Trailer hitches on rods

[4t64rd]

I want to be able to pull my fiberglass Burro camper (weighs about 1000lbs empty, 1500 loaded with stuff) behind my 46 Ford.

2 questions:
1. How should I beef up the frame in the rear to accept a hitch? The frame without the body seems a little flimsy, even with parallel leafs installed. would a receiver hitch tied to both the rear frame rails be enough to keep things from wiggling and bending?

2. I was thinking I would make a swing up license plate holder to hide the receiver, anybody have other tricks to hide a hitch? I'm not going to run a bumper, just 2 push-bar type things on either side of the rear pan mounted plate.

[Antibilly]

fuck hiding it James Bond!! I tow my small boat with my truck and haul a bike as well

[36-3window]

Weedeter Street Rods makes a hitch kit. it bolts to the sides of the rear frame rails and the tounge goes forward and mounts to the rear spring crossmember. take a look at the picture,i'm sure it could be copied. or call them at (530) 527-2040

[flt-blk]

Use two small hitches and plug your nerf bars into them, pull em out and plug in your bar with the big hitch.

I know A guy who did this with a Model A Bumper, he pulled the bumper off the car and plugged it onto the back of the trailer.

I have a class III hitch on my truck hidden behind the rolled pan behind the plate. I used a 80's camaro plate holder with hinge (they had the gas fill behind the plate).
TZ

[MBL]

We spotted a noticiable trailer hitch on a hot rod in the "First Twelve Issues of Hop Up". They didn't hide it.
Tim
MBL

[tommy]

I welded a bar from the old spring u-bolt holes in the rear crossmember to the back of the reciever for a 3 point hook up.

I'm a slow typer. Mine was very similar to the one above.

[Antibilly]

Tim do you need a Pre War trailer hitch?

[Nick32vic]

This is on my dads car we did it last spring. It held up good pullin our Mullins 80 mph.

[Nick32vic]

2

[Nick32vic]

My dad put the flip down liscence plate in a long time ago but just recently decided to pull a trailor.

[4t64rd]

I leave the hitch in on my daily driver, as a "tailgater deterent", but, sorry Mike, but a big 'ol receiver hitch IMHO... is ugly.

A nice chrome plated class 1 hitch and ball wouldn't be bad, but I'm gonna want something more heavy duty.

Thanks 36threewindow, for the pic of the hitch, that gives me an idea, I'm gonna make some bolt in boxing plates/rearmost crossmember, and use them to mount the tube, the push bars and the tailpipes. I have a gas tank in the way back there, and I want the pipes to exit on either side of the plate, between the push bars.

That's it Nick, 'cept I want the plate a little more recessed, I like the trunk lock hidden too. Looks like I'm going to have to figure out a way to get the pin in there, amybe an access panel in the trunk.

[flt-blk]

Don't forget access to get your chains hooked on too.
TZ

[fordiac]

how low is the back of your car? why dont you just lay down and get the pin in from underneath?

unless you really dont want to get a little dirty whenever you set up your towing rig

[4t64rd]

Not worried about getting dirty, burnt. I think there will be enough room to get the pin out. Just gotta drill 2 holes, one on either side of the receiver for the chains.

I have a plan now...

[Zapato]

On my 51 it holds my license plate, got a stub with a steel backing plate. pull pin and the stinger and the plate pull out of the receiver and the drop stinger goes in, pinned always. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Nick32vic]

This is were we put our pin. Our tool tray in the trunk. You cant really see it but there are 2 big sturdy support brackets and then the place to put the pin right under the latch

[Nick32vic]

We have a cover that fits flush with the rest of the trunk floor.

[fordnutz]

I ran a hitch on the back of my 47 2-door for 9 years and towed trailers weighing up to 2500 lbs with no problem. No boxing plates either. I mounted my car club plaque on a tube that plugged in and it hid the receiver. My hitch was also a torsion bar one because of the weight on the hitch and it never affected my frame at all.

[manyolcars]

mine are trucks, 1935 and 1939 Ford, so I sat a 4" pipe on jackstands at the right height then ran 1/2" thick X 2 1/2" straps out from the bumper bracket bolt holes in the frame. Massive, I like it. I have pulled this trailer through 4 states for 10 years, usually with a junk car on it with no problems. It has a 2" receiver. I guess I need daylite for better pics.

[k9racer]

Nick 32 vic this is the reason I love HAMB that is a great idea and a good job if you dont mind I might copy some time in the future Your Dad has a very nice car..Thank You..

[Nick32vic]

Cool, no problem man. Im glad to give people ideas. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[sawzall]

4t6

i have a setup similar to the weedeter on my 40 It is very similar to the design tommy speaks of. and I pulled my 2000 lb trailer 10,000 miles this summer with no problems.. I can send you a pic if you like.. my hitch isnt hidden, but if I really want I can drop it off the back of the car in less than 15 minutes.. and with your car (assuming you are running the rear gravel pan.. you'd have less to see

[wayfarer]

On the back of our '49 dodge sedan, I just ran a piece of square tubing from one side of the frame to the other and tucked it up inside the frame. I then welded the reciever below it. You can't even see the reciever with the bumper on and the gravel pan unless you are lying under the car. The hitch bar is on a long extension that comes out and drops just below the bumper. It pulled our Scamp trailer 2400 miles on it's first trip without a problem.

