Well, my hitch finally arrived last night.  Put me in the first class PIA to
install list.  Getting it bolted onto the frame wasnt much of a problem.  I
still have yet to figure out how to get my bumper installed correctly.  I
checked the picture again and it looks like my bumper is different than one
in the picture.   I would bet a nice 6 pack of beer that it certain bumpers
shapes just dont fit very well.  If anybody has any great suggestions, I
would appreciate them.  I have an 83 westy with a metal back bumper.  Right
now it looks like Im going to BNNTA without a rear bumper (but sporting a
nice hitch).
Mike Noble
Iowa City, IA
83 Westy

>From: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
>Reply-To: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Trailer Hitch Picture
>Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 23:28:06 -0400
>
> > FYI That SA trailer hitch has worked very well for me. BUT...
> >
> > 1) Very tough to install - I had to make many modifications to the
> > steel plates in order to get the bumper to end up in the right place
> > on my '90 syncro. Also had to relocate the bumper mounting holes
> > and modify the metal band under the rubber bump strip.
>
>I put the same hitch on my own '89 (same bumpers) and everything lined up
>perfectly without any modifications. Took me a good 45 minutes of eyeing it
>up and trying various combinations of parts, though, as two sets of bumper
>brackets are included (one for metal bumpers, one for plastic), and no
>instructions (since the hitch was intended to be dealer-installed).  But
>once I figured it out, it fit just fine.  I have had several people tell me
>the hitch just went right on, and a couple who said it was a challenge. One
>possibility is poor QC on VW's part (i.e. holes drilled off-center), but I
>think it's far more likely that the real culprit was lack of instructions
>(so people used the wrong brackets or put them on upside down, etc.).  If I
>had to do it over again I'd have taken notes when I put mine on.   It took
>me a little bit of eyeing up to figure out the correct procedure, but once
>I
>did it went together pretty easily...
>
>
> > Also, the captive nuts are nearly impossible to line up with all of the
>6
> > existing holes in the frame rail. t.
>
>...except for that.  Yes, the nuts are a real pain in the neck to line up;
>took me about 40 minutes to do this, definately the hardest part of the job
>(not that it was really that hard but it was frustrating).
>
>
> >The whole thing took me nearly two days believe it or not. Once I was
>done,
>though, it looked great.
>
>I had the whole hitch assembled in about 2 hours from start to finish.  But
>like I said I've had varying reports on ease of installation. Most people
>seemed to have done it in 2-3 hours, but one other person reported it
>taking
>about twice that long.
>
>
> > 2) You are limited to a 2" hitch ball only. Or at least I am - I tried
> > unsuccessfully to find a 1 7/8" ball to fit and eventually changed the
> > tongue on my trailer to 2".
>
>This is true. The way the ball mounts to the hitch is common in Europe but
>not here. You are unlikely to find a 1-7/8" ball domestically that will fit
>it.  Several listmembers have had a receiver custom-welded onto it, at a
>typical cost of about $75, which would be my recommended solution (and what
>I plan to eventually do myself) if the 2" size is not sufficient for you.
>
>- Ron Salmon
>   The Bus Depot, Inc.
>   (215) 234-VWVW
>   www.busdepot.com
>
>_____________________________________________
>Toll-Free for Orders Only: 1-866-BUS-DEPOT

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