[Vwdiesel] Think I can tow my boat with my golf? revisit

[Dave Cook]

I ended up making arrangements to buy that blazer hitch from the guy on Craigslist.  It is wide enough to allow for cutting the ends off, and the receiver tube doesn't stick out very far-perfect!  I'll chop the ends off and weld my own ends to attach to the frame.  This way I will have the 2 inch receiver capabilities which I am aware would give more options such as bike racks, luggage racks, etc and was my preference though I also am interested in saving money! (Hence considering the smaller one.)


For the purposes of the discussion if I had gone the route of building one totally, it would have been 2x2x.250 square tubing for the cross piece, onto which I would have welded a pre-made receiver tube (not making the receiver tube out of 2x2x.250).  But I agree it will be much easier to buy the used hitch and weld on my own frame attachments.  

Now I gotta find a small utility trailer and I'll have the Exploder's usefulness mostly replaced.  The only thing I miss with that is 4x4 capabilities.  I enjoy exploring old, hardly-used, not maintained back roads.  For the time being, I'll have to settle for ones that have a grader driven over them once a year.

 
Dave Cook


________________________________
 From: "pmdolan at sasktel.net" <pmdolan at sasktel.net>
To: VW Diesel Group <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>; Roger Brown <r.c.brown at ieee.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:13 AM
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Think I can tow my boat with my golf? revisit
 
The material used for hitches is called "flash removed" square tubing, and is NOT 0.25 wall (you would have no room left to get the drawbar into the receiver).  I forget the actual size, but it is closer to 0.200 wall. 
HOWEVER - using something that big on the back of a VW car is ridiculous.  I know it sounds like a PITA, but you are much better off CAREFULLY custom building something that picks up the hard points.  I use 1.5" square tubing as a torque tube, bent to match the curve of the back of the MkIV and with several tabs to pick up the body seam and a bolt on tongue to mount the ball to get around the massive pieces of tubing that stick out of the back of the car a half foot extra (big deal for weight distribution and stability). 
Pat

On Mon, 14 May 2012 19:28:24 -0700, Roger Brown <r.c.brown at ieee.org> wrote:
For a 2" receiver, you need to get 2-1/2" square 1/4" wall seamless tubing.  That will
> have an ID that a 2" square tube will fit inside.  A hitch place should have it or a steel supplier may have it or can special order it.  It is a bit on the expensive side since it the square tube version of DOM (Drawn Over Mandrel) round tube. 
> I use that tubing when I build receivers into the rear bumpers I have made:
>  http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/Images/RearBumper13.jpg
> 
> You can reinforce the end with a ring of 3"/0.25 wall square tubing. 
> 
> On 5/14/2012 3:33 PM, Dave Cook wrote:
> > Sorry for all the questions, but I have another or two. >
> > First, any reason I couldn't buy 2x2x1/4 square tubing along with my angle iron, and a receiver for the ball mount, and weld it together?  (Instead of finding some kind of hidden hitch thing that is the right length.)
> >
> > Second, assuming I decide to not totally build it and buy a premade hitch to weld to the angle iron, I have been thinking about getting one from a salvage yard.  Figure it would be cheaper than getting a brand new something I am going to hack up.  I found one on an older Patfinder that has one wide enough to work on the Golf, but the size for the ballmount is 1 1/4 instead of 2 inch.  The sticker said it was rated for 350/3500 however, which is more than the crazy limit for towing with the Golf, I'd say.  Any reason not to get that one for $50?
> >
> >
> > I did find one on craigslist pulled off a Blazer that looks like it could be wide enough, that is a 2 inch hitch.  We'll see when he measures it.  If it is wide enough I'll go for that. >
> >
> > Dave Cook
> 
> 
> 
> --    Roger
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> 
> 


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