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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2018 4:07 am Post subject: Trailer Hitch...... for Ghia to tow a trailer |
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I am planning way ahead into the future.
I know we will use this Ghia (when finished) for weekend trips out to Pennsylvania (100 miles one way).
There is zero freeway travel, all State, County or Local roads, over the Delaware River on a historic Roebling Suspension Bridge even an old one lane Wooden Covered Bridge as we get near. Top speed? 45 MPH.
Right now we take either the Prius with a rear square 1 1/4" receiver luggage rack (50+ mpg's), or we take the Vanagon, (15 mpg's), or we take the Ford F-150 (11 mpg's).
We most often take the Prius!
Between the dog (Golden Retriever, the back seat is his..... and his alone! ...... period!), the crap we lug out and the crap we lug home (usually much less but includes the weekends trash(illegal interstate transport of household waste) we will need a bit more space than just what behind the seat and the front trunk provide.
A very small trailer, motorcycle like, will be perfect.
A hitch is not currently sold Stateside that I can locate.
Curt sells an 11652 but that is for newer big bumper units.
http://www.curtmfg.com/part/11652
I'm on the hunt for a hitch.
I'll probably need to build my own but sadly all the photos here were hosted on PhotoBucket.
Does anyone have photos of their hitch and how it mounts that they could share?
Thanks!
Dave _________________ Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos
Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473
Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537
Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert
Last edited by djkeev on Sun Apr 01, 2018 6:46 am; edited 6 times in total |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2018 4:24 am Post subject: Re: Trailer Hitch...... for Ghia to tow a trailer |
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More images.......
Bruce wrote: |
The ones sold by VWoA attached to the rear ends of the frame horns to provide forward pulling. It also hung from the bumper brackets under the fenders. Finally, it attached to the underside of the bumper to support the tongue weight.
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dougnlina wrote: |
So I picked up the car with the trailer hitch. It is not particularly impressive and I would think it would be less expensive for you to have a local welder make you something similar than to pay for the shipping *(my assumption is you are in Sweden). It is basically a Y shaped bracket that uses U-Bolts to attach to the rear suspension torsion tubes and then goes aft and is welded to stock hitch bracket that has a third U-Bolt that then holds it through two holes drilled into the rear bumper. If you are still interested, it weighs about 30 Lbs and would be coming from Zipcode 94070 in the USA. see attached photos
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Dave _________________ Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos
Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473
Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537
Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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rbsurfguy Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2008 Posts: 1757 Location: Fairfax, Northern Virginia Formerly Huntington Beach, SoCal
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 6:20 am Post subject: Re: Trailer Hitch...... for Ghia to tow a trailer |
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Funny you bringing this topic up, I have never seen one of these tow bars for air coolers. 20+ years ago when I was moving to DC area from California, I wanted to drive my Ghia across the country, but also needed to haul a number of personal items. My dad welded a flat iron bar across and behind the rear bumper, to the bumper brackets, we bolted a trailer hitch/ball to this, and then, try to suppress the gasp, tapped a couple holes into the lower blade of the bumper to secure the hitch/ball. Yes, blasphemy I know, but at the time I didn't realize how valuable Ghia bumpers would become.
Anyway, I hooked up a small trailer, with license plate obtained in California, and off I went. I had no problem pulling it, except for a few windy areas in Arizona and New Mexico. I actually got stopped in Arizona by a trooper who caught me passing a semi moving too slowly. After we talked, he said the main reason he stopped me was because he didn't think the trailer was rated to be towed above 55 MPH because of the tire size. Told me just to watch my speed and have a nice day
Just this last weekend, I had to cut that bar off the bumper brackets because I needed the bracket covers, That bar was still strongly welded after all these years. Wish I would have known an actual trailer hitch was available. I was just surprised my 1776 motor was able to cross the US Southwest in the middle of summer all the way to DC, 3 1/2 days with no problems overheating or any engine trouble along the way! I probably have some hard copy photos I will try to find and post.
Jeff _________________ 1971 Ghia convertible (Body off rebuild)
2019 VW Atlas 4Motion
2012 Passat-Sold
See my build on The Samba at:
Jeff's 71 Vert Restoration/Reassembly http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6...highlight= |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Figment Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2016 Posts: 218 Location: Connecticut, USA
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:44 am Post subject: Re: Trailer Hitch...... for Ghia to tow a trailer |
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DJkeev, my thoughts exactly.
Versatility is one thing, but for me the primary virtue is REMOVABILITY. The hitch is there when you need it, and gone when you don't. _________________ '71 Ghia coupe |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Figment Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2016 Posts: 218 Location: Connecticut, USA
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 5:06 am Post subject: Re: Trailer Hitch...... for Ghia to tow a trailer |
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Ok, but then reinstall or otherwise reconstitute the safety chain loops. Those are there for a reason. _________________ '71 Ghia coupe |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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KGCoupe Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2005 Posts: 3580 Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 10:06 am Post subject: Re: Trailer Hitch...... for Ghia to tow a trailer |
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Nice!
It totally makes good sense to buy both those parts you need now, and those parts you will want later when your Ghia is complete and running.
Best case, viewing your stash of all the extra little goodies you've collected for future use will provide any needed motivation/inspiration should your project ever bog down and your interest in completing it wane.
Worst case, you'll have a thoroughly complete set of unused parts in boxes to pass long to whomever ultimately buys your unfinshed Ghia project.
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didget69 Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004 Posts: 4925 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 3:05 pm Post subject: Re: Trailer Hitch...... for Ghia to tow a trailer |
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... go old-school on the trailer.
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bnc _________________ I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2018 6:49 am Post subject: Re: Trailer Hitch...... for Ghia to tow a trailer |
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Finally got my photos uploaded......
Here is the hitch mounted to the rear frame horns and held up with a jack at the rear.
Notice how high the ball tongue rises?
That is to meet the bottom of the Beetle's big post 68 bumpers.
It is too high for my 69 Ghia blade bumper.
I plan to cut off the tongue on the vertical rise and shorten it enough to be able to reweld it onto the remaining hitch and create a rectangle, the 1 1/4" receiver tube will be welded on top of the tongue and chain loops welded on too.
I think this will work just fine.
I will use VW's method and run a support bar from bumper bolt to bumper bolt to hold up the tongue.
It will not be fastened to the bumper in any way.
Hope this helps. Sadly I won't finish modifying or welding this hitch for a year or better.
If someone was to go first ahead of me and post what they do ...... that would be great!
Anyone see any problems with this redesign?
Dave _________________ Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos
Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473
Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537
Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert |
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