TheSamba.com :: View topic - THE Westfalia Tralier Hitch Thread (MANY pics!)

Tue Feb 18, 2020 11:36 pm

I did end up using both upper bolts. One goes through both sides to a nut and the other threads into a captive nut inside the beam of the body. Holes should be there already in a T2b.

Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:34 am

Anyone know anything about this 313-021 westy hitch? Will this fit a 78 bay? Looks like it may not work with the stock exhaust on the 78, but not so sure.

Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:43 am

Danam404 wrote: Anyone know anything about this 313-021 westy hitch?
Will not fit to any VW or bay window.
This is made for Mercedes-Benz W108 (1965–1972) cars.

Westfalia hitch for bay windows are only:
08.1967 - 08.1971 --- 321 022 --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1971 - 07.1972 --- 321 067 --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1972 - 07.1976 --- 321 073 B --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
??.1976 - ??.1976 --- 321 073 C --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1976 - 07.1979 --- 321 125 --- max 1800 kg (4000 lbs)

(detailed documents at my website https://www.vw-t2-bulli.de/de-books-documents-hitch.html)

Regards,

Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:45 am

rsbadura wrote: Danam404 wrote: Anyone know anything about this 313-021 westy hitch?
Will not fit to any VW and bay window.
This is made for Mercedes-Benz W108 (1965–1972) cars.

Regards,

ah-ha. this makes more sense. its in the bay window classifieds but I couldn't find any further documentation.

Tue Oct 13, 2020 9:46 am

Hello
here are some pictures of my bus tow hitch
my 69 Clipper-L was equipped with strange rear brackets when I bought it... :-k

many years later, I found this PEKA hitch that perfectly matches the brackets (even though it is stamped 71). \:D/
cool

Now I can tow some oldies... 8)

In respect of the title, I put a lot of pictures :lol: :lol: :lol:

Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:23 am

rsbadura wrote: Danam404 wrote: Anyone know anything about this 313-021 westy hitch?
Will not fit to any VW or bay window.
This is made for Mercedes-Benz W108 (1965–1972) cars.

Westfalia hitch for bay windows are only:
08.1967 - 08.1971 --- 321 022 --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1971 - 07.1972 --- 321 067 --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1972 - 07.1976 --- 321 073 B --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
??.1976 - ??.1976 --- 321 073 C --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1976 - 07.1979 --- 321 125 --- max 1800 kg (4000 lbs)

(detailed documents at my website https://www.vw-t2-bulli.de/de-books-documents-hitch.html)

Regards,

The two I have. One on the 74 one on the 77 Westfalias.

Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:13 am

Now for the tougher question- does anyone know where I may locate a 321-125 to purchase?

Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:30 am

Danam404 wrote: Now for the tougher question- does anyone know where I may locate a 321-125 to purchase?

I had to scour the German eBay for over a year to get the two I have. Pay someone to get them and ship them to the US. Not an easy task.

Or, you may get lucky and see one for sale here, look at the ad and think :-k dayum, thats a lot for a old hitch. Then never see one again. :lol:

When and if you see a fellow VW lover that lives in Europe - befriend them. They are your best bet.

Lastly, pay to have one made. Or buy the one you already saw in the classifieds.

Thu Oct 15, 2020 8:10 am

Djoul wrote: Hello
here are some pictures of my bus tow hitch
my 69 Clipper-L was equipped with strange rear brackets when I bought it... :-k

many years later, I found this PEKA hitch that perfectly matches the brackets (even though it is stamped 71). \:D/
cool
Now I can tow some oldies...
That is a very nice Peka hitch

Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:44 am

otiswesty wrote: Djoul wrote: Hello
here are some pictures of my bus tow hitch
my 69 Clipper-L was equipped with strange rear brackets when I bought it... :-k

many years later, I found this PEKA hitch that perfectly matches the brackets (even though it is stamped 71). \:D/
cool
Now I can tow some oldies...
That is a very nice Peka hitch

indeed....great story to find the hitch that matches the brackets years later.

Thu Oct 15, 2020 11:56 am

notchboy wrote: When and if you see a fellow VW lover that lives in Europe - befriend them. They are your best bet.
Agreed. I have two, and they have been a great help.

One is a guy I met at a conference who had a bus on his laptop background. Turns out we knew many people in common. He has been uberhelpful dealing with German merchants who don't want to mess with US customers.

The other actually contacted me first, contacting me about one of my old buses (named Cassandra). He did some research on a '76 Westy he had purchased and determined that it was the same one! Now he says i can come to Germany and take it camping any time I want.

Now, if we can just get past this COVID crap... WEAR A MASK!

Thu Oct 15, 2020 5:23 pm

jtauxe wrote: notchboy wrote: When and if you see a fellow VW lover that lives in Europe - befriend them. They are your best bet.
Agreed. I have two, and they have been a great help.

One is a guy I met at a conference who had a bus on his laptop background. Turns out we knew many people in common. He has been uberhelpful dealing with German merchants who don't want to mess with US customers.

The other actually contacted me first, contacting me about one of my old buses (named Cassandra). He did some research on a '76 Westy he had purchased and determined that it was the same one! Now he says i can come to Germany and take it camping any time I want.

Now, if we can just get past this COVID crap... WEAR A MASK!

I read today that one vaccine will have completed efficacy tests in the next 10 - 15 days. Another will complete them first week of November. That does not mean they will be available, nor will they meet the standard needed to be approved. According to the NYT there are 6 vaccines approved for early and limited use already not including the Chinese and Russians.

