[lust4speed]

You might be looking in the wrong place for wear. Never had a problem with receiver wear but have seen two hitches rip from the frame rails on motorhomes over time. On one the frame had sections around the attaching bolts break out and the other had the sections of the hitch crack and break loose. In both occurrences the hitch was pivoting by only the forward most bolts and they were close to total separation. Both of these hitches flat bolted up to the bottom of the frame rails with no side supports. The safety chains and break-away cables are only attached to the hitch and the hitch and trailer would have drifted away from the tow vehicle unimpeded. I suspect that the 6" drop hitches probably added a lot of leverage that helped with the metal fatigue.

Truck manufacturers are better at taking into account that large loads will be towed, but motorhome manufacturers don't realize that many of us are towing a lot of weight behind us.

[Trulyvintage]

The towing capacity of a motorhome is
rated by the manufacturer.
Unless the frame is engineered
and reinforced specifically to be
utilized as a towing platform
it is not suitable as a tow vehicle.


Jim

[Formulabruce]

When I bought a much newer HD I noticed the hitch was a 2.5 inch, vs the old 2 inch. Gm put an adapter sleeve in the truck to run 2 inch receivers. Besides this being " wobbly" None of my hitch pins were long enough. Some places have the longer ones, and I bought a full size 2.5 receivers instead of the sloppy sleeve.
The 2.5 is overkill for my 12k trailer, but Its Safe I guess.
To me slop makes wear.

[lust4speed]

Originally Posted by Trulyvintage

The towing capacity of a motorhome is
rated by the manufacturer.
Unless the frame is engineered
and reinforced specifically to be
utilized as a towing platform
it is not suitable as a tow vehicle.
Jim

But... When you purchase a motorhome and it comes with a Class III or higher rated hitch from the manufacturer it would appear that they have thought things out.

[Sirrotica]

They're have been many racers that have sheared off the rear frame of motorhomes towing an enclosed race car trailer with a bumper hitch. That flimsy, light duty rear frame section on most motor homes, is only meant to hold up the floor and living area. Flexing it over the road constantly, with 5 plus tons of trailer hooked to it, usually doesn't work out in the long term.

Maybe there is an option to use heavier steel for that section when it's being built, but any of the rear frames I've looked at are way to light duty for attaching a class 3 hitch to.

BTW, maximum class 3 is only to 8000 Lbs, most open trailers with a car on it, and equipment carried on them will likely be over, or near that rating.

E trailer does caution putting high weight rated hitches on motorhomes because of the frame deficiency of most motorhome rear frame sections.

I've seen, and heard of too many racers breaking motorhome frames to think it's a good idea.

[Elarson]

Originally Posted by Mr Anonymous

For the nerdy:

When the pin is holding the hitch together, is it one case of double shear, or two cases of single shear? Can see it both ways.

It's one case of double shear; with a little bit of bending mixed in because of the side clearance between parts. Running a few numbers:

double shear area of 5/8" pin = .613 in2
Assuming 1018 mild steel cold drawn, the ultimate tensile strength = 63,800 psi
Shear strength is around 57% of ultimate so it's about 36,000 psi.
So the pin should break at about 22,000 lbs.
A wise traveler should have a safety factor of at least 2 or 3.
So the allowable load would be 7000-11,000 lbs.

Better pin material (like an alloy steel) would bump those numbers up a lot.

Eric

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by Elarson

It's one case of double shear; with a little bit of bending mixed in because of the side clearance between parts. Running a few numbers:

double shear area of 5/8" pin = .613 in2
Assuming 1018 mild steel cold drawn, the ultimate tensile strength = 63,800 psi
Shear strength is around 57% of ultimate so it's about 36,000 psi.
So the pin should break at about 22,000 lbs.
A wise traveler should have a safety factor of at least 2 or 3.
So the allowable load would be 7000-11,000 lbs.

Better pin material (like an alloy steel) would bump those numbers up a lot.

Eric

I guess E Trailer had some bad information on their site. Your calculations are a long way from the "90.000 Lbs" they have posted on their site. They are off 3 times too high on their guess............LOL

Looking further on some other sites I find specs of 21,000 lbs for 5/8 inch hitch pins.

I've had to do some jacking on my 1900 built farm house and using a 20 ton hydraulic bottle jack, using a floor jack post, the adjustable pin started to deform the tubing before the pin sheared. From that example I'd surmise the mild steel would start to tear at the holes before the pin shears on a receiver hitch. Just an experiment I've run across in jacking my home up to where it was before everything sagged and settled in the last 123 years.

The floor jack posts are rated at 18,000 lbs, much closer to Eric's calculations

Bob, my apologies for citing the wrong information from E Trailer.com..... You'd think a business that specializes in trailer towing equipment would strive to have more accurate information on their website.

