Hitch.

[darren paget]

A question. Do all the hitches sold for the GM motor home bolt on the
same? That is, through the same holes which mount the spare tire bracket
to the rear most cross frame. I haven't seen a hitch which bolts onto
the frame rails further under the coach. If this is the case
then..... The hitch which is sold is not a class 3 or class 4 hitch. A
class III or IV uses the torque in the hitch and frame to transfer some
of the tongue weight through the length of the frame rails of the MH
itself. Without this transfer the hitch is mostly only capable of towing
a zero hitch weight or minimal weight, not more than 500 lbs on the
hitch ball. IMO 500 lbs is way too much for hitch weight without
equalizer bars. A couple of hundred pounds would be the most I would
like to have as a straight down weight. The reason I am sending this
is to question the validity of the class III or IV hitch as a practical
addition. I am sure I am not explaining the concept accurately and will
beat up by the engineers but I will try to clarify as it goes along. To
summarize: I think the correct terminology for a hitch on the GM is a
tow hitch. If it is only mounted as an addition to the spare tire
mounting bolts it cannot be used with equalizer bars. A 500 lb. tongue
weight is too much IMO. 200 max would be better. About the weight of 4
bikes. Towing a vehicle is fine because there is virtually no hitch
weight, only pull weight. I think as a puller the GM hitch is fine.
These are just my thoughts. Now, what's wrong with them? Darren

- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
http://www.TZEplus.com

 

[heinz wittenbecher]

> A question. Do all the hitches sold for the GM motor home bolt on the
> same? That is, through the same holes which mount the spare tire bracket
> to the rear most cross frame. I haven't seen a hitch which bolts onto
> the frame rails further under the coach

Darren,

http://www.my-gmc.com/Mac-hitch-fullview.jpg

The above shows that it does indeed tie in to the frame. At least this one
that I got from Paul Bennett.

Heinz

 

[darren paget]

Looks like it could work. Next question. Does the construction of the GM
frame. Multi piece detract from its ability to equalize the load? Darren

> > A question. Do all the hitches sold for the GM motor home bolt on the
> > same? That is, through the same holes which mount the spare tire bracket
> > to the rear most cross frame. I haven't seen a hitch which bolts onto
> > the frame rails further under the coach
>
> Darren,
>
> http://www.my-gmc.com/Mac-hitch-fullview.jpg
>
> The above shows that it does indeed tie in to the frame. At least this one
> that I got from Paul Bennett.
>
> Heinz

- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
http://www.TZEplus.com

 

[emerystora]

>Looks like it could work. Next question. Does the construction of the GM
>frame. Multi piece detract from its ability to equalize the load? Darren

Darren - the equilizer hitches that I am familiar with (often used
when towing trailers) basically transfer weight to the front axle. I
am not sure what they would do with our 4 rear wheel setup but I
doubt that we would really want to put much more weight on the front
axle as it is usually at or above its rated capacity now on most GMCs.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM

 

[dave lowry]

>>Looks like it could work. Next question. Does the construction of the GM
>>frame. Multi piece detract from its ability to equalize the load? Darren
>
>Darren - the equilizer hitches that I am familiar with (often used
>when towing trailers) basically transfer weight to the front axle. I
>am not sure what they would do with our 4 rear wheel setup but I
>doubt that we would really want to put much more weight on the front
>axle as it is usually at or above its rated capacity now on most GMCs.
>
>Emery Stora
>77 Kingsley
>Santa Fe, NM

Another .02; IIRC, a big reason for equalizer hitches is to keep the rear
end from sagging. Besides distributing the braking load, an equalizer hitch
also helps steering and keeps the headlights from blinding oncoming drivers.

Dave (advisor/navigator) & Dege (ALL else), '76 Royale, Santa Barbara, CA

 

[darren paget]

I don't think you would be able to easily transfer the weight that far forward.
It would be nice to try to get some of it off the bumper, 5' behind the rear
axle. I started this because there is someone looking for a class III hitch and I
was wondering if it was possible and even a good idea. Darren

> >Looks like it could work. Next question. Does the construction of the GM
> >frame. Multi piece detract from its ability to equalize the load? Darren
>
> Darren - the equilizer hitches that I am familiar with (often used
> when towing trailers) basically transfer weight to the front axle. I
> am not sure what they would do with our 4 rear wheel setup but I
> doubt that we would really want to put much more weight on the front
> axle as it is usually at or above its rated capacity now on most GMCs.
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM

- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
http://www.TZEplus.com

 

[walt taylor]

>
> >Looks like it could work. Next question. Does the construction of the GM
> >frame. Multi piece detract from its ability to equalize the load? Darren
>
> Darren - the equilizer hitches that I am familiar with (often used
> when towing trailers) basically transfer weight to the front axle. I
> am not sure what they would do with our 4 rear wheel setup but I
> doubt that we would really want to put much more weight on the front
> axle as it is usually at or above its rated capacity now on most GMCs.
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM

Please allow me to argue the weight transfer, Emery. We need weight
transfer for bigger trailers, or else the tongue weight on the hitch
takes too much weight *off* the front wheels.

