Cynic-al Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I'm planning on making a hitch type security post to secure a caravan and one for a chain too. Does anyone have any experience of how deep to go? I don't want to go any deeper than I have to as the garden level was raised quite a bit with whatever rubble, boulders and junk the builders were trying to get rid of with a skin of topsoil, but I don't want it to pull out either if someone were to start yanking on it with a transit. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I would think 4 feet at a minimum What are you using for the post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 4 feet? Ouch! I was thinking 2! Think i'll be down to the water table there! lol I have some 100mm dia x 10mm thick tube (or might be 100mm bore, can't remember now), I was thinking of putting some rebar down the centre welded to the top where the towball is then filling with concrete to make it more difficult to cut. I was also going to enclose the tow ball too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I made one by welding together an H shape out of RSJ and burying it about a foot deep. I couldn't go deeper for the same reason as the garden has hardcore under the surface. The end result was solid as hell. You don't need to go deep - particularly if the thing you are protecting is sitting on top of the frame! I concreted over that area a few years later and tried winching it out the ground - but even double line it would not budge. Ended up digging it out with a mini-digger. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 If you can't go down, go out - whack rebar into the ground at 45 degree angles, spayed out around, and then weld some on the post, when you cement the lot together it becomes one structure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 totally agree on the go out part, makes a huge difference. i put in 2 steel posts initially to hold a chain over an entrance as a visual deterent and stop parking and somebody hit one with a vehichle, bent the inch square post and moved it in concrete way too easily. New version is in 3 feet of concrete deep and has box section welded to bottom as a foot criss crossing 2 foot each way so takes a huge hold. Might have gone shallower but had jcb dig hole so went for it! the width does the job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thanks, will build that in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 If you know there are no services under it why not get a fencer to pop by and use a post knocker to drive it in and then add some braces at a shallow height. Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonost24 Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Why not get a big flat steel plate, weld your post to that, sink it about a foot. If the plates big enough, then the tow vehicles weight will be over it making it difficult to pull out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zim Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I've got lengths of railway line into the ground about 3 ft. Then got multiple 6 ft scaffold bars hammered in at various angles, but touching the railway. Weld all together and then add concrete. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 Jeez, I want to secure a caravan not moor the Titanic! I did think about hiring a mini digger with an auger, then i wouldn't have to level the ground by hand either... plus I'd get to play digger Only last time I 'helped' someone with one of those there was a flash in the ground and the local pub couldn't serve any Sunday roast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 If you think about the amount of force a ground anchor can resist - it shows that you don't need much surface area to resist a transit van tugging on it! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 my best advice would be go as deep/wide as you can, use really good thickwalled steel and chains/locks you can. if concreting in use a real good strong mix in hole, make it wet so you can pound in lots and lots of rocks that can be scrounged from local farmer as land gatherings so usually free, the blunt end of a fence post works well for this and its amazing how much you can pack in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 Well finally got around to doing something. Picked up a trailer load of slabs so just got to lay the slabs and concrete them in. Something just to hook a chain around. The business end test fit I stuck a lump of wire up the middle just incase someone tries to cut it with a small saw etc, should be hard for them to reach the middle. I might fill it with an aggregate rich concrete mix too. Galvanised (Ignore the other bits they're to move the spare wheel on the van) Then a drop of powder coat just to make it look tidyish Hopefully with all the other security bits I have it will be enough to put anyone off bothering taking it. Cheers all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 That looks very professional I really like it when people conclude their threads like this, too often threads just have a question and we never get to see it implemented Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 That's a lovely job and as Lewis says great to see threads concluded with a finished piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orgasmic Farmer Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Nice job. Hope the hitch still fits over the ball now with the galv on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 That is a fantastic job. Well done ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 Thanks! I hope it fits too otherwise I will be out there for a while with the emery cloth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missingsid Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Ah, surley the thread finnishing pic should be of it in the ground???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 We'll done Al, Really like how you selected a rusty piece of plate then welded with no prep (Lewis would cringe) then had it galvanized and powder coated!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 You know me! Lazy to the end if you turn the power up high enough the surface is irrelevant! It was all cleaned with an abrasive pad in the grinder and wire brush where I couldn't reach before it went away but it would've been a whole lot easier and more effective if I'd done it when it was still flat before assembly. :S A twist of fate also meant I didn't have the powder coat put on until a week after the galv :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Been away in the caravan for a few days so parked it on its new pad when I got back so photos to finish the job off. It was a bit tight getting it to hitch so at some point I might have to clean the ball a bit. Now I've measured the length I will get a better chain but you get the idea. One job finally scratched off the list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Very nice work there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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