OT: Mounting a tow hitch to a wagon.

[Tyson Varosyan]

Warning: This is pretty much off topic.

 

I have a towable boat and trailer in total weighing about 550lbs - well
within tow range for any vehicle. I have been using my big work truck to tow
it, but that's like shooting a fly with a shotgun - way overkill, a waste of
gas and not much comfort. Past few months I have been toying with the idea
of sticking a tow hitch either on my A4Q Sedan or my wife's '02 Subaru
Legacy Wagon and I think that it makes more sense on the wagon.

 

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. That sounds stupid to me. First of all,
drilling holes in the trunk is silly - obviously one day they are going to
leak, you have bolt holes in the bottom tearing up whatever you have on top
and making the surface uneven and the floor plate itself is just sheet-metal
liable to bend, stretch, break, etc. Why not mount the tow hitch to the
bumper's crash bar? I have not removed the bumper covers on either car to
look, but I would expect either a steel or reinforced aluminum bar firmly
attached to the car, perfect for drilling and bolting or welding on a hitch
receptacle. Much more accurate too. The bumper should be able to pull the
weight, it's certainly firm enough. Is there something that I am not
considering?

 

Tyson Varosyan

Technical Director, Uptime Technical Solutions LLC.

 <mailto:tyson at up-times.com> tyson at up-times.com

 <http://www.up-times.com> www.up-times.com

206-715-TECH (8324)

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