I don't think I understand the question about the GM frame - our hitch
is a flush, through the bumper, receiver. In addition to bracing at the
rear, it ties into and braces the original frame members. Even with this
(and without a trailer), we can detect a slight bending at the rear of
the coach if you park it with one set of bogies much higher than the
other. I haven't seen many other coaches' hitches, but the five or so
GMC's I know that pull race car trailers all have a similar arrangement

Dealing with the receiver pin and retainer in front of the bumper is
awkward, but I do it without worshipping the coach's rear.

Walt Taylor
Austin, TX
'75 Eleganza

 

[darren paget]

I was thinking about the fact that the GM frame is a multi piece frame. That is, a
rear section bolted to the main straight rails and a front section which is also
bolted to the main rails. With an equalizer, does this stress the frame? Darren

> >
> > >Looks like it could work. Next question. Does the construction of the GM
> > >frame. Multi piece detract from its ability to equalize the load? Darren
> >
> > Darren - the equilizer hitches that I am familiar with (often used
> > when towing trailers) basically transfer weight to the front axle. I
> > am not sure what they would do with our 4 rear wheel setup but I
> > doubt that we would really want to put much more weight on the front
> > axle as it is usually at or above its rated capacity now on most GMCs.
> >
> > Emery Stora
> > 77 Kingsley
> > Santa Fe, NM
>
> Please allow me to argue the weight transfer, Emery. We need weight
> transfer for bigger trailers, or else the tongue weight on the hitch
> takes too much weight *off* the front wheels.
>
> I don't think I understand the question about the GM frame - our hitch
> is a flush, through the bumper, receiver. In addition to bracing at the
> rear, it ties into and braces the original frame members. Even with this
> (and without a trailer), we can detect a slight bending at the rear of
> the coach if you park it with one set of bogies much higher than the
> other. I haven't seen many other coaches' hitches, but the five or so
> GMC's I know that pull race car trailers all have a similar arrangement
>
> Dealing with the receiver pin and retainer in front of the bumper is
> awkward, but I do it without worshipping the coach's rear.
>
> Walt Taylor
> Austin, TX
> '75 Eleganza

- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
http://www.TZEplus.com

 

[walt taylor]

Our hitch carries bracing up to the main rails, and stiffens them also.
I'm not aware of additional bracing at the front. The PO did the hitch
installation more than ten years ago; I haven't researched this myself.

Rumor in the race car paddock is that GMC's should be braced up to the
main rails for "big" trailers (which I would interpret as 6,000 lbs or
more) and the GMC's I know that pull big trailers have this arrangement.

Walt Taylor
Austin, TX
'75 Eleganza

>
> I was thinking about the fact that the GM frame is a multi piece frame. That is, a
> rear section bolted to the main straight rails and a front section which is also
> bolted to the main rails. With an equalizer, does this stress the frame? Darren
>

>

> > >
> > > >Looks like it could work. Next question. Does the construction of the GM
> > > >frame. Multi piece detract from its ability to equalize the load? Darren
> > >
> > > Darren - the equilizer hitches that I am familiar with (often used
> > > when towing trailers) basically transfer weight to the front axle. I
> > > am not sure what they would do with our 4 rear wheel setup but I
> > > doubt that we would really want to put much more weight on the front
> > > axle as it is usually at or above its rated capacity now on most GMCs.
> > >
> > > Emery Stora
> > > 77 Kingsley
> > > Santa Fe, NM
> >
> > Please allow me to argue the weight transfer, Emery. We need weight
> > transfer for bigger trailers, or else the tongue weight on the hitch
> > takes too much weight *off* the front wheels.
> >
> > I don't think I understand the question about the GM frame - our hitch
> > is a flush, through the bumper, receiver. In addition to bracing at the
> > rear, it ties into and braces the original frame members. Even with this
> > (and without a trailer), we can detect a slight bending at the rear of
> > the coach if you park it with one set of bogies much higher than the
> > other. I haven't seen many other coaches' hitches, but the five or so
> > GMC's I know that pull race car trailers all have a similar arrangement
> >
> > Dealing with the receiver pin and retainer in front of the bumper is
> > awkward, but I do it without worshipping the coach's rear.
> >
> > Walt Taylor
> > Austin, TX
> > '75 Eleganza
>
> --
> Darren Paget
> 76 Experimental
> Another Fab Day
> http://www.TZEplus.com

 

[david l greenberg]

On Thu, 13 Jul 2000 22:08:33 -0500 "Walt Taylor"

> Rumor in the race car paddock is that GMC's should be braced up to
> the main rails for "big" trailers (which I would interpret as 6,000 lbs

> or more) and the GMC's I know that pull big trailers have this
> arrangement.
>

25 years of GMCing leads me to conclude no GMC should be towing (or
trying to stop) 6,000 pounds. It may work for a while but eventually the
old girl is going to get real unhappy and will let her owner know about
it!

David Lee Greenberg
The GMC Motorhome Registry
Dedicated To The Preservation of the Classic GMC Motorhome
http://www.GMCss.com/Registry.htm
http://www.Buskirk-RushRV/GMC-Registry/online-registry.htm