Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (May 1999, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
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
Comments: To: The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
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


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.