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t'sunamibus Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2012 Posts: 202 Location: Westport, Washington
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Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 3:55 pm Post subject: Added a tow hitch this weekend |
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I don't like using my Westy as a truck so I decided to add a hitch and get a small trailer.
I went with this:
http://www.amazon.com/Reese-Towpower-37042-Multi-F...eese+hitch
I mocked it up using my original bumper brackets which will be replaced by either thick steel plate, tube etc.
Then cut my bumper to clear the hitch
Its a bit overkill for the bus and my needs. I got a quote a few weekends ago to rent a u haul to haul some stuff to the dump and it was about the cost of this hitch. Now to buy a lightweight trailer. |
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Phishman068 Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007 Posts: 1868 Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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t'sunamibus Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2012 Posts: 202 Location: Westport, Washington
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 3:12 am Post subject: |
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Phishman068 wrote: |
Awesome! Did you just weld that to the stock bumper brackets? It was a perfect fit out of the box?
Great find! |
Its just bolted up to the original brackets for now. I had to do some cutting to make it fit behind the bumper.Now that it fits I can use the modified brackets as a template for something stronger, then ill weld it all up. |
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benandmj Samba Member
Joined: October 29, 2012 Posts: 550 Location: Atlanta
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 8:27 am Post subject: |
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Bookmarking this. I don't plan to tow anything but this looks perfect for my bike rack! _________________ 85 Westfalia Weekender
91 Syncro Westy |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15144 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 11:50 am Post subject: |
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I would be cautious to how loaded and leveraged a bike rack would be in regards to twisting the hitch frame or stresses on the bolts. maybe bump them to grade8s
a bike rack with 2-4 bikes leveraged far out can put tremendous twist forces into the hitch add in a bumping/rocky/washboard road and you could get a sudden clear rearview of someones bikes skidding across the road.
but looks good for basic and general hitch use. _________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32634 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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geo_tonz Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2012 Posts: 1472 Location: Courtenay, BC, CANADA
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a little gunshy on the hitches that attach to the Moustache bar. Wouldn't take much impact (back into a cement curb too fast) to bend the bar and possibly mess up your motor/tranny alignment. I say this looking at the bow in my GW-style square-tube hitch from some activities of the PO.
I also have one that was a tube welded between the bumper mounts with a bar that went down to the moustashe bar. it was heavy duty but still made me nervous. _________________ ---------------------------------------------------
"Ron Burgundy": 1991 Vanagon Multivan (Weekender) 2.1L Auto - Driver/Camper
Last edited by geo_tonz on Mon May 04, 2015 3:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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j_dirge Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007 Posts: 4641 Location: Twain Harte, CA
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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djkeev wrote: |
Funny, I've acquired this hitch from an old Toyota Pickup. The mounting ears rusted away and it fell off this winter in a snow bank, only found it as the snow melted.
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YIKES! My gosh.. Was that Toyota parked in a tidal marsh!?
Not to be a Debbie Downer.. but seeing THAT much rust literally melt away the plate steel that acted as a hanger, makes me wonder what lurks inside that cross member tube... or at the welds that hold the receiver in place. _________________ -89 GL Westy, SVX.. finally.
-57 pan f/g buggy with a 67 pancake Type 3 "S"
"Jimi Hendrix owned one. Richard Nixon did not"
-Grand Tour, Season 1, episodes 4 and 5
danfromsyr wrote: |
those are straight line runs with light weight race cars for only 1/4mile at a time..
not pushing a loaded brick up a mountain pass with a family of 4+ inside expecting to have an event free vacation..
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madspaniard Samba Member
Joined: August 18, 2008 Posts: 3795 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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geo_tonz wrote: |
I'm a little gunshy on the hitches that attach to the Moustache bar. Wouldn't take much impact (back into a cement curb too fast) to bend the bar and possibly mess up your motor/tranny alignment. I say this looking at the bow in my GW-style square-tube hitch from some activities of the PO. |
This is why I went from the GoWesty hitch system to the Burley one that has 3 bolt attachments per side to the subframe. _________________ 1991 Westy auto w/ Peloquin TBD
"The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad” - Salvador Dali |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32634 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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j_dirge wrote: |
djkeev wrote: |
Funny, I've acquired this hitch from an old Toyota Pickup. The mounting ears rusted away and it fell off this winter in a snow bank, only found it as the snow melted.
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YIKES! My gosh.. Was that Toyota parked in a tidal marsh!?
