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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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 Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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| Bills85Westy wrote: |
I have one of these but use it on the rear of the van. I've seen them used on the front, but yes, with a full size bike, it was right in the field of view.
I've driven all over the Sierras with my bike. Love this rack.
(note that the one strap up and two straps down on each side are not supporting the bike, but keeping it from wobbling side to side) |
Nice! I bet that bike weighs at least 300lb.
What trailer hitch setup are you using?
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
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h00drat
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2016
Posts: 881
Location: Hood River
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:30 pm Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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| vanis13 wrote: |
| Yeah that is a great rack. For the front it is counterproductive since it has to deal with full extension of the shocks. It would almost be beneficial for the front to compress the shocks to improve clearance below and view above. |
Talked to my fabricator friend last night and he agree'd. On the front, it would be ideal to strap it down to the point that the suspension is compressed a bit, improving line of sight.
The WR250R has over 10" of travel, so I could definitely get it squat a bit.
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<<Tyler>>
1987.5 Wolfsburg Weekender / CHC / 2.0 ABA
CHC Top Thread
Engine Conversion Thread (2.0 ABA Swap)
ABA Swap - Image Gallery
Auto Trans Rebuild - Image Gallery |
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yosteveo
Samba Member
Joined: May 09, 2020
Posts: 7
Location: Ontario
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| Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 5:40 pm Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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Built it!! thanks For many tips from all the posters! |
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Bulli Klinik
Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2005
Posts: 2079
Location: Bulli Klinik, Colorado Springs
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:01 am Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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I've never met a Bus I didn't like.
Mike K
Bulli Klinik
Colorado Springs |
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yosteveo
Samba Member
Joined: May 09, 2020
Posts: 7
Location: Ontario
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 1:45 pm Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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| i had to cut down the bike carrier for line of sight on my fabbed version, your in-bumper build is sweet! |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32638
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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yosteveo
Samba Member
Joined: May 09, 2020
Posts: 7
Location: Ontario
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:47 pm Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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| i had to modifiy the spare tire carrier, cut the 90deg off, drilled and tapped and rebolted the carrier to my hitch, it actually couldn't have worked out better! building a dirt bike carrier next,,, stay tuned,, |
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vanis13
Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2010
Posts: 3101
Location: ABQ NM USA.... Except when not
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:56 pm Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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Here's something I put together.
Bolt on - existing holes only 
Side receivers for motorcycle/stable platform.
Raised upper hitch for clearance
I have (somewhere) the physical templates I created for this.
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace
www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make |
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kjono09
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 191
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 5:38 pm Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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Does anyone know if there access to inside the front steel bumper. What I don’t understand is that if you drill holes into it to mount a front hitch, how do you control the fasteners on the other side. Or is the metal thick enough to just tap and use at the “nut” to secure a hold down bolt(s)?
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67 Bug 2007cc (WBX in progress) (Davey)
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9620
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2020 7:55 am Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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The sheet metal is “thick” there...... but not thick enough.
Normally you want the thickness of the threaded material to be appx equal to the diameter of the bolt.
So for a tiny M6 bolt (10mm wrench) you’d want material about 6mm thick.
The sub-bumper metal is about 2mm thick, about 2 threads.
See some sub-bumper drilling info & pics here:
Building a towbar to carry on the Vanagon
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb
Last edited by Sodo on Mon Aug 31, 2020 1:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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vanis13
Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2010
Posts: 3101
Location: ABQ NM USA.... Except when not
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 10:33 am Post subject: Re: FRONT Trailer Hitch, how to make one |
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| kjono09 wrote: |
| Does anyone know if there access to inside the front steel bumper. What I don’t understand is that if you drill holes into it to mount a front hitch, how do you control the fasteners on the other side. Or is the metal thick enough to just tap and use at the “nut” to secure a hold down bolt(s)? |
On the one I built (pic above), all connection points have nut access inside and bolts go through existing holes.
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace
www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make |
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