Our Mighty Hauler Experience

We wanted a HydraLift to carry our golf cart. But after investigating it we discovered that our cart weighs too much.

So our very reliable repair shop (handles many of the NASCAR rigs) did some research and suggested a Mighty Hauler. We looked at it online, talked to the manufacturer extensively, and ultimately ordered a unit.

I was a little distrustful because the manufacturer has a no returns policy. We questioned them extensively about tying the golf cart down and were assured there were lots of places -- no worries. Even though the photos online didn't show many tie down areas.

The unit arrived and our repair shop spent countless hours installing it. If you have a Prevost, no worries. But our Country Coach presented challenges. It was a very costly installation.

We ordered the ramps along with the unit. If you purchase a Mighty Hauler, DO NOT BUY THEIR RAMPS! They are very narrow and heavy. They are not long enough. The brackets supplied to mount them are unusable unless you want to crawl under the unit.

We have a Club Car Precedent with a back seat and footrest. Ramps are so steep that the cart can't be loaded.

We subsequently purchased longer aluminum ramps. Wish we had saved the $250 or so that Mighty Hauler charged for their ramps.

The paint finish on the entire unit is a joke. It's so thin and flakes off easily. The repair shop had to repaint a lot just getting it installed.

Unit has been installed on our moho for about 6 weeks now and has many rusted areas.

We will eventually have the entire unit sprayed with whatever is used for bedliners.

Our new 10' ramps arrived yesterday, but we haven't had time to see if they are long enough to load the cart.

If not, we will have to have the back of the cart reworked.

If they are, next step is to figure out how to tie down the cart. That will be an experience because on the side next to the moho there are only two U-shaped handles to tie to and they don't seem to be in the right place.

Will post later and let you all know the outcome.

Class A

povertyhillfarm
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
Can you send some pictures of your install? A friend bought the same piece and is installing on a cc intrigue. Any help would be appreciated.
wingerphil
Explorer
Apr 11, 2013
here is a link to a post with our Mighty Hauler experience.
bad Mighty Hauler experience
thgoodman
Explorer
Jan 05, 2013
JetAonly wrote:
thgoodman wrote:
Just wondering.... did you check the load on the rear axel. That thing is cantilevered out pretty far and most MH without a tag are marginally over loaded anyway. You may want to get your rig weighed fully loaded. I would think you would have to, at least, increase tire pressures to handle the additional load or maybe even go to higher load rating tires.

FWIW It looks like 33200 is the GVW. Single axle on mine is rated at 20k to comply with federal guide lines, although a few have been rated at 23k. Good news is mine is really a 34k axle per the manufacturer. I not surprised that it was difficult to install, CC did not design it that way. Short DP's are prone to handling issues anyway and 1000 more pounds might really wag the dog. Alas, the money is spent, no changing things now.

I wasn't thinking so much of the axle's carrying capacity but the load rating on your read tires. Increasing the tire pressures will increase the load carrying capacity of the tires up to a point then you may have to think of going to a higher load rating tire. Also, since your 1000# load is not over your rear axle, the cantilever will considerably increase the load your rear axle sees.
MarcW
Explorer
Jan 05, 2013
"No, we haven't checked the weight on the rear axle. We weigh 34,000 pounds dry, so I doubt if an extra 1,000 pounds would make a difference. But we should check it"

Along with the weight of the hauler, your 1000 lb cart has added/levered somewhere around 2500 lbs onto your rear wheels.
If your coach has that kind of CCC that's not a problem but if you're over legal weight, you should find out and consider the potential consiquences.
JetAonly
Explorer
Jan 05, 2013
thgoodman wrote:
Just wondering.... did you check the load on the rear axel. That thing is cantilevered out pretty far and most MH without a tag are marginally over loaded anyway. You may want to get your rig weighed fully loaded. I would think you would have to, at least, increase tire pressures to handle the additional load or maybe even go to higher load rating tires.

FWIW It looks like 33200 is the GVW. Single axle on mine is rated at 20k to comply with federal guide lines, although a few have been rated at 23k. Good news is mine is really a 34k axle per the manufacturer. I not surprised that it was difficult to install, CC did not design it that way. Short DP's are prone to handling issues anyway and 1000 more pounds might really wag the dog. Alas, the money is spent, no changing things now.
FIRE_UP
Explorer
Jan 04, 2013
CCIntrigue,
Well, sounds like you've got it under control now. As with our Hydralift, it took a few times to get things streamlined in terms of prepping the coach, setting up the lift, loading the bike, tying it down and motoring on down the road. Each time I did it, I clipped a little time off the total process.

I've got it down now to the point people watching me do it can't believe it's done that quick and, without a sweat. It just gets easier the more you do it. Your GC will get easier and easier to load and off load the more you do it. And, backing down, once you've done it a time or two, is no brainer stuff. As far as paint is concerned, that's really a travesty that the company has no idea how to prep and paint their product.

When I purchased the Hydralift off ebay for our coach, it had been sitting on a pallet, outside in the elements for a couple of years. We loaded it up on a flat bed trailer and toted it home from Scottdale AZ to here in San Diego. After mounting it, I took some Kit Wax and applied it to the entire lift. It came out looking like it was very close to new with only a one or two micro-spots of aging, not even any rust. But, I've heard of other Hydralifts not fairing so well. So, maybe I got one made on a Wednesday. Who knows.

It's sure nice to be able to carry your toys with you and have them available while on a trip ain't it? Good luck.
Scott
ferndaleflyer
Explorer III
Jan 04, 2013
Good coating place near Charlotte called Calico Coating. Denver, NC I think
CCIntrigue
Explorer
Jan 04, 2013
No return policy scared us, too!

Yes, we can put the ramps on the other side. It's just more convenient for us at the locations we unload to back it off.

Our primary camping locations are Fort Wilderness (WDW) and Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, SC. At both, backing off are fine. Fort Wilderness has an unhitch area, and at OLFC backing off allows us to stay on our site while unloading.
CCIntrigue
Explorer
Jan 04, 2013
bluwtr49 wrote:
I'm just curious why you take a golf cart with you??? Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just rent one at the course.

We take a golf cart with us wherever we travel because the average rental on a cart is $65 per day. More than renting a car!

No, we haven't checked the weight on the rear axle. We weigh 34,000 pounds dry, so I doubt if an extra 1,000 pounds would make a difference. But we should check it.

Thanks for the info on the powder coating. That's something we need to look into.
Hurricane_Owner
Explorer
Dec 24, 2012
No return policy would have scared me off. Do they not believe in their product? I second the powder coating, plus it will be a lot tighter than the bedliner.