Contact Dennis Haynes on this list.

Dennis  makes a receiver hitch specifically for the Vanagons. I have one
of his hitches on my '88 GL and I will tell you - it is one stout hitch.
This hitch mounts to the frame of the Vanagon. You remove the rear
bumper, then remove the rear bumper mount brackets. The brackets will
not be used again. You then mount the rear bumper to the hitch, and the
hitch to the van. The new hitch bolts in place where the rear bumper
brackets were mounted (two bolts each side) plus an additional bolt.
This thing is made to stay put. It is the best one I saw anywhere, so I
bought one. Perfect fit.

I highly recommend this receiver hitch made by Dennis Haynes.

PS - Should you buy one, you might ask him not to paint or prime it,
but  do that yourself, and use an epoxy primer and an epoxy paint for
the finish.

John

John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com

On 11/8/2010 11:59 AM, Don Hanson wrote:
>    I want to add a hitch to my 2wd 84 with manual tranny and 5sp.  I have 2"
> square receiver hitches on all my other vehicles.  Is there a hitch for
> Vanagons with a 2" square receiver?  I would like to interchange all the
> various pieces between all the vehicles, the hitch extensions..or whatever
> that part with the ball or the equipment rack fits onto.    What I need to
> haul right now is a Wells Cargo tool trailer.  Not often, and not far but
> it'd be pretty heavy when loaded..Probably more than a Vanagon should haul
> over any distance.  Later on, I might be tempted to put a scooter on back
> there or an exterior cargo box or something...but for now, just need it to
> haul ( very few  short and careful trips) my tools around this fall.
>
>    I would probably have about 2 hundred lbs of tongue weight when the
> trailer was poorly loaded.  I can usually lift the tongue, barely.  I also
> see there are adapters that change the size of the hitch 'sockets'.  Maybe
> that is the only way to get where I need to go...a smaller receiver with a
> larger 2" adapter?  Just a quick Google shows me a Class 1 from JC Whitney
> for ~$109...I could afford that..
>
>    Anybody have any input on hitches?
>
>    Thanks,  Don Hanson
>
>