Tony, that design would work very well, but unfortunately there are 2 mailboxes in close proximity to one another. The pivot would slam one into the other. I saw that design last year and it looked relatively easy to make too, but not with 2 side by side.
JKB, I must have misread the specs. If a shear plate style will work, that is good enough for me.
I could also camo it by taking 1x6's and screwing 4 together to make it look like a wood post.....
and NO, I don't think a RR tie would be any better but it might have made it more legal if the metal post wasn't allowed.
I really don't like going over old stuff, but you could at least build a wall in front of your mailbox from a couple of 4x4 posts and some deck boards, so when the snow hit's it from the plow, the mailbox will be there in the morning.
They do that all over here, but there are also a lot of steel structures as well.