Eric, thanks for some better calculations than E Trailer has posted....

[Trulyvintage]

So - if you tow ….

It is a good idea to have your tow vehicle
inspected along with your tow hitch by
an experienced “ meat & potatoes “
trailer repair/hitch installation/welding shop.

If you haven’t had that done - schedule
an appointment - it is also a good idea
to have whatever trailer you are towing
completely checked out as well.

The frame - tongue - hitch - safety chains
as well as the breakaway switch - trailer
brakes - wheel bearings - spindles - hubs
along with the tires & rims..


Jim

[Bills Auto Works]

Originally Posted by OG68

Bought this at E-Trailer IIRC. Similar to what's shown above.
Clamps to the stinger and receiver and eliminates that back and forth action of the WD hitch inside the receiver. Stopped the wear around the retaining pin hole too.

Now I really like that! I might have to buy me a couple (one for each truck))

I don't generally hear the clunk on poor roads, but do hear it a little bit at stops & take offs!

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[OG68]

Originally Posted by OG68

Bought this at E-Trailer IIRC. Similar to what's shown above.
Clamps to the stinger and receiver and eliminates that back and forth action of the WD hitch inside the receiver. Stopped the wear around the retaining pin hole too.

My apologies to all. I actually bought this clamp at a small business in California.

https://www.hitchrider.com/nowobble.htm

[Bills Auto Works]

Originally Posted by OG68

My apologies to all. I actually bought this clamp at a small business in California.

https://www.hitchrider.com/nowobble.htm

Ordered ONE, if I like it when it shows up, I will order a 2nd for the other truck!

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[Bills Auto Works]

Very impressed...$9.95 shipping & it is already on its way! Hope the quality is as good as the customer service.

I will report back when I get the 1st one.

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[TAKerry]

Glad you got one Bill, someone that will put some serious miles on it that can have a good evaluation. Looks like a good idea, and def. wont break the bank. But personally, with pulling a trailer, the extra load on the truck, squeaking springs, extra axles moving up and down etc., I have my doubts that it will even be noticeable. Cant wait to hear back on the review.

[dataway]

Yep, looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

[Goatracer1]

In an emergency a 5/8 grade 8 bolt has a shear of 90,000#. You could substitute one of those.

[61-63]

At the beginning of May the wife and I hauled a '61 Ventura body and frame and all manner of sheet metal in a 24' Haulmark from here to western North Carolina. We had to drive north to Memphis to meet someone to drop off some heads and a few other items and then went east across Tennesse to Bristol and then down towards Ashville. Tennessee has the worst highways I've ever seen in terms of the areas where the pavement meets every bridge and overpass start and end. I do not see how that trailer stayed attached to my truck all the way across Tennessee. Every time we went over a bridge or overpass the jolt was absolutely unbelievable. If a hitch pin or ball was ever going to snap that would have been the trip imo.

[Bills Auto Works]

Hey Guys,

@TAKerry @dataway

I have done my testing on the Hitchrider Clamp!

First trip was 9300 miles on the Dually, second trip I switched it over the the 2500HD & put a little over 3000 miles on a trip with that truck.

It worked GREAT & after both trips I removed it to inspect the area it clamped to so that I could see if it had moved at all.....It Had Not! I am really anal about my trucks & trailers & even a little slop in the hitch that causes a clunk to me is not acceptable. I have always shimmed my hitch/receiver with a thickness of metal that removed that minor play, now I don't have to!

I highly recommend his product!!!

https://www.hitchrider.com/nowobble.htm

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[Trulyvintage]

This product has a Class 3 rating.



A Class 3 rating is 6000 pounds maximum.



If you install this aftermarket product on
your tow vehicle - the legal GVWR of your
receiver hitch assembly is reduced to a
Class 3 or 6000 pound maximum tow capacity.

No aftermarket product will mitigate
receiver hitch looseness - it is the result
of wear and tear.


Jim

[Bills Auto Works]

This product does NOT have a class rating, since it has nothing to do with the actual weight or pulling of the trailer tongue!

The ad states that it FITS the Class III receiver! They have others that fit other class rated receivers. Most every factory installed trailer hitches have the 2 inch opening (up until the last few years anyway.

Even brand new there is a bit of play (there has to be in order to slide it in) I don't even like that little bit.

Both my trucks have V-5 rated hitches

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[Trulyvintage]

All manufacturers are required to
assign a class rating to receiver hitches
and accessories.

The manufacturer determines the
class of the device - not the customer.

If someone wants to buy a
Class 4 or 5 rated aftermarket
device from this manufacturer
it is available here for 2.5 inch
receiver hitches:

@ https://www.hitchrider.com/hitch-vise-fit-guide-25.htm





Jim