Robert,

If you do any off-roaking, I don't advise putting anything under the front
bumper that reduces ground clearance.

When I first got my van, I installed a Schwinn bike rack by welding a couple
receiving plates on the chassis up and behind the bumper (there's a flat
area up by the spare tire).  I then fabricated two pieces that went under
the bumper and around to the front, with the appearance effect of having two
small pipes rising from a half inch below the bumper to about an inch above
it.  Real clean looking, and only reduced ground clearance by about a half
inch (and a couple inches more length).

I thought this would work just spiffy, but the next time I had to ford a
small ditch, I plowed two furrows on the opposite bank.  After several such
incidents, I gave up on the idea.

This is when I really began to appreciate the guys who designed the V'gon.
They figured that ground clearance to the nearest mm, since I have never
grounded out the front bumper without those brackets!

My thought is that a receiver hitch would be even worse in the ground
clearance dept.  If you don't do any off-roading, you're probably OK, though
steep driveways could still be a problem.  Perhaps you could have a bracket
welded on above the bumper, though I would question the aesthetics of that
one.

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Spooner, Robert E." <bob.spooner@MIDDLETOWNPOWER.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 4:46 AM
Subject: Front Receiver Hitch

> All,
> Does anyone make a receiver hitch that mounts somehow to the front of the
> Vanagon?  I'd like it to use it to mount a bike rack on.  I'm just feeling
> around to see if someone has already invented this one.
>
> Thanks for any leads.
>
> Bob Spooner
> East Haddam, CT
>