Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 10:47:49 -0400
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: kelphoto@bright.net (mark keller)
Subject: RE: Need Reciever Hitch 82 Diesel Westy For Hitch Haul Basket
Dennis,
I received your post on how my hitch mounting.
The hitch is welded to beefed up bumper mounts, which are bolted the to
rear box beams in the standard fashion. The Bolts are 7/16" grade 5
stainless, and there are two on each beam. The torque value is about 100ft
lbs per bolt and the stock bumper mounts slide in the van's box beam and
rest on the beam. The bolts keep the bumper mounts from sliding in and
out, the weight is borne mainly by the mounts contact with the beam and the
bolts keeping the mounts from rotating up the fraction of an inch or so
until the end of the mount would contact the top on the inner box beam.
So I'm no engineer, but whatever the the clamping power of the bolts
amounts to along with the surface area of the original bumper mounts etc,
is the minimum strength we attained. My welder replace the mounts original
spot weld with a continuous MIG weld bead at all seams. Further he added a
2" x 3/16" wall tube between the bumper mounts. He then welded aabout a 2"
right triangle shaped steel plate from each mount to the tube. Trust this
sucker is burly. It will hold the weight.
The hitch hauler comes in two flavors. 1 1/4" with a 350 lb rating and a 2"
receiver with a 500 LB rating. BTW when towing the recommed tonge weight
is 7-10 percent of the towed trailer, assumeing a single axel setup of
course. I stay at 5-7 percent personally. The weight rating ie 1200 lbs is
not I repeat not the tonge weight restriction. This restriction, for saftey
deals with the reserver braking force of your tow vehicles brakes, cooling
and power aside for the momment. So if your pulling a "max" allowable
1200lb trailer, recommed tonge weight would be 84 - 120lbs. Personally I
would be in the 75 to 85 lb weight range. The real beef needs to be in the
hitche's cross bar when you have to "slam on the brakes"
Whoops looka at the time. Verbosity strikes! I gotta go!
Mark Keller
91 Carat WLE
LAZARUS Can be seen at http://www.infinet.com/~oshaug/vw/
>Is your hitch bolted with two or three bolts on each side to the body? If you
>are only using the factory mounting holes, you will destroy them if you use
>the hitch to carry any dead weight such as a luggage carrier.
>
>Dennis
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu On Behalf Of mark keller
>Sent: Thursday, August 14, 1997 5:05 PM
>To: Multiple recipients of list
>Subject: Re: Need Reciever Hitch 82 Diesel Westy For Hitch Haul Basket
>
>Yo Mark,
>
>Hey I caught your post on the hitch hauler/ receiver hitch request.
>I just got it done. But in case somebody is interested I'll tell the story.
>
> I wanted to install a receiver hitch and Hitch Hauler for my 91 Carat BUT
>the 5" receiver portion is to long to hide completely beneath the bumper's
>dripline, water that is, otherwise the install is ok.
>
>I had the hitch builder EXTEND the bumper mounting flanges 2" and shorten
>the reciever to 4 1/4". This means that the bumper now is 2" further from
>the van, and that the entire hitch will "hide" sans the receiver, behind
>the fiberglass bumper cover. That last point is a good reason to install a
>hitch alone.
>
> The fiberglass bumper cover on the rear is a cosmetic device. The factory
>isn't required to install a crash beam on the rear of trucks. So the
>vanagon has no rear crash beam, but a a cosmetic doodad bumper cover. I
>just had a list member photo the setup, so it can be posted on the net.
>
>Mark Keller
>91' Carat WLE
>"Lazarus"
>
>
>>Volks,
>>I saw that someone on the list was fabbing up some nice reciever hitches
>>that connect to the frame for our Vanagons. I am in need of one
>>w/hopefully a 2" reciever (1&1/4" will work). I will install a Hitch
>>Haul basket carrier on this unit for extra gear on the Diesel Westy.
>>Also, anyone done this?
>>Mark B. Magee
>>87 GL
>>82 Diesel Westy
>>Kemah TX
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