How over engineered are receivers?

The Texan wrote:
Here is just one example of the NHTSA investigation and this one was double, triple and quadruple checked to make sure everything was within specs, before any towing was done.....

Receiver failure.....

Apples to oranges. GMC Sierra 1500 pick up truck.. nuff said

Sport45 wrote:
I may be missing something here, but it doesn't sound to me like the receiver is underrated.

I would say it was overloaded. ;)

Under rated/half full overloaded/half empty

blt2ski wrote:
One can find hitches that are rated for more than a given rig is rated to tow! I had a 96 CC GM, I was pulling a 6500 TT with WD bars, and an equipment trailer with a pintle hitch that was dead wt attached! at around 9000 and 1000 lbs of hw. Went to Tork Lift which is down the road from me, told them the trailers I was pulling, put a hitch on it that will handle said loads! Oh yeah, the truck was only rated for 7500 or some such goof ball thing! so any way, hitch did fine for 10 yrs and 200K miles, even when I added another piece of equipment on the trailer that took me to 12K and 1500 hw!

I would also NOT weld to your trucks frame, many of the LDT trucks frames are not able to be welded on and retain structure. If you had an mdt or larger, then many of them are weldable. Going to a stronger larger diam bolt would be your best bet for some of what you need. The other is to figure out if the steel is thick enough or the proper type for what you want to do. Along with, it is what, 20 yrs old?!?!? it may be fried from use! I could be wrong on that one too.

I personally would not worry about what you are doing.


marty

So Tork Lift installed a 10k receiver, on a 3/4 ton truck only rated for 7500? And you pulled 12k with 1500 tongue weight. Nice.
See that's what Im getting at..
I'm sure when a engineer designs a receiver, he rates it for 1/2 of the actual strength. I would

Thanks Marty..

I'm convinced my receiver will be fine, unless I have a major accident. Worst case scenario's are the forces engineers actually design for. Not working loads

bimbert84 wrote:

Chuck&Gail wrote:

If the company reads this, and you had an accident because you ignored safety ratings, do they cover it anyway?

Yes, negligence is covered (although intentional fraud is not). They factor the cost of that into the premiums.

-- Rob

Good thing.. Because Gail sounds like a character who would spend her entire day narking me off to save the world, in her mind.

Im towing with one of the best 1 ton bumper pull platform available rated at 10k lbs when combined with the best engine and trans available. Only a fifth wheel would locate the load better as the van rear is shorter than trucks. The vans frame is just as strong as any 1 ton truck, and yes I'm insured and don't owe a thin dime and intend to keep it that way thank you.

bimbert84 wrote:
.

You were saying?