That said - wear a mask, carry sanitizer or alcohol and use it. We wash our hands with the alcohol often when we are shopping and opening freezer doors etc., use a alcohol spray bottle to spray the car mats when we get back in the car. Don't want to carry it home on our shoes. What good does a mask do if you track it all over the house on your shoes.

This is an interesting thread. We may get a small trailer to go with our bus if we use it to tour the USA before selling it. I made several trips in my 1971 and it was nice to have a small tent trailer that we pulled with it. Not much weight and lots of extra room and storage.

Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:24 am

www.paruzzi.com/nl/volkswagen/diversen/trekhaken/24053/

or
https://reprowesty.com/product/vw-t2b-westfalia-trekhaak/

Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:29 am

or this:
https://bus-ok.nl/Type2-bay-windows-tow-bar-set-new-871-779-Exclusive-with-TUeV

Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:09 pm

Got lucky. Found a ‘79 321-125 in great shape on eBay UK. Struck a deal with the owner and he shipped it across the pond. Arrived in 3 days via UPS, and ended up on my 1978 this evening.

Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:52 pm

You looked.
You found.
You bought.
You good 8)

Welcome to the club brother.

Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:25 pm

Nice color on that bus too. Well kept.

Sun May 16, 2021 9:54 am

Djoul wrote: Hello
here are some pictures of my bus tow hitch
my 69 Clipper-L was equipped with strange rear brackets when I bought it... :-k

many years later, I found this PEKA hitch that perfectly matches the brackets (even though it is stamped 71). \:D/
cool

Now I can tow some oldies... 8)

In respect of the title, I put a lot of pictures :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thank you for posting such detailed pictures; I bought the middle section of this identical hitch last year and now I have a plan on how to fabricate the brackets :)

Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:43 am

rsbadura wrote: Here some pics of my original mounted Westfalia hitch Type 321 125 (8.1976-7.1979, up to 1800kg/4000lbs trailing load) before and after restoration (same hitch and same bus after 2 years of garage duty):

Westfalia hitch for bay windows are only:

08.1967 - 08.1971 --- 321 022 --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1971 - 07.1972 --- 321 067 --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1972 - 07.1976 --- 321 073 B --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
??.1976 - ??.1976 --- 321 073 C --- max 1200 kg (2650 lbs)
08.1976 - 07.1979 --- 321 125 --- max 1800 kg (4000 lbs)

(detailed documents at my website https://www.vw-t2-bulli.de/de-books-documents-hitch.html)

Regards,
_________________

Rolf-Stephan Badura

It was interesting to note Rolf-Stephan Badura’s observations about his Westfalia Type 321 125 towing hitch. I have one of these dating from 1978 in my garage, which I bought second-hand, more than 20 years ago, in the auto jumble section of the Essex VW Club Show, about 15 miles from my home in Essex, England. The trailer-towing hitch's identification plate reads:

WESTFALIA–WERKE–WIEDENBRÜCK

Bez.: Kupplungskugel mit Halterung

Typ: 321 125

Bauj.: 1978

Prüfz F3189

Zul. Ges. gew. des Kfz. kg 2500

Für kfz. gem. b. Anbauanwg. ; Stützl. Kuppelpkt. 50 kg

Gepr. für 1800 kg Anhängelast

At the time of purchase, my Westfalia Type 321 125 towing hitch had a 1974~79 VW Type 2 rear bumper (just three bumper-to-bracket square fixing holes per side, unlike the four on my 1973 VW Type 2 rear bumper!) attached to it, so I presumed it would be compatible with all 1973~79 model-years of VW Type 2 vehicles, including my British specification, right-hand-drive, 1973 model-year (manufactured during late-August or early-September 1972), VW 1600 Type 2 Westfalia Continental motor-caravan.

However, several months later, when I attempted a trial fitment of the Westfalia Type 321 125 towing hitch to the longitudinal chassis members of my 1973 VW "1600" Type 2, the fixing holes in the towing hitch did NOT properly align with the three pre-threaded holes in the underside of each the longitudinal chassis members, of which two are normally used for each of the rear-bumper attachment brackets. I also noted some other anomalies, regarding the separation distances between the fixing holes.

Having no reason to believe that my vehicle had at any time been involved in a rear-end collision of any kind, which might have displaced or distorted the longitudinal chassis members, I was somewhat puzzled by this!

Is there a significant difference between the forms or locations, of the VW Type 2’s longitudinal chassis members, of model-years 1973~76 (i.e. 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1976) and 1977~79 (i.e. 1st August 1976 to 31st July 1979) which would account for this apparent incompatibility with my vehicle?

Examining the list of available Westfalia towing hitches, it appears that the one appropriate to my vehicle, is of Type 321 073 B, having a maximum towing capacity of 1•2 tonnes = 1200 kg (i.e. 2645 lbs).

One of the things that I shall need to resolve is the fitting of two 7-pin (N & S type) and/or 13-pin towing electrical sockets to cover all eventualities.

At the moment, I am in the process of acquiring a second-hand, French-made, ERDÉ 142, un-braked, general-purpose & camping trailer, of 600 kg maximum all-up weight & circa 505 kg payload, which at some time in the future, I hope to tow with both my 1973 VW “1600” Type 2 and 1974 BLMC Triumph Toledo 1300 “HL Special”.

www.erdetrailer.co.uk

www.erdetrailer.co.uk/erde-leisure-trailers/#142

www.erdetrailer.co.uk/erde-142-overview/

www.erdetrailer.co.uk/erde-142-trailer-specification/

Sun Jun 27, 2021 10:24 pm

Hey Nigel, let me now if you want to sell the hitch. Shipping from UK is no problem.
I may be able to help you find the correct one for your bus as well.