Custom Hitch Receiver for a Evelo Compass Tricycle
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I built this receiver for my friend Tom who uses his electric tricyle to haul massive lumber to build a timber frame pavilion for the city of Winooski. Tom is a retired carpenter and local artisan using mostly reclaimed or salvaged lumber for his project.
Tom utilizes a small bike cargo trailer with an impressive carrying capacity of 500 pounds to connect to his homemade hitch receiver. However, the receiver itself was a vulnerable component, and there was a potential risk of it causing damage to the brake disc of his tricycle.
The recently upgraded receiver is significantly more robust and secure. Its constructed using steel rectangular tubing, ensuring its durability and strength.
The new upgraded hitch receiver is crafted from 2" x 1" steel rectangular tubing. It consists of two steel pieces: the first one measures 11 inches in length, while the second piece is 7 inches long. To securely attach the hitch to the frame, I employed four 1/4" U-bolts.
The two metal pieces are welded with a TIG welder. For the receiver pin Tom chose a Stainless Steel 1/4" bolt.
The shorter metal piece sits atop the longer one and is welded to it using my trusty TIG welder. Tom had a few options for the hitch receiver pin. Some of the possibilities included a small hitch ball receiver, a threaded bolt, or a simple hole. 1/4" Stainless Steel post with a lock pin was chosen.
Tom requested to leave the his old hitch receiver attached to the frame. So you can see both receivers for comparison.
The final is to attach the new receiver using 4 u-bolts to the bike frame.Caution! Keep an eye on that battery cable. Don’t pinch it under the bottom u-bolts. We want a smooth and long ride, not short-circuit fireworks!
I hope you enjoyed this short build tutorial! Keep an eye out for additional content coming your way.