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pushkick
Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2007
Posts: 1366
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 Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 5:30 pm Post subject: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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i have a 1990 camper and am looking at adding a rear hitch so i can haul a trailer or put a storage rack on hitch. i know of rmw's trailer hitch but does anyone else sell a rear trailer hitch?
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1990 vw automatic camper |
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dustyrhodes
Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2010
Posts: 38
Location: Venice, CA
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pushkick
Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2007
Posts: 1366
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| Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: vanagon rear hitch for fiber glass bumper |
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i just dont have the monies to purchase a $485 hitch. that is why i was looking for another solution. in worse case i would just design and fabricate my own if i cant find something in my price range.
i have heard only good things about burley hitches. just a little too much money for me at this time.
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i see said the blind man to his deaf dog
i am going to quit smoking and drinking and die a healthy man. gotta laugh
there is no deed to the planet earth
1990 vw automatic camper |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:12 pm Post subject: Re: vanagon rear hitch for fiber glass bumper |
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I fabbed my own from an old tongue-type hitch.
I'll be modifying it from a 1.25" to 2" box sometime this year.
I think I have perhaps $75 total into it at this point.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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pushkick
Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2007
Posts: 1366
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 11:52 am Post subject: Re: vanagon rear hitch for fiber glass bumper |
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| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
I fabbed my own from an old tongue-type hitch.
I think I have perhaps $75 total into it at this point. |
\
where did you get the end brackets that attach to the bumper and slide into the frame?
_________________
i see said the blind man to his deaf dog
i am going to quit smoking and drinking and die a healthy man. gotta laugh
there is no deed to the planet earth
1990 vw automatic camper |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 12:10 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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That hitch actually bolts to the stock bumper brackets. I'm kinda surprised more vendors haven't copied the design. It's way better than the kind that attach to the tow loops.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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pushkick
Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2007
Posts: 1366
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:27 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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a two inch square tube inbetween the brackets would be plenty of steel to carry a trailer is my guess. are you able to pull a trailer with that hitch?
what load do you think it will handle?
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i see said the blind man to his deaf dog
i am going to quit smoking and drinking and die a healthy man. gotta laugh
there is no deed to the planet earth
1990 vw automatic camper |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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Well, it was originally a tongue hitch, so towing was it's only purpose. I assume it would be fine for small trailers. I've only used it for a four bike carrier. When I swap in the 2" box hitch, I'll use it with the cargo carrier I built for our EV.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9600
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:19 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
| It's way better than the kind that attach to the tow loops. |
While that's totally true.....there are thousands of vans with the hitch that attaches to the tow loops, towing right now, and not having the slightest problem. My van started with this same hitch, (but heavily modified  )
THIS Pic of a hitch that attaches to the tow loops (like the CURT hitch) is NOT my van, just a Samba pic I googled. I have modified it adding a 2" receiver.
I welded a Harbor Freight 2" receiver on. Etc. If you are going to weld on a trailer hitch better be sure it's welded right. Kinda hard to stress this enough. You might be using it for a bicycle carrier but someday it could have a trailer on it and it better hold, lives are at stake.
11656 Class 1 Fixed-Tongue Trailer Hitch
by Curt Manufacturing
Link: http://a.co/eCx6OQb not so much $$... $140.
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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 Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:24 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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I think the loop hitches are probably just fine for towing, but not for the vertical loading of a bike or cargo carrier.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9600
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:35 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
| I think the loop hitches are probably just fine for towing, but not for the vertical loading of a bike or cargo carrier. |
Good point. But they can't because they don't have a receiver. If you're already modifying, could add a brace. But yeah that's more modification, where a more solid mounting point would just be better. I'd have to put a cargo carrier on one and bounce on it, see how strong it is.
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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 |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7915
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:07 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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| Sodo wrote: |
| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
| I think the loop hitches are probably just fine for towing, but not for the vertical loading of a bike or cargo carrier. |
Good point. But they can't because they don't have a receiver. |
Works just dandy on my van, but I installed the GW version with its support brace. Would a Burley-type hitch be better? No question. But the tow loop version does its intended job for many of us and without issue. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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Zeitgeist 13
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Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:21 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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Those also sit way too low for my purposes, as the loads would surely scrape when backing out of my driveway
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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Rocky Mountain Westy
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Joined: April 17, 2008
Posts: 1031
Location: Fort Collins Colorado
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| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2018 8:40 am Post subject: Re: vanagon rear hitch for fiber glass bumper |
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| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
I fabbed my own from an old tongue-type hitch.
I'll be modifying it from a 1.25" to 2" box sometime this year.
I think I have perhaps $75 total into it at this point. |
I was poking around my used bumper pile the other day. I have a used one that appears very close to the one above. I think is just set up for a tow ball though. I would sell it for $150 plus shipping. I have great UPS rates. Figure on $35ish for shipping in the lower 48
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The Splitzgauer build (when I have time to work on it and update the thread)
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=497133 |
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pushkick
Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2007
Posts: 1366
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| Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 3:30 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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| Quote: |
| I was poking around my used bumper pile the other day. I have a used one that appears very close to the one above. I think is just set up for a tow ball though. I would sell it for $150 plus shipping. I have great UPS rates. Figure on $35ish for shipping in the lower 48 |
have you got a pic i might be interested.
_________________
i see said the blind man to his deaf dog
i am going to quit smoking and drinking and die a healthy man. gotta laugh
there is no deed to the planet earth
1990 vw automatic camper |
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Zeitgeist 13
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Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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rmcd
Samba Member
Joined: October 29, 2010
Posts: 1348
Location: PNW - its a dry rain.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 8:06 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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I went a bit overkill. I modified the OEM brackets for the fiberglass bumper.
Plated the OEM brackets. Note the tube is mechanically sectioned through the brackets as I didn’t want a place for my welds to fail.
Notched in the receiver. 2” quarter wall tube. Gusset plates for reinforcing.
Notched the fiberglass bumper.
I plan to hand a ktm motorcycle off this. Thinkers crossed?
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VW LT40 build. Like a Vanagon but 30% larger in every direction and 40% slower even in metric.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=749359&highlight= |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 8:58 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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Now that's how it's done. Nice work!
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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pushkick
Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2007
Posts: 1366
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| Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:21 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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that looks very sturdy should hold a motorcycle. was that a 2" X 3/16" square tube? did you use 3/16" steel for the bumper brackets? nice work! what do you think the hitch weighs?
_________________
i see said the blind man to his deaf dog
i am going to quit smoking and drinking and die a healthy man. gotta laugh
there is no deed to the planet earth
1990 vw automatic camper |
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rmcd
Samba Member
Joined: October 29, 2010
Posts: 1348
Location: PNW - its a dry rain.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:30 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear hitch for fiberglass bumper |
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| pushkick wrote: |
| that looks very sturdy should hold a motorcycle. was that a 2" X 3/16" square tube? did you use 3/16" steel for the bumper brackets? nice work! what do you think the hitch weighs? |
Yes and yes. The whole shebang isn’t that heavy. It’s pretty easy to lift. Maybe 50#?
I should warn one issue. If you plate the inside of the OEM brackets the space between the bumper mounting bolts will widen the width of your added plates. It wasn’t an issue for me because I had to rebuild my fiberglass bumpers as they were trashed when I got them. And I was modifying the brackets to accommodate. What was a few more holes?
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VW LT40 build. Like a Vanagon but 30% larger in every direction and 40% slower even in metric.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=749359&highlight= |
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