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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.
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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: 12005
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: 32563
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15141
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..
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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: 15141
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: 15141
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.
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| Abscate wrote: |
| These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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syncrodoka
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005
Posts: 12005
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
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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: 3416
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: 2753
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
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'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15141
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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