This Is So Useful! // Front Hitch Cargo Rack Setup and How We Use It
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- After our first year on the road, we added a front receiver hitch and cargo rack to serve a few purposes. I'll go over how we use it, how it's set up, some of the troubles I ran into during the installation, and a general product review. It might not be pretty, but is extremely useful when you need it most!
Do you have a front hitch? How do you use it? Let us know down in the comments!
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Index:
Intro: 0:00
How We Use It: 0:14
The Setup - Cargo Rack: 1:33
The Setup - Receiver Hitch: 2:24
The Installation - And Problems: 3:25
Final Thoughts: 5:39
Outro: 5:57
Products used in this video.
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission, this helps us to continue making and sharing videos. Thank you for your support!
✅ The Hitch: amzn.to/3BWVOZa
✅ Hitch Lock: amzn.to/2FXem2V
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Thank you for watching!
We are a travel couple and explore full-time in our NuCamp Cirrus 920 Truck Camper. The camper rides in our 2018 Ram 3500 Dually Diesel CrewCab truck. We love our camper and we are excited to share our life with all of you!
Our plan is to continue traveling for another 5 years at least, we are just getting started. Subscribe and follow our adventures around North America and the World!
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your rack twists/sways around the axis when driving (see 0:33 with firewood). you may want to add a Hitch Tightener Anti Rattle Stabilizer to your setup.
Perfect timing of this for me, as I’ve been searching for a solid hitch… Thanks as always Al
I’m happy that it was helpful. Our rack is kind of old and rickety, but the hitch is fantastic!!!
I love watching your videos. I am planning on buying a truck camper and you are giving lots of great ideas. Keep up the good work!!!!
Thanks for the support. Is there anything particular you’d like us to talk about?
I put the same thing on my 2500. It was a REAL pain in the neck. I ended up having to take the grill off the front to get those top bolts done. I was glad to find out that it wasn't hard at all and it gave me great access. I'm planning on getting a wench too. I love your videos and you make a fun couple. Good job.
That's a great idea, I should have done that. I was able to do it with some tricks, but taking the grill off probably would have been easier!
Thanks for watching and for the kind words!
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Hoho I finally got my video about that front hitch tray setup. Thanks brother.
We do use it all the time, but we could live without it. I just need to find a good folding setup and I'll be happy!
I had the Torklift X7910 front hitch installed on my 2021 ram. Low profile no airflow loss no drill hitch. Great quality with 750-pound tongue weight and 10,000 pound pulling.
That sounds mighty nice! If we upgrade to a new truck, I’ll be looking for the beefiest front hitch I can find.
👌cool
OMG. I had to stop and back to play again and then do a google search to make sure I saw what I saw and WOW you have a Tricorder in you tool box?!?! How cool is that?
Good eye! I was cleaning out my dad's attic and found that, I had it when I was a kid and thought it would make a funny prop for doing tech videos. It still works and even makes scanning noises when I push some buttons. So silly! I'm glad you caught it!
A fold away front hitch platform, great idea. Something tells me you've probably already started drawing up your ideas. LOL You figure out that one, let us know, something tells me you'll figure it out. LOL Great video guys, safe travels.
I do have my own ideas, but, I’d rather just buy a nice aluminum folding hitch. However, I haven found one that I like yet. They are all so flimsy.
@@Stonyboot Have you considered sharing your thoughts with a fabrication shop? I have 35 plus years as a machinist / in fabrication, quality assurance, in the aerospace world. Retired now. You would be very surprised how affordable it can be working with a fabrication shops. Make some inquiries. Maybe something they could throw on CAD for you, helping you develop something more close to what you're wanting. Something more sturdy. Or quite possibly retrofitting your current setup. Just a suggestion.
I think if I were looking to have a custom one fab'd, the first thing I'd do is dual receivers. Mounted like your current rack at the tow hook plates. Have the receiver tubes at both points. Having two points will take out a ton of the waggle that is so inherent with the single tube receivers. Have the attached unit like a stretched "H". with a square pipe section between the two receivers tubes. To this pipe you could bolt a single tow hook. Or just keep a tow hook or shackle mounted to a stub of hitch tube. Remove the rack and insert that for the rare event it's needed.
I'm a day away from Seattle I'll stay at my buddies house for a couple days then off to Alaska.
Welcome to Sea town!
That sounds exciting! Have a good trip :)
I've never heard that nickname. We will be heading that way soon. Neither Sasha or I have been to the PNW and we can't wait!
The bolts and nuts on the inner part of the frame by the radiator are much easier to reach via the top. Open the hood and they’re much more accessible. I know this comment won’t help you but it may help others.
It's been a couple of years since I installed that hitch. I'll have to look again, but I don't remember seeing any access from the top. I'd feel like a fool if I missed something obvious. Thanks.
