Tow 3600lbs with this motorhome reciever hitch ?

[Redrig]

Hello all ,

I wanted to get your thoughts on my motorhomes hitch . I got this motorhome from my dad and I remember back in the 80s he would tow stuff around with it but smaller trailers mainly dirtbikes , 4 wheelers , ect . not much weight .

My boat and trailer together weight 3660 (trucker scales) and I am wanting to tow the boat with this versus my truck occasionally and wanted to get your thoughts on this setup .... I dont know if it is stock like that or if it was fabbed up afterwards .










Do you think she can handle 2 tons ?

My thoughts are to at least add a couple of points to connect safety chains, cuz it currently it doesnt have those . I am thinking a grade 8 bolt right through the frame with washers and the chain.

Thanks

 

[alldodge]

Looks like it should handle that, if the metal is solid. The tongue should have no more then 10% so that's around 400 lb. Stopping should be assisted by breaks on the trailer and towing doesn't look like it should be a problem.

Again I'm just looking at the pics. I assume the welds are still in good shape,

 

[Redrig]

yeah the welds all look good other than some rust like everything else .

I just figured I would get some thoughts because what makes me nervous about it is how low it hangs down off of the frame , but of course its going around that tank , so it kinda has to.

I will add some chains somehow to the frame and give her a go.

 

[Silvertip]

I too think a very slight modification would make this a little safer. Everything hanging down from the frame essentially creates a parallelogram which means things can pivot forward and backward under the extreme stess of braking, bumps/potholes and hard acceleration. Adding flat triangular plates at the junction of the four downward posts and the frame would be quite inexpensive and would eliminate any possibility of failure. On one hand it hasn't failed since the 80's but then again, it hasn't towed that much weight either. It's all about what you think you can get away with. Were it mine, it would get the gussets added.

 

[Redrig]

Adding flat triangular plates at the junction of the four downward posts and the frame would be quite inexpensive and would eliminate any possibility of failure. On one hand it hasn't failed since the 80's but then again, it hasn't towed that much weight either. It's all about what you think you can get away with. Were it mine, it would get the gussets added.

Thats a good idea, weld up triangle plates to help reinforce I think is a good idea . I will have to be careful though I *think* that tank is the fuel tank so welding right there will be sketchy , it could be a water tank ... the bathroom is in the rear of the motorhome . I will have to take a better look .

 

[bigdee]

I would bolt in a diagonal brace on each side...bottom of rear drop down support to the top of front drop down support. Angle iron is soft and bends easy so I would also add at least one brace from close to the receiver to one of the front supports. I would not recommend welding....bolts will work fine.

 

[mikeneal]

Hard to say,, off top of my head looks too weak. Are the vertical members angle ? Thickness? Like some others have said it looks very weak in laterial direction. You could always hook trailer on it and push on tongue with some friends and see if it flexes . Any flex and I vote nope.

 

[Redrig]

yes it all angle , probably quarter inch I would say .

 

[softdown]

Always use safety chains. Did not find a photo to evaluate. Off the top of my head, 3600 # is not a real heavy load on a motor home.

 

[Redrig]

I am ordering the wiring and so forth for motorhome for the trailer .

quick question , what connector for the trailer should I use for the trailer and motorhome ? My boat trailer does have trailer brakes although I never used them but I will when towing with the motorhome . 6 round , 7 blade ? there are quite a few choices I see .

the boat is 4 flat with the extra trailer brake wire , my truck is 4 flat but has plugs for any of them .

what do you guys install and whats most common ?

 

[alldodge]

I would use the 7 blade, most are using this setup and they make an easy plug to go to 4 flat

 

[H20Rat]

Electric or surge brakes? Electric backup solenoid? I'd probably just go for a simple 4 pin, given that is what your truck and trailer already have. Technically you could wire up a 7 blade and convert it down or find a ready-made that does it for you, but for your use case, seems like overkill. Also, trailer wiring on motorhomes tends to take abuse given how it hangs out in the back with no protection. I think every single motorhome I've seen has fragments of trailer wiring hanging down.

 

[Redrig]

I think I will go 7 blade as well , its an easy swap for the truck and just a few bucks for the new plug for motorhome and boat.

somking crater - sorry they are electric. you mention to stick with 4 flat , you cant run trailer brakes with 4 flat can you ?

 

[Powerstroke in a Prius]

I agree with bracing the whole thing diagonally. It may have handled a light load 30 years ago, but that was before rust started whittling on the integrity of the steel and before the heavier load was considered.

Beware - that hitch is a long distance from the pivot point (rear axle). Going over hill crests and in dips will significantly see-saw your boat. I saw one motorhome with a long rear crest the ramp and the boat see-sawed down in the rear. He neglected to raise the lower unit before retrieving, and he plowed the pavement for a few feet - ridding himself of the skeg and 1/3 of the prop. This was Friday evening and he was from 150 miles away. His boating weekend came to abrupt halt right there and then.

 

[Redrig]

that's a good point , thanks for the reminder . yeah , dips will be a little sketchy .