At 09:26 AM 2/25/2000 , Steven Shane wrote: >Woody, Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the BusDepot hitch is a FINE solution >for all those who just need a TWO inch European Ball hitch (Whatever >"European Ball" means...) The European method is a vertical plate on the hitch to which you bolt whatever ball etc. you want. Easier to deal with in principle than our non-receiver hitches b/c it uses two ordinary hex bolts instead of a threaded stem on the ball with a gigundo nut. But the ball itself is undoubtedly more expensive as it has to grow at 90 degrees out of a mounting plate, and also not available in the US.
> But I do know that if you get a hitch with a 2" >receiver hitch (IE. a 2 inch square that you can install anything into) To amplify a little, the hitch ends in a square tube into which you insert a stub of bar having the ball or other device mounted on it. It's held in with a bolt or hitch pin through the middle. Easy to change balls or whatever, sometimes they rattle when unloaded (and folks can steal them too, so I think most people remove them btw uses and stick a cover plate on the receiver to keep out the crud). To add this to the Bus Depot or other European-type hitch, you have to make up a plate with a square tube sticking out of it to bolt onto the hitch. Some member had one made commercially for about $70 as I recall. But a lot of folks never need a receiver hitch. The possible snag is that some light trailers use a 1 3/4 inch ball -- if you need one of those then you need either another European ball or a receiver, or change the hitch on the trailer. >Balls, bike racks, tire mounts, you name it) You have a lot more >versatility. And yes, you can have a 2 inch square receiver welded on to the >BusDepot hitch, but by then it costs the same as the Dennis hitch. (see >original post) so you may as well just do it right the first time and never >worry. > >As far as the bumper needing to be cut slightly to install the VW/BusDepot >hitch, I have no idea. Yes, it does. Same same. In fact Dennis's hitch sounds very similar in principle to the SA hitch, mounts the same way etc., replacing the original bumper mounts. The SA one has VW's stamp of approval, if that matters to you. I have one of the SA hitches -- *very* robust construction, mounts with existing holes in the tube that (used to hold) the stock bumper mounts, then the bumper mounts to the hitch. Has cages for captive nuts on the mounting bars -- on mine I had to move a couple of them to get the nuts to register properly. Pretty easy for me to grind off the tack welds and reweld them in proper place, but could be a problem with no welding gear -- doable, but a nuisance. This hitch has no attachment for safety chains, have to add one. Again easy with welding gear, needs a bit of ingenuity without. david
David Beierl - Providence, RI http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/ '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage" '85 GL "Poor Relation" |
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