When I got rear ended by the ford truck I had one of the loop tow hitches
mounted.  That hitch bar is all that saved me from a total.  There is
nothing in the rear of a vanagon to save it from being totaled.  The impact
bent the normally out curve to an in curve.  The loops held but one was bent
pretty bad.  After that stress I didn�t trust it for further use.
jimt

>> I have always wondered just how durable the welds are on the tow loops
>> these kind of hitches bolt to.
> 
> I've seen a few vans with broken off tow loops.  The metal loops fractured,
> at the welds the welds did not fail.
> I don't know how it happened though or whether it was towing related.
> Anybody know of a case where a tow loop mounted hitch failed?  I've heard
> 3rd hand of a couple cases.....
> 
> Gary Lee
> Calgary, Canada
> http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/vw.htm
>