tomhole
Loveland, OH
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Joined: 08/15/2005
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Wanna know what happens when you put too much tension in a WDH?
This is somewhat exagerrated, but it gives you an idea of what the bending was.
[[IMG]http://i13.tinypic.com/85eqp8o.jpg[/IMG]
This is where it bent:
[IMG]http://i7.tinypic.com/6lsyv47.jpg[/IMG]
This is a result of setting up my Reese Dual Cam with 1200 lbs bars and trying to get weight transferred to the front axles with 1000 lbs of cargo in the the truck (500 lbs in the bed, 500 in the cab). Then travelling 400 miles like in this configuration. I learned a cheap ($160 for a new part) lesson. The WDH should not be used to tranfer weight that is not from the hitch. I set the WDH up with a full camping load. When I set it up with just the trailer, I had less tilt in the head and all was good.
Just thought I'd share.
Tom
Moderator edit to fix image links.
Note: Due to invalid formatting, all formatting has been ignored.
* This post was
edited 11/17/07 08:33am by an administrator/moderator *
Wife, 2 girls 13 & 11, 2 mini schnauzers, 2 cats, a pig and a fish
2008 Toyota Tundra 4x4, DC, SR5, 5.7L, 6 spd, 4.30 rear
2005 Toyota Sienna XLE
2008 Rockwood 2701SS
F/A-18 Hornet 0-175 mph in 2 seconds
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StoneyPgh
New Kensington, PA Steeler Country
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Joined: 05/16/2004
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Can you post a pic?
Peter & Nancy --- We never had a bad day camping
'03 Silverado 2500HD LS XC SB 4X4 8.1L/Ally 3.73
Reese Pro Series 15K Kwik Slide Prodigy Controller
'08 Trail Cruiser TC527RL Rear Lounge V-Series 5er
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tomhole
Loveland, OH
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Joined: 08/15/2005
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Are the pics not showing up? Here's a link:
http://www.pbase.com/tomhole/toms_gallery&page=9
Tom
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BenK
SF BayArea
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Joined: 04/18/2002
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Assume this is on the Tundra, not the mini van. Full frame vs monocoque (unibody)
architecture.
That doesn't look like a Class IV receiver, but a Class III receiver.
There isn't a cross tube, nor substantial cross member to transfer the
WD loading onto the vehicle's frame. Why it's not a good idea to use
a WD hitch assembly on any monocoque, as the hitch will transfer to
a sheetmetal panel, which will then transfer to another sheetmetal
panel.
Some monocoque designs 'might' be sufficient to handle this, but I'd
not (many here will and has).
The way WD hitchs work is to have the bar pull 'up' and that imparts
a moment (lever arm) on the receiver pin box (that 2" sq tubing)
and it will want to bend or rotate upwards. That will lift the tail
end of the TV to unweight and move that weight over to it's front axle.
This receiver was unable to transfer (WD, weight distribute) the weight.
So it bent (went past it's plastic point....returns to its original
point).
A traditional receiver has a cross tube that will twist (torsion)
and transfer the loading to the end brackets, which are then bolted
to the frame rail flanges of the TV.
GM and Dodge has gone to a non-traditional receiver, where the pin
box is bolted to both the cross tube (of smaller sizing) and the
bumper. That has many bend up their receiver pin boxes and some have
broken.
Or that this is bolted onto the cross tube, which is then bolted to
the frame rails. Then this bolt on pin box flange isn't up to the
task or loading it subjected to.
Get a traditional receiver and replace this one. That will cost around
$150 bucks plus about 1 hours labor.
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
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surveyorjp
Missouri
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Joined: 09/05/2005
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BenK wrote:
GM and Dodge has gone to a non-traditional receiver, where the pin
box is bolted to both the cross tube (of smaller sizing) and the
bumper. That has many bend up their receiver pin boxes and some have
broken.
If you could provide a link to some info about the Dodge hitch I would appreciate it. I did not know they changed their factory hitches, I was aware of the GM issues, but not the Dodge.
2005 Surveyor SV-291
1995 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie SLT 4x4 5.9L V8
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tomhole
Loveland, OH
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It's a class IV hitch. I guess I should take a picture of the rest of the hitch. It's gynormous. Bolts 3 ft into the frame. It's integrated with the bumper as well. It's actually part of the frame system itself. This part is bolted on to that part of the hitch with 4 large grade 11 bolts. I was lucky in that the hitch is designed to have this part removable.
BenK wrote:Get a traditional receiver and replace this one. That will cost around
$150 bucks plus about 1 hours labor.
Not gonna happen. A replacement hitch is $900. The aftermarket bolt ons will not replace the OEM hitch because the OEM hitch is fully integrated into the bumper. Without the hitch, the bumper has nothing to attach to. If I had gotten the Tundra without a hitch and added one, I would be able to add the cheap aftermarket. I'd put this hitch design up against anything that GM has hanging on that trapezoid. My damage was caused by a stupid person. The stupid shall be punished.
Tom
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BenK
SF BayArea
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surveyorjp wrote:snip...
If you could provide a link to some info about the Dodge hitch I would
appreciate it. I did not know they changed their factory hitches, I was
aware of the GM issues, but not the Dodge.
My nephew just bought a new Dodge 2500HD TCD and noticed that it's
receiver is similar to the GM receiver, which uses the bumper as
part of the food chain back to the frame rails.
Here are some pictures of his 2500HD:
And some pictures of the GM receiver I've found out in parking lots
and neighborhoods. These two Suburbans had a body lift and this shows
the receiver without the bumper in the way.
I'm not up on foreign trucks, so my comment about an after market is
off base on this topic. Sorry, but will stick to the comments that the
pin box flange bent because it was over stressed at that 'spot'. Since
that 'spot' is weak link, any amount of re-setting up that hitch, will
still have the loading go through that weak link.
Or is there another load path that isn't shown in these pictures?
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tomhole
Loveland, OH
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I'll snap some pics of the whole hitch assembly tomorrow. You are spot on when you identified the place that bent as the weak link. I am glad that it is there, to be honest. Turns a $900 mistake into a $100 mistake.
The reason it bent was purely my fault. I switched from 800 lbs bars to 1200 lbs bars. Hitch weight is just shy of 800 lbs. I wanted to see if the stiffer bars would stiffen the ride. When setting it up, I put way too much tension in the new bars, enough to unload the rear of the truck beyond what it was just sitting there with nothing hooked up. I used all of the available tongue jack travel and all my stregth to get the bars on. Then I let the jack down. Something had to give. It wasn't bent before with the 800 lbs bars with proper distribution. I'd bet a dime on a donut that this brilliant method would have bent most any hitch out there.
Tom
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Ron Gratz
full time RVer
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Joined: 12/27/2003
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Tom,
What are the "tongue weight" and "trailer weight" ratings for your receiver in the "weight carrying" and "weight distribution" modes?
Ron
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tomhole
Loveland, OH
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The hitch itself is rated at 750 and 7500 with a WDH. Toyota manual says 750 and 6800 lbs for my specific truck. My hitch weight varies between 620 and 750, depending on whether I fill the fresh water tank or not (weighed at the scales).
I towed with it with these weights for 2 years with the 800 lbs bars and had no bending. I bent it with the 1200 lbs bars and then it just got worse from there. My new trailer (2701SS) has the same hitch weight and I'm now using an Equal-i-zer with 1000 lbs bars. I have it set up correctly and I will keep an eye on the new receiver. I don't anticipate any issues, but time will tell. I haven't heard of any other legacy Tundra bending a hitch over on Tundrasolutions.com.
Tom
* This post was
edited 11/17/07 05:14pm by tomhole *
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