Date: Mon, 17 May 1999 11:01:38 -0400
Reply-To: David Beierl <synergx@IBM.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Beierl <synergx@IBM.NET>
Subject: Re: Bus Depot Trailer Hitch
In-Reply-To: <000101bea06c$a2fc2be0$4b498dd1@the-bus-depot>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
At 09:53 5/17/99 -0400, you wrote:
> > This is NOT anything like a normal 2" hitch (just in case you
> > were hoping it was)
Well, Ron clearly said it was not, so if you are still hoping you're an
optimist. <g>
> > The unit is shipped without packaging -- therefore it arrived totally
> > scratched up (i.e. gouged down to bare metal) via UPS.
> > I will need to paint it thoroughly before installing it.
I have the opposite problem -- the hitch is fine, but I'm having trouble
getting the shipping label off it <g>. Guess I'll leave it on.
> > The mounting brackets are less substantial than stock
> > This means to me that the bumper is even less securely
> > mounted than the stock setup
Well, they use three small bolts instead of two big bolts. Kinda hard to
judge by eye which is stronger, I think.
> > No receiving nuts are supplied for the inserts -- you will need
> > to track down six of these to complete the installation
What I got was 6 M10 bolts with washers and selflocking nuts for the frame
attachment, three on each side. Two shorter M10 bolts with washers and
lockwashers to attach the brackets to the ends of the hitch. And two
monster bolts with locking nuts to attach the ball to its mounting
plate. So far so good. What is missing is anything to attach the bumper
to the brackets. No big deal, M10s are easy to get hereabouts.
>Interestingly, when Dan and Jeremy attached the hitch to my Vanagon for
>testing purposes when it arrived, they did so in about 10 minutes with no
>additional hardware whatsoever.
Well, I reckon to need a couple sets of M10 bolts and nuts to mount the
bumper to the hitch (steel/tinfoil bumper). I also need to drill the
bumper b/c the mounting holes in the L-brackets are just barely too far
apart to match the holes in the bumper. I think the choice of drilling
the brackets vs the bumper comes down to which is easier. Come to think of
it, I'll prolly drill the brackets, even though they're a lot
thicker. Pretty sure there's enough length on the ends of them. Haven't
yet figured for sure which way those brackets mount (they can mount so that
the bumper-mounting face is either above or below the midline of the hitch
tube). I hope to have the thing mounted today.
david
David Beierl - dbeierl@ibm.net