[A4] OT: Mounting a tow hitch to a wagon.

[Kent McLean]

Tyson Varosyan wrote:
> I have looked online and even posted the question here about hitches and all
> of them seem to mount to the floor plate of the trunk - drilling
> through-holes and bolting on.

> Why not mount the tow hitch to the bumper's crash bar? 

I'm no mechanical engineer, but the two vehicles mentioned (and most cars
today) are unit body. There is no big heavy frame like you'd find on your
truck.

As for the bumper's crash bar, that thing is going to be attached to the
unit body, not a big heavy frame. Either through the trunk sheet metal or
through the bumper bar, you are relying on the hitch being bolted to
sheet metal.

I'd go with the canned solution. My reasoning is that, if an auto
manufacturer offers a hitch, it probably has some real-world testing
behind it (for liability and reputation reasons). The after market
solution probably copies what the auto manufacturer created. Hitches
are rated for towing specific weights. Pulling a freight train might
tear apart your sheet metal. But pulling a 600 boat, with 60 lbs on
the tongue, shouldn't stress even a Class I hitch.

That's my 2 cents.

-- 
Kent McLean
'99 A4 Avant, w/ quattro, V6, Tiptronic, :)
'91 200 TQA #1, backup car
gone but not forgotten:
'94 100 S Avant, "Moody", now with new owner
'91 200 TQA #2, up in smoke 2
'89 200 TQ, "Bad Puppy", up in smoke