Date:         Fri, 17 Aug 2001 13:45:25 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Towing Hitch Solution
In-Reply-To:  <000a01c1273a$4aafb4a0$14a6fea9@900b>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> Ron of BustDepot fame markets a very fine hitch system that bolts in place
> of the rather flimsy metal backing for the 1989? and up composite bumpers.
> It is specifically manufactured for the vanagon and can probably
> be found on his website.
>
> I modified mine to accept a 2" receiver.  The cost was on the order of 300
> USD including the modification.  I seem to recall the hitch unit
> was around 150USD but check with busdepot.



Good timing!

I just got these back in stock today, after a one year (!!!) backorder from
the manufacturer. (I'd begun to think it had been discontinued!)  It is
genuine VW/South Africa, designed specifically for the Vanagon, and
extremely heavy duty. It fits all Vanagons, and replaces the bumper
brackets.  Goes deep into the frame and essentially becomes part of the
frame. This is one serious hitch - nothing like the flimsy ones sold in the
US that attach to the tow hooks. The price is $162 with listmember discount.
Below this email is a copy of my original post about it about 2 years ago.

Also, I now have bike racks that are specially designed to attach to this
hitch, right where the ball goes. This is a nice add-on, and will accept two
(or is it three???) bicycles, without having to attach anything to your rear
hatch.   They will not be on the website for a few days so you'll have to
email or order by phone if you want one.  Price is $129.95.  I only have 10
available, and no more coming for about 6 months.

And, for anyone with a Eurovan or a '72-79 bus, I now have European made
versions of this hitch for those vehicles as well. Not quite as
"bulletproof" as the Vanagon one but still far superior to what's available
at present.

There are a few other goodies on the container as well.  Details to follow
once we get it all sorted and checked in; it only just got released from
customs and delivered to us this morning.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

-----------------------------------------------------

(from Vanagon list about 2 yrs ago...)

TRAILER HITCHES:  These were a real find!  They are genuine
Volkswagen/South Africa, and are heavier duty than anything I've ever seen
here in the U.S.  The whole setup simply replaces your stock bumper mounts,
then tucks inside your bumper (which bolts to it using the stock bumper
mount holes).  If you look at your stock bumper mounts you'll see that they
insert directly into two steel "tubes" that are part of the Vanagon frame.
This hitch goes right into the frame the same way, except that it extends
much deeper into the frame tubes than the bumper bracket did. It bolts to
the frame using the same bolt holes that your stock bumper brackets used.
The frame of the tow hitch hides inside the cavity of your rear bumper.  Two
sets of bumper brackets are included that attach your bumper to it, one for
the metal bumper and one for the plastic "wolfsburg" bumper.  In both cases
you will have to notch the bottom of the bumper (where you can't see it) in
order to make it clear the hitch mount (something you have to do on the
light-duty U.S. Vanagon hitches I've seen as well).  It initially looked to
me like you'd have to drill a hole in the included bracket for use with the
metal vanagon bumper, but my associates at Just Kampers in the UK, who have
been selling these for a while, tell me I must have looked at it wrong and
that you don't need to drill a hole.  Once installed, the hitch is nearly
invisible except for the roughly 6" rectangular mount that the hitch ball
attaches to, which sits below the bumper (almost flush with it).  It is
painted black but could also be painted to match your Vanagon.  These
bumpers use the European style mount for the tow ball, which is different
from the tow balls used here.  A 2" ball is included.  Only the way the ball
mounts to the hitch is different; the way the trailer attaches to it is the
same as on a US tow ball.  These hitches don't have a load rating like the
U.S. ones do, so all warnings about using common sense apply.  But looking
at this one compared to the standard aftermarket U.S. made hitch on my '89
Westy (which is rated at 1500 lbs and 150 lb tongue weight), this hitch is
TREMENDOUSLY more substantial.  I suspect that the limiting factor here will
be how much you can safely tow with your Vanagon, not the hitch. Remember,
these are actually Volkswagen tested and approved for use on the Vanagon,
unlike any hitch sold in the U.S. before.