Change Receiver to XBR or Not???

[JoeDiesel]

I have read countless post on this issue and what I have learned is that "prior" to 2003, Dodge installed some receivers that may crack under heavy loads. Well hear it goes. I have ordered and Arctic Fox 27-F travel trailer that weighs 7280 lbs gross dry weight. The dry hitch weight is 940 lbs. Add the weight of the "Equal-i-zer" hitch and we are just over 1000 lbs. Now add wife, food, cargo, fat dog, kitchen sink and me, I think 1500 lbs ought to cover it. By my best guess, I'm towing at around 9000 lbs. (Thank God I bought a Cummins)! Since I ALWAYS use an equalizer hitch. (I'll get a Hensley when I can afford it). And I ALWAYS travel at 55 MPH towing, can my stink'en stock hitch handle it????? If not, I know someone with a plasma cutter and I'll get the XBR but I really don't want to do it if it is just not necessary! (If someone helps me with this question, it will pay for my next subscription). Thanks in advance.

 

[klenger]

Are you saying that the wife will be riding in the trailer? If not, she won't be adding to the hitch weight when towing. Good luck on the research and enjoy the Fox.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

JOEDEISEL!!!!!! LISTEN TO ME!!!



Let me say this first, then you can make your decision.



Last week I was delivering a customers new TT to Forest, VA. I take a lot of RVs to VA so I can get a backhaul of a new Volvo tractor out of Dublin back to the midwest.



I'm driving up the West VA turnpike (South on 77) and I feel a jerk and see sparks in the rear view! I pull over and the safety chains saved my behind and thank God the unit is okay.



The Dodge hitch tore like paper. I was amazed! I needed a wrecker company to take the TT to Tamarak Travel Plaza. Here's the best part. I go in the morning to U-Haul for a new hitch and the guy who owned the place said... .



. . "Your'e the sixth Dodge owner I've had this week!" It was Wednesday! The weight of the TT was a DRY 7000 pounds. It was a new unit to a dealership. Bone dry!



The stock Dodge hitch sucks.

 

[klenger]

Were you using WD bars?

 

[JoeDiesel]

Thank you "Throttle Jockey" for such a perfectly tailored response. I was so convinced by the example you described, that the Putnam XDR is on order. I WILL NOT gamble with my families life and the fact that I had such big doubts should have been an indicator to me. There are two dealers locally. One is out of stock and the other I am waiting on a phone call. Regardless, it will be ordered. I also found out that the hitch bolts to the sides of the Dodge frame. I know how easily the frame can be compressed with bolts. The Putman rep. told me that I have nothing to worry about, they include spacers that will not allow the frame sides to compress. I know a shop that will use a "Plasma" cutter to remove the receiver tube. This should be a nice straight even cut. Well thanks again for the "push" in the right direction fellow members.

 

[JoeDiesel]

Klenger, Not the wife or anyone else will be traveling inside the trailer when the vehicle is in motion. I'm not really sure if you were kidding or not. Anyways, I just know our family and if there is a space for something, we'll fill it up and take it with us. I included the wife with the guesstimate of 1500 lbs of people and cargo.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

klenger,



Yeah, Iv'e got that Hensley Straight Arrow set up, (it still wiggles a little but I love ad hype) the trunion tensioner dealy, you know?



I bent one of those trunion bars They let me buy a new one for half price plus I pay shipping. My fault anyway. Everybody on here said the stock hitch is junk.



Got a big class 5 on there now. For a fair price, too! I thought the guy was gonna gouge me.



I'm glad I didn't kill a little kid or something.



Joe,

Thanks for letting me share my cluster****.

 

[PTomlinson]

Uh guys I have to take issue with your logic that all Gen III hitches must be weak because Gen II trucks had a problem, with an acknowledged problem at that. Dodgeram. info. Sorry, but that's a little bit like saying "Ford has a problem with their hitches, so Dodges must too". Gen III trucks are not Gen II trucks, the frames were redesigned and most likely so were the hitches. Also just because the hitch may look the same doesn't mean that they are the same. Different metals, welding techniques, or internal structure can lead to a much stronger hitch.



ThrottleJockey, did the U-haul dealer say Gen I, Gen II, or Gen III, or did he just say, "yeah I had 6 Dodges in this week"? Also after seeing how U-haul "maintains" their trailers and trucks I wouldn't be inclined to take what they say as gospel. I know you said that you used a weight distributing hitch and that your truck is 2001 (the TSB only goes up to 2000), but you are hauling for a living which means that your hitch undergoes stresses that most trucks won't see. How many towing miles did your hitch go through before it broke? This isn't excusing Dodge for a weak hitch in the Gen IIs, but at least they admited it.



One last thing, even without a TSB for the hitch in Gen IIIs, if there was a problem don't you think we'd have heard a little bit more about it other than stories from U-haul? There are hundreds of thousands of these trucks on the road and while many never tow at all there are many that tow past the limits of these hitches every day. I see people in Gen IIIs towing a 6000 pound bobcats on equipment trailers that must weigh at least 2000 pounds without weight distributing hitches everyday. If the hitch was as weak as you guys are saying I should also see the same trucks on the side of the road waiting to be towed.



Paul

 

[chazj]

On my '02 Ram the Clazz IV hitch was not "rated" for the tongue weight of my AF27F even with WD. That said I have seen many trucks towing similar set-ups without any apparent problems.



However I still decided to "err on the side of caution" and upgraded my receiver to a Class V Titan Hitch. I did notice the trailer seemed to tow better with the upgraded hitch although maybe it is my imagination...

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I hear what your'e saying Paul,



But the simple fact of the matter is a trailer hitch shouldn't tear itself apart. Period.



My hitch has never seen anything over what it has been rated for because the DOT won't allow it, for one.

Second, the liability implications alone dictate the company I haul for lay down STRICT mandate for equipment and won't let anything leave the yard that is overrated for the equipment pulling it.



All I haul with the hitch are small and medium sized TT. The big RVs these days are fifth wheels because of the popularity of, well, diesel pick up trucks.



The biggest TT I have hauled was well below what the hitch was rated for, But I have gone the way of Chazj with the big Class 5.

 

[JoeDiesel]

First of all, I greatly appreciate all the positive responses to my original post. I have a specific application which requires a specific answer. As PTomlinson stated, the hitches that had the "problems" were from the II Generation Dodges. I agree that it would be improper logic to conclude that the III Gens. would inherit the same faulty hitches as the previous years. I only know that with my specific application that I will be right at the max of my hitches capability. I really, really did not want to spend the money if I did not have to but since I got a friend who owes me a favor, I'll get the hitch for next to nothing and the receiver tube cut off with a plasma cutter for cheep, what's holding me back? I also only have the stock 17" spare so I should not have any clearance issues with the XDR main tube in front of the rear tire. I'll let you know how it works out.