Mine was $25 at a junk yard. It sits flush with the air dam and not 5 or 6 inches below and it's welded on. If I were to break the welds then I would put it back on with a multi-layer weld and call it good. Mine had a 1/8" plate on top of the receiver tube so I just put some more plate on it all the way to each end and gobbed on the weld. I've used it for moving trailers around the yard and yanking trees up a muddy hill more than anything else. I tried to pull a stump out and had my truck hopping every time it hit the end of the chain but the hitch was fine.
I like the dual battery idea, while you're at it you could get a little air compressor and put fittings on both ends of the truck for mobile air along with having a tank to run some piddle inducing horns.

If you can't find the second battery tray then give these guys a call http://www.mintonmotorsinc.com/ They might have one.