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Crafting a trailer hitch to pull a small trailer
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Jeredhedrick
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 3:57 pm    Post subject: Crafting a trailer hitch to pull a small trailer Reply with quote

Sorry if duplicate....

I'm looking at building my own teardrop trailer and want to pull it with my bug.

When I got my bug the rear bumper was smashed into the deck lid so it went bye bye. I now am running t bars.

Is there a trailer hitch that will fit without an oem bumper?

If I were to build my own. I wonder if the 2 bolts on each t bar would even remotely pull a 400-500 pound trailer.
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Miklo
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some trailer hitches I have seen for Bugs attach to the rear torsion housing and frame horns like this one for sale here in the classifieds.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1472916

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OLD VW NUT
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Never seen the style above before...

The only style I know of uses the rear bumper to brace the hitch from moving up and down. It takes very little strain - most is transmitted directly to the frame horns. I had one on a 71 super - put a lot of miles on it with my kids camping in the great NW back in the 70's and 80's. Pulled an itsy bitsy wood slabbed trailer. The same ones you see in Harbor Freight and other places - minus the wood sides which I fashioned. The combo worked pretty good. It got the weight of the camping gear off the car - and made for more room inside the car while traveling. I was able to take our bikes and all the camping gear to make life comfortable while away from home.

Edit:

Something like this would work:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1447296

You'd have to fashion a brace from one t-bar to the other to bolt it to the hitch to keep it from moving up and down but it should work fine since the t-bars are bolted to the same place as the standard bumper. Seems like those hitches are good to 1000 pounds IIRC - I wouldn't pull that much weight with an ACVW but thats me.
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hitest
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

VeeDubDoug is right- you need to distribute the load further forward under the car than simply a T-bar mount allows. You will have wind drag to consider before using a hitch that relies on four 13mm bolts. I pulled one off my '63 bug that looks like the one pictured- but it was braced at the rear bumper. Other important considerations you do not bring up are suspension (stock or lowered?) and exhaust style.
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shakers73
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BNMvBnm14o
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Multi69s
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also, another consideration is brakes. VW brakes are not the best in the world and do only a fairly good job at stopping the car alone. On my Baja, I made a Very sturdy bumper to pull a small trailer to haul my dirt bikes. However, after driving it a little bit, I found that the brakes were lacking. I ended up putting electric trailer brakes on the trailer and a controller in the car. Now I feel safe to drive it.
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goober
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a home made trailer and hitch I have that attaches to the frame horns (and butts up against the engine/trans mount cross-over for pull) on my '69 or '70 Bugs. I've hauled a little over 200 lbs in this trailer and the trailer weights a little over 100 lbs. I travel up to 55 mph. The car and trailer handles and brakes well. I have no idea what its weight-limits might be.

I've noticed an indent on the small round of the frame horns where the small round u-bolts contact the horns. (I might have did that when I stood on the ball of the hitch to see how strong it was - I weight 220 lbs) I need to weld a curved piece onto the small u-bolts to fit the horns better. The 'boom' with ball, bolts to the horns 'H' mount and is removable. The 'boom' is about 43" long, just clears the engine and the ball ends up between the stacks. The mount and 'boom' are made out of about 1/2" X 2" mild steel I had laying around. The three 'boom' bolts are 1/2" grade 8 while the horn u-bolts are 1/2" mild threaded rod bent and welded either side along their length. The flat 'boom' has a 1" X 1/2" piece welded underneath down most of its length and forms a "T". I drilled the 'boom' full of 7/16" holes to lighten it up.

Sorry about the crappy pics. The only digital camera I have is on my lap-top and it sucks. The ball looks bent in the pic but it isn't. I made the hitch but not the trailer.



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