How to fit a truck bed crane
Updated: 22 October 2026
You have a jib in the garage or on order, and the first temptation is to drill through the bed floor where the base plate looks neat. That temptation is the risk: the sheet metal carries almost none of the moment when the winch pulls a load beside the truck. This page walks through mount, power and first-lift checks for the four listings in the [pick-up crane comparison](/hub/lifting-equipment/pick-up-crane), without ranking them. Peter F. read those listings on 20 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a jib in the garage or on order, and the first temptation is to drill through the bed floor where the base plate looks neat.
You have a jib in the garage or on order, and the first temptation is to drill through the bed floor where the base plate looks neat. That temptation is the risk: the sheet metal carries almost none of the moment when the winch pulls a load beside the truck. This page walks through mount, power and first-lift checks for the four listings in the pick-up crane comparison, without ranking them. Peter F. read those listings on 20 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Power | Folds | Remote | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Pismire Pismire 1,100 lb crane and 3,500 lb winch | 12 V | Yes | Not in the bullets. A review says a wired controller arrived, not a wireless remote. | 8.8 | about £1,013.25 | View offer |
| Best value |  Generic Generic 12 V pick-up crane RSWTC87 | 12 V | n/a | Wired hand controller and wireless remote, both stated | 5.6 | about £328.61 | View offer |
| Alternative |  VACARX VACARX truck pick-up crane | n/a | n/a | n/a | 4.4 | about £841.59 | View offer |
On this page
What the listing thinks a mount is
Every bed jib arrives as a plate, a column and a boom you bolt together. The captures print partial footprints, not a chassis design for your registration.
DEFNES states a 13 in square base and folding, and it does not say hole count or bolt grade. VACARX states a 27 by 27 cm base with eight holes, assembly required, a 160 cm hook height and 9.5 m of 5 mm rope. Voltage is unstated. The Generic page mentions a thickened plate with no length or width. Pismire lists 12 V, a winch kit and 57 kg, and it does not print plate size. Review texts say a sound install needed a mount welded to the frame, with short leads and clips too small for a vehicle battery.
None of this names a Hilux, Ranger, D-Max or L200. Treat the sizes as hole spacing you compare with your bed ribs.
Bed floor, ribs and the frame
Flat floors tempt you to bolt the plate straight down. Ribbed beds need spacers or a filler so the base sits level. Otherwise the plate flexes and the winch loads the sheet. American-truck fitters describe sandwich plates between bed and frame. That is experience, not a British Standard for these ASINs, and the physics still transfers.
The load path should reach the frame rails, a manufacturer-rated hitch, or a spreader from someone who builds commercial bodies. None of the four listings prints outriggers, so a heavy slew to the side can roll a pick-up. If the reach depends on that, stop.
Call a fabricator before chassis holes, welding, or a spreader you cannot inspect, and whenever you cannot trace force from the hook to the frame.
12 V without a wiring diagram
A 12 V claim means the winch expects a battery, not a BS 1363 socket in the cab. Current spikes during the pull. None of the four captures prints cable gauge, fuse size or duty cycle.
Plan a fused feed from the starter battery or a leisure battery you can maintain. Protect the cable from bed edges. A flat battery leaves a load in the air, so do not assume a long pull is fine with the engine off unless you know the alternator and the battery state.
Pismire reviews describe heavier cable and replacement clips. A wireless handset still needs that path. VACARX does not state voltage, so confirm you are wiring a winch motor before you assume 12 V. No kept listing includes a battery.
Before you hang a load
With the boom empty, torque base bolts and boom pins to the maker's figure if they supplied one. If not, use a fabricator's spec. Confirm the hook latch, the rope in the drum grooves, and a rotation lock that actually holds. Reviewers report a bolt arriving where a handle was expected.
Walk the lift before you hang weight: height, slew path, drop zone, and where you stand. Keep clear of the load and pause just off the ground. If no safe working load is printed, use a light test piece. Which number counts is on pick-up crane capacity.
Folding, stated for DEFNES and Pismire, clears the bed between jobs. It is not permission to drive at speed. If the plan needs chassis holes, welding or a spreader you cannot inspect, stop before you drill. A cold weld, a worn pin or frayed rope keeps the crane out of service.
Common questions
Can I bolt the plate straight to the bed?
Only if a competent person confirms the bed and the fixings carry the moment. Sheet metal carries almost none of the bending when the winch pulls beside the truck. Ribbed beds usually need spacers and a tie into the frame or a hitch the manufacturer rates.
What if the bed is ribbed?
Level the base with spacers or a filler plate so the mount does not flex on the ribs. If the plate rocks, bolts loosen and the winch loads the sheet. Compare hole spacing with the printed base before you drill.
Do these bases match a UK pick-up?
The listings do not name UK models. Compare printed base sizes to your bed and consult a fabricator if holes do not line up with a sound load path.
Where does the 12 V supply come from?
From the vehicle or leisure battery through a fused heavy cable. Not from a domestic socket unless you are using a different machine class altogether.
Is a battery in the box?
No on the captures reviewed. Plan your own supply and terminals.
Can I drive with the boom folded?
Folding is a storage claim. Secure the boom, check overhang and weight on the plate, and drive cautiously. The listing is not a motorway approval.
What do I check before the first lift?
Mount, rope on drum, latch, lock, clear drop zone, and a load within the printed crane figure if one exists. If none exists, use a light test piece only.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these four listings were scored on 20 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.
- HSE: LOLER overview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: LOLER regulation 7 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE: thorough examinations of lifting equipment (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE: working under vehicles (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE: safe lifting by machine (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Vestil: truck jib cranes (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings B0899QCBP7, B0HJK8VZ9W, B0C58W2GK8 and B0GL25GG29 (retrieved 20 October 2026)