On May 19, 11:01*pm, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
...
A larger plate will help, not because it distribute the load, but because
the lever arm from the base of the column to the farthest bolts in the plate
will be longer and the forces will be proportionally lower.
--
Ed Huntress-

I drilled a hole in the top of the crane's vertical post, to store the
pump handle, which provides a guy line attachment for a cable to the
bed tie-downs or a nearby tree when I winch logs out of tangled piles.
I ruined a 1200 Lb boat trailer winch doing that, though better the
winch than the truck if I'd used an electric winch with no feel.

The rear bed bolts aren't far enough apart fore-aft to attach a large
base frame. When I lift a max load behind the truck the front crossbar
bends up from the leverage. I could reinforce it but it's a good
visible indicator of overload.

jsw