Community Forums

gatorv · 10-28-2014, 05:09 PM

Anyone know the brand name or part number on the 2000 receiver hitch?
Mine almost fell off last weekend.

The plate the engine mounts to is the only thing that saved it.

**JohnRR** · 10-28-2014, 06:11 PM

That does not sound too good, any pictures of it?

gatorv · 10-29-2014, 12:18 PM

I'll try.

Tha_Rooster · 10-29-2014, 06:12 PM

Wow how much weight was on the trailer?

Algoma · 10-29-2014, 08:05 PM

The original hitch was designed for a tongue weight of 500 lbs. It was assumed that you would be towing a car.

HuntingHawk · 10-29-2014, 08:14 PM

Too much tongue weight by the trailer.

gatorv · 10-30-2014, 11:07 AM

I was towing a 7K trailer loaded with about 6K total weight. The hitch was the original with a 10K total weight and 1K tongue weight rating as per the label on the hitch. If you tow a heavy trailer? I would inspect your hitch for cracks along the top. This is the first time I towed my trialer without the equalizer bars. Never again. The road through Sultan Sea has extremely bad dips. I sure it broke there.

Algoma · 10-30-2014, 12:03 PM

I don't believe the hitch changed when it was uprated to 10k as it is unique to the Alpine chassis and the increase towing capacity came from bigger engines and transmission. You may have to get a new one manufactured or perhaps this one can be repaired. The tongue rating is usually 10% of the towing capacity but I doubt this was ever tested to destruction (until you came along that is). Any hitch extension is going to lower that rating due to the increased torque. Hope it all works out for you.

BFlinn181 · 10-30-2014, 01:04 PM

The added stress with the receiver extension, the heavy trailer, and the distance from the hitch to the RV's rear axle all contributed to the failure. The leverage actions on a hitch bouncing up and down that far from the rear axle, with the inertia of the trailer resisting the up/down motion is pretty dramatic. Many bike racks on the back of RV's fail for the same reason.

gatorv · 11-07-2014, 02:17 PM

Going to rebuild my hitch tomorrow. The original 3.5 “ square bar that holds the hitch is 1/8 inch thick.
The welds did not break, the 1/8 “ thick bar fatigued and broke all around the hitch .
Going to replace it with a ¼ “thick bar and brace it to the engine mounting plate.
If you tow any vehicle you should be OK.
If you haul a heavy trailer ( lots of toys) I suggest you check the hitch for cracks and install a brace on it.

**JohnRR** · 11-07-2014, 03:39 PM

Thank you for the update.

TRAKKER · 11-12-2014, 11:49 AM

About your safety chain and chain links. Your chain looks a little light and you should ditch those smooth links. I was using them to tie down my Jeep on the trailer until a quick stop failed one. The threads stripped out of the "nut" that closes the link and it bent open. You will note there is no rating on the packaging. Anything smooth and shiny is cold formed and easy to re-bend. I use the forged u-bolts that are all steel with the cross bolt closure. I expect under stress the bolt will bend but the threads are not subject to a straight pull. I also use only forged hooks. Some safety cables come with bent hooks and I would avoid them.

gatorv · 11-12-2014, 02:33 PM

Rick
Thanks for the info on the chains. I will upgrade.
In this case the chains wouldn’t have mattered if the entire center section of the hitch fell off.
Didn’t I see your motor home at Moab this Easter?
I’m still trying to get that tree sap off my roof.

Renipladlo · 11-21-2014, 11:09 PM

Tree sap = lots of elbow grease and maybe try some protect-all. It takes tar and tire goo off my car and MH. WRV owners have repeatedly been counseled to inspect our hitch receivers at least annually to check bolt tightness and look for corrosion and/or lose bolts. It's usually one of the things I do when I am in a warm place, since I have to lie on the ground to do it.