Hey Guys
Just came across your channel. Love your videos. I am curious about your rear bike carrier. I did not see a video anywhere you might have done? My ebikes are on the front and get a beating of course and I don't drive at night!. The rear seems hard only because I too have a Ram 3500 but single wheel with a gas engine and my Cirrus 820 hangs over the back a good way . Concerned I'll have to much weight back there and the long extension would flex too much. How have you managed? Suggestion on your set up?
Keep up the great travel and helpful tips!!
Rick
Hi Rick,
We've made a couple videos on the bike rack. At this point, it's lasted about 50k miles on it and had needed some repairs. But it's still holding up.
First video: ruclips.net/video/tAf1mRn2gdo/видео.html
Update video: ruclips.net/video/Jf1oWazv8DU/видео.html
Been considering this set-up. Where do you store the generator when travelling? I was hoping to use the front mounted rack for that exact purpose, obviously using a protective container for the generator.
We have it stored in a generator compartment in the camper. This video shows the full setup.
ruclips.net/video/7uL-q8j4q8E/видео.html
What bike rack do you use? We have 2 e-mtn bikes at 50 lbs each and I was thinking of a front rack (Ram Cummins), but did not know that my front view and air flow would be disturbed. Would like to be able to use the rear door w/o removing the bikes. Thanks and love your videos!
We did a full video on our bike rack setup. Just look for RockyMounts BackStage in our videos. It does swing away and allows full use of the back of the camper.
Bikes really are too large for a front rack. I have been cited twice over the years because if the bikes block ANY of your view it is "game over"from a law enforcement point of view. I use my front rack as a workbench and for firewood.
I always set my generator on the ground as far from myself and others as possible when in use. Even though its a really quiet Honda EU1000, I hate running the darn thing at all, let alone near myself or others.
I use mine for my generator and have a box on it for misc. stuff.
I’ve been thinking of getting a box, but really I’d like to just fold it up out of the way. Decisions, decisions. A box would be great though!
How do you find it affects your driving! Do you have to compensate in any way you drive!
Considering a front hitch rack for 2024 Silverado HD. Will driving with cargo on the front rack cause problems with the front sensors in the bumper? Hitch manufactures just say the hitch won't interfere.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Don't want to spend $500 for problems.Thanks
It will interfere with you sensors unless it’s high or low enough to clear. I just turned mine off when we had the front rack on. It all depends on the truck and setup.
Simply installing the front hitch won’t affect anything. But if you have stuff on the rack, you could absolutely lock the sensors.
HI, do you carry anything on it while driving? If not where do you store you generator?
I carry firewood and empty gas cans. Sometimes we put trash on it that we collect at campsites and bring it to a dumpster. As for the generator, we have an onboard storage cabinet that we store our Honda 2200i in. We have a video called how to use a dual fuel generator that shows the whole setup.
@@Stonyboot Thanks, I will check out that video, we also have a Firman 3200W dual fuel generator, we carry it in the back seat of our truck since it's too big to fit in the case on my back bumper. Was thinkink of maybe carrying it on a front hitch like you have, but a little worried?
Lots of people carry their generators on the front. Keeping it in a box would probably be a good idea, but it’s very common.
How do this not cause overheating in summertime
It doesn’t block air flow at all. I don’t carry anything up front, except for a couple empty gas cans and some fire wood. It might be more of an issue if I had a large box in front.
Bloody knuckles? I never get those…. 😂🤣😂🤣
Haha, me either!
What if you don't have a tricorder"
I’d just have to replicate another one… good eye 😉
Scott did a thorough video on the clever way he mounted & plumbed the Honda in the Camper; seems a shame not to reference it: ruclips.net/video/7uL-q8j4q8E/видео.html Scott, after you installed your DC-DC Charger from the RAM to the Camper house bank, you mentioned you might remove the Honda generator. Since you are still carrying it - and apparently using it for deep charging - what's your current thinking? Seems like if would be easier to just idle the truck occasionally and give up the Honda's weight & complexity.
Thanks for referencing that video and, great question! I do have the DC-DC charging system that's been working well. We get the bulk of our power from that as well as our little bit of solar. I also just upgraded my battery bank to 1200 AH (video is in the works) which gives me enough to run my computers for about 6-7 days with no charging, or, I can run the A/C for about 24-48 hours from battery. The real problems comes in with hot weather. I don't have enough roof space to add enough solar to run our A/C reliably, and, when its hot, day after day, I need a way to stay cool. Keeping the generator is cheaper and easier than relying on campgrounds for power. I don't use it often, but, we have been in some hot areas as well as multi-week heat waves which forced us to run the A/C, several days in a row. We are also planning to stay longer at each location as we travel, so the generator gives me all the power I need. Since we work nearly 7 days a week with computers, having adequate power is a requirement. Once I figure out the Starlink antenna (coming in the fall/winter), I'll be able to assemble my solar system and see where that leaves me in terms of power generation. I'd like to ditch it completely, but I've needed it too many times to stay cool. Still a work in progress!