[Jethro]

No pictures of my hitch, but this is what I pull.A 1972 Boler.The whole trailer weighs only about 900 lbs and the tongue weight is less than 100lbs.I made my hitch so it can be taken off easily, it uses a bracket underneath and uses the bumper as a support. I attach it to the bumper with small axle u-bolts.

[drgnwgn289]

mines not as trick as all that and I don't have anything cool to tow behind it (except kartbreaker's T), but here it is anyway. I bought a hitch from Flat-Top and cut it up and made it fit, its not pretty, but I don't leave it on unless I'm using it. http://hotrodders.com/gallery/data/500/1841trailerqueen3-med.jpg

[4t64rd]

So much for searching, I ended up with my own damn post from 6 years ago!

Finally getting around to making one, will have pics tomorrow... Much stronger idea than my original idea...

[nefareous]

The receiver is welded to the pumpkin!

[4t64rd]

It's overkill for a little 1500lb camper... I figured the additional stress of mounting the rear of the parallel leafs was stress enough for the back part of the frame, which was only designed to support the rear of the body... so I ran some braces up to some brackets that tie closer to the original crossmember, which isn't doing dick now (Lazy-ass crossmember). The corners of the frame were braced with 3/16" plate, and keep it wigling from side to side too much.

[gnichols]

[QUOTE=4t64rd;40992]I want to be able to pull my fiberglass Burro camper (weighs about 1000lbs empty, 1500 loaded with stuff) behind my 46 Ford....

The internet is a great source for parts, should you fab one up. Mine is only a 1-1/4" sized hitch and I bought a $15 receiver post on the web for it. We welded it into the rear chassis, but you could easily make your own hitch. It is hard to see, but there is also a hitch plug outlet in the rear body panel, already hard wired into the rear lighting circuit. Right now, my plate / hanger is unmounted (next week I hope to have it in place for my temp tags!). To mount the plate, I got one of those el-cheapo manual plate frames from Yogi's that will attach under the rear of the frame, centered over the receiver. While it will sorta hide the receiver, but I got it because it is hinged and you push it backwards and upward to lock it out of the way. When locked up, it clears the way of the trailer tongue. Gary

[Roothawg]

So much for searching, I ended up with my own damn post from 6 years ago!

Finally getting around to making one, will have pics tomorrow... Much stronger idea than my original idea...

I'm still thinking about building one. I have 2 partially completed projects in the mean time.

[4t64rd]

I started thinking about the hitch in 2003 and got it done in 2009 Root, so as far as I'm concerned, you have until 2015.

I got the stubby class III from Harbor Freight for like $6.99, the 3/16" plate that was used for the all the brackets was drops, $33 from Alro, and I had some lengths of 2.5" x 3" x 1/8" and 1" x 2" x 1/8" wall tube for free... Add a bunch of time and the plasma cutter from Scott (SD55) and finish welding talents of Poor Boy Dave (Roosters_HotRods), and I got a strong hitch for mush less than the Weedtr $$$

[Boyd Who]

I started thinking about the hitch in 2003 and got it done in 2009 Root, so as far as I'm concerned, you have until 2015.

I got the stubby class III from Harbor Freight for like $6.99, the 3/16" plate that was used for the all the brackets was drops, $33 from Alro, and I had some lengths of 2.5" x 3" x 1/8" and 1" x 2" x 1/8" wall tube for free... Add a bunch of time and the plasma cutter from Scott (SD55) and finish welding talents of Poor Boy Dave (Roosters_HotRods), and I got a strong hitch for mush less than the Weedtr $$$

Funny shit right there!! :D
This is a great thread as I plan to add a hitch to my Essex next year when I rebuild the truck.

[povertyflats]

somewhere I have a factory built folding trailer hitch from a 54 Ford. way cool----folds down and hides from view

[HotRod31]

Better late than never. Anyway here's mine on the 32 pic-up, used to pull a 13' Scamp.

Later, Mark

[hrm2k]

I have a class III hitch attached to the rear frame cross member on the T. I made a plug in unit to haul my mini bike and camping equipment around to out of town shows :cool:

[NONAME]

My brother hauled a 40 ft. mobile home all over Cal. with a bumper hitch on a 54 chev p.u. ( I wouldn't recomend that.
My 48 ford I had planned a stout receiver hitch behind the roll pan with a C-shaped drop hitch

[cosmo]

The receiver is welded to the pumpkin!

Do NOT ever do this. Think about it before asking "why?".

Cosmo

[Swifster]

Just a word of warning. Many collector car insurance companies will not insure a vehicle with a hitch. They get worried the vehicle is being used as a commercial vehicle or may create an unsafe condition while driving. I'm not criticizing anyone here, just saying. Please at least take a look thru your policy to see if there is any wording to this effect. It can be a reason to denied or cancel (or both) your policy or a claim. Just a word of warning.

Personally, nothing better than a restored travel trailer being pulled behind a station wagon or old pick up.

[4t64rd]

360 miles round trip to Daytona and back with nary a problem... OK, one problem, I lost the bullet off my drivers front spider on that god-forsaken 92 between I-96 and Deland.
http://www.traditionalhotrod.com/images/poorboys/TrailerQueen.jpg

I have a couple old trailer magazines from '54-'55, and there are ads for hitches that connect, at least partially, to the rear axle... not the pumpkin area, but the axle tubes.... seemed kinda hokey to me, and one good bump could flatten out and axle tube... maybe that's why they don't design them that way anymore.