Not to be a Debbie Downer.. but seeing THAT much rust literally melt away the plate steel that acted as a hanger, makes me wonder what lurks inside that cross member tube... or at the welds that hold the receiver in place. |
Welcome to East Coast! That was Only 5/16” steel plate. The use of aggressive Deicers throughout long hard winters......... Add Summer rain......
It seeps into seams and does it's evil work all year long. Just add moisture!
The hitch itself has only surface rust, no concerns about using it.
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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t'sunamibus Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2012 Posts: 202 Location: Westport, Washington
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Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 4:12 pm Post subject: added a lightweight trailer |
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I went with a 4 x 8 Harbor Freight trailer. Capacity iirc is 1680 lbs. Between sale price and an online 25% off coupon I picked it up along with lumber and stake pockets pretty reasonably. Im about $600.00 for everything including the hitch. Considering what sits at home rusts pretty quickly and my anticipated usage I did pretty well. If I was a trailer enthusiast I would have to have the Burly hitch set up and a better trailer, but this suits my needs.
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Kombi///M3 Samba Member
Joined: March 16, 2011 Posts: 427 Location: Vancouver, BC
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Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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Good find. A guy by my area selling this one.. Original westfalia hitch.
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Wolfram Samba Member
Joined: June 23, 2005 Posts: 184 Location: Waiheke Island/On The Road USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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Did you buy the Westfalia hitch? _________________ 88 Westy, '07 EJ25 Vanaru.
Either van-less on Waiheke Island in New Zealand where we spend the Southern summer, or Wolfram is in Seattle/Olympia in storage. |
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IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10252 Location: N. Idaho
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Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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The bummer with the west hitch is that you can't use it for anything but a trailer. I use a tray, a bike rack, and have trailers, plus use the receiver for a recovery point. I've always wondered at the European system (which the pictured one is) which is incredibly limited. Can't even use a different size ball. I have a hitch half built that will give me a 2" receiver for a variety of general uses that suits my needs. I also like the added crash protection of more steel back there that any hitch provides. _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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Kombi///M3 Samba Member
Joined: March 16, 2011 Posts: 427 Location: Vancouver, BC
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Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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Wolfram wrote: |
Did you buy the Westfalia hitch? |
Not yet.. I
went looked at it.. It's hefty, like Doug was saying
Only good for towing (2000 lbs cap), I have the 2" receiver from gowesty hitch
On my van and have bike rack, basket for it.
Looking one for my syncro. |
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ragnarhairybreeks Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2009 Posts: 1890 Location: Sidney B.C. Canada
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Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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My aluminum bumper, 2" receiver is part of a steel substructure that goes into the stock bumper mounts, extended for three bolts like you find in other set ups. Hitch is high, which I like. Vertical high pin, recovery points and high have been painted since pic taken.
Alistair _________________ '86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com |
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bosco53 Samba Member
Joined: August 04, 2014 Posts: 92 Location: San Diego, CA
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Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2015 10:14 pm Post subject: Re: added a tow hitch this weekend |
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I see it was mentioned but have you had any experience with the leverage a bike rack would put on that mounting setup? Fantastic idea and I want to do it but curious about the leverage holding up on a 3 bike rack setup? Thanks!! _________________ Bluey, "The Wonder Slug" - 80 Westfalia Air-Cooled to EJ22 and now Frankenmotor. #thewonderslug
Uncle Buck, 86 Syncro GL Camper Conversion - Restored to it's original glory and sold. 💔 |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32634 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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morymob Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2007 Posts: 4683 Location: east-tn
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 6:26 am Post subject: Re: added a tow hitch this weekend |
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After a tree ran out in the way while backing up i had heavy sq tube welded to orig brackets,added bar 4 ball & eyelets 4 safety chain, towed several bugs,ditchwitch,stump grinder etc. Looking at the collection of different colors of paint left glad i left it on to protect corners of the van. Not pretty but gets ' r done. |
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raoul mitgong Samba Member
Joined: July 05, 2009 Posts: 1338 Location: Denver, CO
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 10:23 am Post subject: |
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Kombi///M3 wrote: |
Good find. A guy by my area selling this one.. Original westfalia hitch.
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I modified one of these into a receiver hitch. Just bought a 2" receiver tube from Harbor Freight, ground out the dong and made a pocket for the reciever to set. Welded the receiver in place. Results are very similar to the hidden hitch from RMW or Burley.
-d _________________ 84 Westy with a 2.1 (Groover)
86 Tintop Syncro (Crow)
86 Tintop Syncro to Westy project (Tom Servo)
91 Westy (Only the top 12 inches of this van (a burn victim)) |
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