Abstract: A lifting device for attachment to a vehicle trailer hitch or the like. The device includes a hitch bar for attachment to the trailer hitch. A lateral extension arm is mounted on the hitch bar and a riser arm is rotatably mounted to the lateral extension arm. A boom arm is mounted on the riser arm, the boom arm having load attachment elements for attaching a load thereto. Also provided is a rotating element attached to the lateral extension arm and the boom arm for rotating the riser arm about the lateral extension arm to raise and lower the riser arm relative to the hitch bar. Raising and lowering of the riser arm moves the boom arm to transcribe a predetermined arc lying in a vertical plane. It is preferred to have the hitch bar centered on a platform centerline wherein the vertical plane intersects the centerline. The predetermined arc may be from about 130 degrees to about 150 degrees, and preferably 140 degrees, with respect to the bed of the vehicle.