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domromer Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2009 Posts: 177 Location: Clearwater, Florida
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 6:36 am Post subject: Looking for a tow hitch for my 81 vanagon |
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For some reason I'm not finding much. I need a tow hitch with a two inch receiver for towing my little 12ft sailboat and hooking up a bike rack. I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.
The only one I found was on the go westy site but it say's not compatible with the air cooled vanagons. _________________ 1981 Aircooled Vanagon
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dsrphotography/
http://www.dustybootsphotography.com/ |
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syncrodoka Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005 Posts: 12008 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 6:39 am Post subject: |
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Have you seen burley's bumper hitch? |
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domromer Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2009 Posts: 177 Location: Clearwater, Florida
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32632 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15144 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:11 am Post subject: |
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quality costs $$$ ya gotta pay to play
you can always get the cheaper one that hooks to the eyelets on the bumper brackets. but it's not rated for as much pull/tongue.
I had a friend want one for his Bay bus. sure we can work it out.
gave him a materials list, had him measure cut, I welded and then mounted..
took him/us all day.. still cost more $ than he'd have preferred.. _________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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domromer Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2009 Posts: 177 Location: Clearwater, Florida
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15144 Location: Syracuse, NY
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domromer Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2009 Posts: 177 Location: Clearwater, Florida
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15144 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:50 am Post subject: |
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tow loops are all the same..
looks like they list it as 90 and up only.
watch your tongue weight..
w/o a drop down lower support bar (to engine cradle) they can twist if given a heavy load. _________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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syncrodoka Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005 Posts: 12008 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:51 am Post subject: |
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For a cheap hitch with a 2" receiver you are going to have to fire up your welder and DIY. Hopefully your structural welds are good. |
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Westified Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2012 Posts: 402 Location: Miami, FL
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:31 am Post subject: Re: Looking for a tow hitch for my 81 vanagon |
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domromer wrote: |
For some reason I'm not finding much. I need a tow hitch with a two inch receiver for towing my little 12ft sailboat and hooking up a bike rack. I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.
The only one I found was on the go westy site but it say's not compatible with the air cooled vanagons. |
I have a hitch you can have for free, just pay the shipping from Miami. It is identical to the Curt hitch Danfromsyr has the link to. I have towed a 2100 lb Boston whaler 16 miles to the dealer and back. I wouldn't recommend that much weight. I only did that once. My 1.9 floored could only do 50 mph. Usually just tow a 15 ft aluminum skiff, boat, motor and trailer weight 800 lbs no problem. Hauled the skiff to the keys and Everglades numerous times. You can bolt a 2x2 inch sleeve into the ball mount hole for a bike rack. Yakima used to sell the sleeve. PM me if you are interested.
You can probably use this to adapt it for bike carriers but I am not sure you could tow a boat with it. http://www.amazon.com/Swagman-RV-2-Bumper-Adaptor/...NXFZJBS2CP _________________ 1984 Westy Wolfsburg, owned since 1987. FAS 2.0 NA engine conversion in 2022. |
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Dana Champion Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012 Posts: 633 Location: Ventura County, CA
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 10:02 am Post subject: |
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I had a shop fabricate a hitch for my '81 Westfalia back in '91, so I could haul a small Coleman tent trailer to Mammoth Mountain. Ready made hitches were not as common back then. If all else fails have one made, "custom like" |
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domromer Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2009 Posts: 177 Location: Clearwater, Florida
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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danfromsyr wrote: |
tow loops are all the same..
looks like they list it as 90 and up only.
watch your tongue weight..
w/o a drop down lower support bar (to engine cradle) they can twist if given a heavy load. |
Is there a reason these hitches don't have receivers? Is it an issue of clearance? _________________ 1981 Aircooled Vanagon
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dsrphotography/
http://www.dustybootsphotography.com/ |
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0to60in6min Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2006 Posts: 3417 Location: OR & CA (Oregon/California)
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domromer Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2009 Posts: 177 Location: Clearwater, Florida
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hdenter Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008 Posts: 2754 Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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The other problem with the Go Westy/Van-Café receiver hitch is that it is braced to the engine or the mustache bar. If someone taps you in the rear the blow is transferred directly to your engine. Not a good idea in my book!
Hans _________________ '79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15144 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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it's so that you don't over load it and use it for a purpose that it isn't designed to handle.
this is a class-I hitch. very light weight utility use..
a bike rack on one of these in a receiver will create far too much cantilevered leverage and twist the tow loop eyelets.
some have added a 2" receiver to the class-I hitch, but you are on your own for safety and practical application there. no warranties and no safety assurances. also it's all on you if there's a failure that damages or kills someone elses property/self
your options are
$ used
$$ cheap class-I
$$$ DIY
$$$$ custom
domromer wrote: |
danfromsyr wrote: |
tow loops are all the same..
looks like they list it as 90 and up only.
watch your tongue weight..
w/o a drop down lower support bar (to engine cradle) they can twist if given a heavy load. |
Is there a reason these hitches don't have receivers? Is it an issue of clearance? |
_________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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