Hitch on trailer

[JnJnKatiebug]

New member. I am looking at several Solitude's and trying to find the perfect one to buy. Does anyone use a hitch on the trailer and tow a small fishing boat. I live in AR and it is allowed here. Will this void the warranty?

 

[Namlehse]

I've debated on it, but I would be over length. I carry my boats over the front of the truck. Given a John boat, you could probably do the same.

 

[Second Chance]

The hitch receivers coming on the new Grand Design RVs are rated for a max of 300 pounds. They are intended for bike racks, etc. - not for double towing. I would never entertain the notion. And, yes, it would probably void your frame warranty (Lippert).

Rob

 

[CWSWine]

Lippert (the company that made your frame) has several solutions on there page that are available to the public. One of the hitches is rated to pull a bass boat and they even have a bike rack hitch that attaches to the bumper. I wouldn't tow a boat myself but I have seen a lot people that do. Go to Bass tournament and see some large boats being pulled behind 5ers for tens of thousands of miles.

https://store.lci1.com/products/storage-towing-and-security?___store=english&cat=72

 

[Nuffsaid]

I have towed doubles for close to twenty years. For a while I even did it with a pull trailer, a bit scary at times. In Wyoming it is legal though. Overall length is a concern and my current Holiday Rambler Alumascape when towing my 16.5 foot Lowe fishing boat is over 70 feet long overall. In Wyoming, maximum length is 85 feet, so that isn't a problem. Jump over the boarder to the north into Montana and the length is limited to 65 feet unless you have a over length permit. I was a welder by trade for over 20 years, so fabricating hitches is no big deal. The big question again is based on weight. I sometimes haul a horse trailer with two horses and hay behind my current 5er. I have the brakes wired so they work as well as lights. I try to keep the tongue weight as light as I can and I have scaled all the axles numerous times. All the extra weight however does add a lot of stress to the 5er frame. I have had numerous cracks on my frame that I have had to repair including a broken spring hanger last year. My Alumascape only has an 8 inch frame and while I am shopping for a new 5er right now, frame strength is high on my list as I will be pulling doubles. When towing my boat, the tongue weight is only about 250lbs, but my horse trailer is closer to 500. I also fabricated a platform on the rear of my current 5er and it carries a 5500 watt onan quiet diesel generator that weighs over 400 lbs. I made my current hitch out of a piece of 4 inch by 6 inch tube steel welded to both frame rails, I have three two inch receiver tubes welded to the tube steel. There is a lot of leverage in my current design, and I inspect it during every trip, but it has held up well. One thing to be aware of is being legal with your driver's license. A typical Class C driver's license is only good for 26,001 lbs of gross vehicle rating. Rating doesn't mean actual weight, it means design weight. Example: My tow vehicle has a GVW of 9200 lbs, my 5er is 11,500 and my horse trailer is 5000. Add these all together and my gross combined weight is 25,700 lbs and ok with a class C license. Unfortunately I have seen the scale say 27,000 when fully loaded. I need a commercial license to be totally legal.

 

[HOWITTRO]

Rob
I was speaking to the factory a few days ago and they said they are no longer adding trailer hitches which disappointed me. My dealer wants $500 to add one. Any comments would be appreciated
Thanks
Bob

 

[TucsonJim]

I carry a 14' aluminum boat on an electric powered loader that fits over my pick up bed. The one I purchased is a "Rear Loader" which is designed for those folks pulling travel trailers. Here is a picture with it mounted up.

The company that I purchased it from also sells a "Front Loader" which is made for people pulling fifth wheels. Here's a picture from their website.

If you're interested in this kind of a solution, the company is based out of British Columbia and is called Four Boys Manufacturing. Here is a link to their website:

http://www.4boysmfg.com/

Jim

 

[Second Chance]

Rob
I was speaking to the factory a few days ago and they said they are no longer adding trailer hitches which disappointed me. My dealer wants $500 to add one. Any comments would be appreciated
Thanks
Bob

You might check with a good welding shop that does that sort of thing - RV dealers often the highest cost option for whatever you want done.

Rob

 

[Ram&Lab2]

We just ordered a Solitude 310 GK and Lippert offers after factory hitches for their frames that will not void the warranty.
Try here:
https://store.lci1.com/products/cargo-security-storage/cargo/bike-racks-receivers

We are having one installed by the dealer as they are not putting any on the Solitude line as an option.

 

[easy_e]

Your link is out of date. Here is a current link: https://store.lci1.com/adjustable-rv-trailer-hitch-2in-receiver-up-to-72in-frames-2020102702

P.S. Google the hitch, and you will find it for less on other websites. For instance, I found if for $330 on HomeDepot.com vs $471 on Lippert.

 

[traveldawg]

I cut my bumper off and put on that Lippert hitch. It is rated for 350lb tongue capacity and 3500lb towing capacity.

I carry 2 electric bikes on it.

Beside the hitch, you need to put in a trailer plug.

$500 from a dealer sounds like a good deal. But I'd have a lot of questions about how is is mounted, who makes it, and whether installation of the trailer plug is included. My guess is the $500 is for labor only.

 

[triplethreat]

I added a Class III hitch to the rear of my Momentum triple axle Toy Hauler last fall. The hitch itself is 500/5000 rated. I bought all the material needed to have a place to bolt the hitch to, but hired a certified mobile welder to come to my house and do all the welding on it. Once the 4" Channel iron was welded to the 12" main frame of the trailer, I had pre-drilled the holes in the Channel iron and I bolted it up to the welded on channel. I used eight Grade 8 bolts that are 1/2"-13 and the welder told me that he felt like what I built and the way it was attached could easily utilize the 500/5000 spec of the hitch. I don't tow anything with the hitch though, it is for a RV rated bike rack and has two ebikes loaded on it.