I haven't been able to find a bed crane that stows out-of-the-way, so I'm building one.

These tubes will reinforce the bed so the crane can handle some load without bending the sheet metal.

It's coming together slowly...

Apparently, my base plate is pretty strong, since that's all that's holding the ~70lb assembly up right now. I haven't made the top bracket yet, but I do have the rail along the bed bolted to the interior brace going to the frame.

It fits! It works! A lot of it is just tack-welded, so I have to take it apart & finish booger-welding everything.

Even with the boom fully compressed, it has enough reach to lift something over the t/g. But extended like this will be easier.

I still have to drill the holes in the black boom for the extension pin, and then sandblast & paint everything.

Extended at full droop, it just clears the t/g.

This isn't FULL-height, but it's close. Obviously, it can only be used like this when the camper shell is off. But it might work for removing the camper...

This is the main reason I built my own instead of buying one - storage, and accessibility. It self-stows clear of the bed floor and below the bedrail. I'll build another bracket to take the load off the jack, and to allow it to be locked down when the camper is off. And everything it does can be done while the operator stands on the ground - no need to climb into & out of the bed. I could add a small winch (manual or electric) to make it even more functional.

I built the cable long enough to use the snatch block at full extension, but it's still short enough to rearrange.

I kicked it off into the deep end: the test-run is a complete 5.8L engine with a full torque converter (because the engine threw a rod), and I didn't feel like unloading the Bronco from the trailer to use a regular engine hoist. I even had to swap a longer boom on to reach the engine, and back the t/g onto the trailer.

This boom is thinner tubing, so I expected it to fold as I was raising the engine, but it held. So did all my partial-welds, and the places I haven't installed bolts yet. I guess, like most of my designs, it's overbuilt.

Next stop for this engine: the scrapyard!

After resetting with the normal boom, I stripped it to the long block. The crane is relatively easy to pivot & control, even with the truck on a tilt. Resetting the length of the boom is pretty easy, if there's something suitable to rest the load on. This engine is pushing the limit for the center of the t/g, but it seems OK near the L end (the end with a full cup & round peg).

This was with the long boom swung straight to the side, which puts the most load on the bedwall & brace. There was some creaking from the camper sliding on the Rhino, and the truck is leaning hard (note the distance from the mud flaps to the ground), but even with this long arm & heavy lift, the bedwall didn't bend, and the t/g still closes & opens.

With the shorter boom, it swings inside. I put one strap on the engine to keep it from swinging, and drove home.

I still have to dismantle the crane for sandblasting, finish welding, & painting.

If I ever install a 5th-wheel hitch, this will make it easy to set & remove.

This engine/trans came out of my '83 Bronco and is going onto a '93 Bronco frame with all the '83's running gear.

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I need to haul my front door, and it won't fit in the bed, so I'm removing the camper shell. The crane should help...

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I had to add a small plywood pad, but the crane lifts the shell easily, and reaches very close to its balance point.

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It's on the bedrails to keep it from tipping in the breeze, but the camper's weight is entirely on the crane, which still swings easily.

It's on the bedrails to keep it from tipping in the breeze, but the camper's weight is entirely on the crane, which still swings easily.

I lowered the crane until I could pick the camper up on my shoulders, and walked it to the back yard.

This is the first time I've had the camper off, and probably the first time it has been off in more than a decade.

Note that the crane stows fully below the bedrail, and clear of the flat (4x8') part of the bed floor.

The CHMSL/cargo connector for the camper shell's lights is barely noticeable.
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