onemoretruck

Hi,

I have a what happears to be a factiry hitch receiver on my 1994.C'ant see any capacities limits onto the receiver itsel altough onto the bumper there is a 5,000 pounds limit..I think it refers as a total trailer weight.

Now when I compared this hitch to my son's 12,000 or 10,000 pounds onto its 3500 GMC older 1988 truck ,the only difference between mine and his is there are three 3/4 bolts on each side rather two as on mine..this called for longer "anchoring" plates that run paralell on each side wich through the 6 3/4 bolts go .Otherwise both hitches are similar in designs and scantlings.

I have not seen pictures of the dodge factory heavyer hitches (class lV or V ) but I think they would not be much different from mine neither if not only at the third bolt holes each side also...am I right or is there indeed important differences in design and scantlings?Anybody here has pictures of their factory class lV or V hitch receivers?

I am checking onto this as my idea is to simply modify my actual class lll (I think that is what it is!) reinforcing it to make it a class lV or V.I have all the welding machinery and am used to work with metal/welding.

thanks for your help,
Ron.

bigdave

The only place that i have seen these hitchs crack is along the bend on the flange where it bolts to the frame. It took a long time and very excessive loads on rough terrain before I ever had that happen though.

onemoretruck

After having posted my questions I went checking my receiver and it actually has three bolts each side rather two I thought it had .

Wen looking at it it looks like a lot of a hitch receiver for only 5,000 pounds capacity! Could it be the truck came out he factory with a 5,000 pounds,as stated on the bumper,and got changed over after with another bigger receiver?

If this is an aftermarket unit how can I figure its capacity? I believe the square 2X2 tubing to be 5/16 thick and it is bolted to the frame rails with three (approx 5/8 inches diam.) bolts each side.
thanks,
Ron.

FAY

Ron, the capacity in pounds stamped into your bumper is for when a ball is placed into the bumper ball mounting plate only. Both the Tongue Weight and Gross Trailer Weight are limited when pulling with the bumper. A Class IV receiver hitch can tow a trailer with GTW of 12K lbs maximum and with a TW of 1200 to 1800 pounds maximum. TW should be a minimum of 10% to a 15% maximum of the GTW.

onemoretruck

Fay,

Your explanation clears up partly my initial questioning..now at least I know where the 5,000 limit comes from.But how can I be sure that my actual bolted to the frame hitch receiver is a class lll,lV or V?
I believe this is a factory installed hitch as I have found inside the cab under the dash around the steering column the famous blue wire that brings the juice to the trailer electric brakes and apparently that was installed only on trucks with tow package.Were they any class lll installed on these trucks or were they rather all class lV? And to even make it harder to be sure of my model is a 1994 one!
thanks,Ron.

DynoDynamicsNE

Don't quote me on this as I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that what you're describing is a class IV. Also, if I'm not mistaken, a ball mounted on the bumper would be considered a class III.

Anyone else know for sure?

Jim Dynomite

From what you have described, it's a class IV!

.....................Jim

mj007

I've put after-market receivers on 4 or 5 of my trucks in the past and I weld a piece of angle iron to the top of the receiver tube with a hole to match the center hole in the step bumper. Then a bolt, lock washer & nut or a trailer ball ties the receiver to the bumper. I've noticed that GM has started doing this in recent years. Guess I should have got a patent!https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...mashfreakB.gif

mj007

My Smilie didn't work! Oh well....as they say:You can't teach an old dog new tricks!

MikeyB

Dodge has a kit also for the receiver hitch/bumper.

MikeyB

Equalizer 2

I don't recall if my dad's 90 has a factory receiver or not but he welded a steel plate to it, then bolted and welded the plate with receiver to his bumper. His truck has the painted heavy steel bumper that they used to put on a truck before these light weight, stamped sheet metal, chrome jobs we have now.

I don't know what kind of loads he has put on it but he hasn't babied it at all.

John Faughn

I would suggest that if you want some choice and a resonable price do not go to dodge , they do not make hitches , like almost everything , there are just a few manufactures of most things , I went through this when I went to get a hitch for my truck , as an example , the Napa catalog , had at least 4-5 brands , maybe more , its been awhile , all but one were made by the same manufacture , Reese , Rigid and others .
I called the manufacture to verify all this becouse some of it did not make sence , the Reese class IV was 2,000 lbs less than the Rigid , thats the part that did not make sence to me , shouldn't a class IV be one wieght ?
Also the Rigid was cheaper .
Like are Cummins parts are cheaper at Cummins than dodge .

GAmes

There is no industry weight standard for the different classes of hitchs. If you don't believe it just do a search of the different manufacturers. The original receiver on my 97 was rated to 10,000 lbs with a W/D hitch and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same as was used in 94. Mine tore at the bend where it mounted to the frame. I bought a new hitch from Husky trailer sales that is rated to 12,000 with a W/D hitch for about $120.

XLR8R

I remember my '98 had a TSB/recall for the Class IV receiver where it mounted to the frame for cracking... dealer retrofitted bolt-on gussets for each side.

Mine had started to crack (must've been yanking that Cat 'dozer out of the hole)

cLAYH

On my old '92 I tore the frame where the hitch was bolted on. Got stuck in cross ditch with a #14,000# trailer with a bobcat on it so I put it in 4low and poured the coal to the Cummins. Its amazing how much torque you can generate in 4low!

Anyway after the frame was repaired I got looking at it and from where the last bolt was in the frame to the center of the hitch ball was over 16"! That's a LOT of leverage. So I tied the top of the reciever in to the bottom of the bumper. Someone else already suggested it in a previous post and like him I too noticed that GM does this. Not sure why they all aren't made that way.