenses this year because they had enough stuff on them they started to crack and small pieces fall out  they were $100 a piece. I have gen poles that go into the receiver hitches on my truck so I will always have to weld around the back of my truck but I thinks it is smart not to start using your truck to weld on. Someday it will be where we will all have to have trailers that have our welders on and make sure we disconnect them or we won't be able to go home. You may have a truck that it won't hurt but it might be smart not to start doing that so you won't have problems in the future.
Reply:Miller sells a folding welding table. I'm pretty certain a few other places have them too?? On another website a guy stated he has a collapsible folding work bench/table that he uses for everything including occasionally welding. Something like that would be more suitable as it would have multiple uses.