Trailer hitch
06-21-2009, 10:10 PM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-19-2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,454
None the less, same hardware, and yeah the bolt grabber, fishing line, or whatever you want to call it, is great on them. My dad is a big car guy and has installed hitches before and he said his directions used to say take some wire and wrap it around it, and was happy this step was already done.
We had the entire thing installed in less then 40 min. (which is what they say for the hidden, they say longer for the curt... no idea why, same directions). That included me taking it out of the box and the time it took to untape the parts and the draw bar from it...
I also bought a rubber plug for the end of the hitch to close it up but ended up plugging the other end of it underneath the car, i just gotta get another one now, so the tube is sealed 100% when not in use. I would like to resist rust as much as i can. Some people have said they wax them, and i'll be doing that too...
06-22-2009, 09:38 AM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: 05-03-2007
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Posts: 121
Had to drop my muffler, too. Very simple, though.
Do they use lots of salt on the roads during the winter months out your way ie causing the rust concerns?
Do they use lots of salt on the roads during the winter months out your way ie causing the rust concerns?
Last edited by Tikker; 06-22-2009 at 09:42 AM. Reason: Added question.
06-22-2009, 10:33 AM
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-19-2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,454
i am just concerned because i swear every after market hitch i see looks like it is about to fall of of the vehicle from rust... Most factory ones looks good (not all, but most) but after market ones just look horrible.
Don't know about here in Indiana, seems like they don't do anything to the roads in the winter, but i know in Michigan they used a combo of sand and salt.
I just want it to look as good as possible for as long as possible Won't be too big of a deal if my concealing plans work for it, but we'll see.
Going to test it out this weekend, my bike rack was damaged during shipping and i am getting a new part but it'll work for this weekend hopefully. Will be more secure since the broken part is something that doesn't want to release as good.
Yeah the muffler drop was easy. Didn't like the idea of widening the one hole slightly... Could have just went with a slightly smaller bolt for that hole...
Don't know about here in Indiana, seems like they don't do anything to the roads in the winter, but i know in Michigan they used a combo of sand and salt.
I just want it to look as good as possible for as long as possible Won't be too big of a deal if my concealing plans work for it, but we'll see.
Going to test it out this weekend, my bike rack was damaged during shipping and i am getting a new part but it'll work for this weekend hopefully. Will be more secure since the broken part is something that doesn't want to release as good.
Yeah the muffler drop was easy. Didn't like the idea of widening the one hole slightly... Could have just went with a slightly smaller bolt for that hole...
07-25-2009, 12:51 PM
#35
New Member
Join Date: 01-20-2008
Location: Southeast TN
Posts: 11
Ok, I posted this information on another thread, but here is it again.
The camper I just bought and brought back to southeast TN from north Michigan, weighs 860 pounds total. The mileage back home was about 850 miles, and my HHR towed the camper easily. No swaying, and other than a 10 MPH drop in gas mileage, it was easy to pull.
But I did not know the tongue weight. Although I may not have checked it completely accurately, I DO know it is over 200 pounds. Most likely around 240 pounds. Now then, my hitch is a Curt Hidden Hitch model. The hitch itself is rated for up to 300 pounds tongue weight. My HHR, however, is only rated for 100 pounds.
I am not able to relocate the axle on the camper, because to do so would mean I'd have to totally redo both sides of the camper, and I don't have the skill to do that; nevermind the problems inside the camper that would result.
Although I had no problem towing this camper, is there anything I can do to my HHR to either lessen the tongue weight, or add strength to the hitch attachment to the chassis?
Thanks.
Pete
The camper I just bought and brought back to southeast TN from north Michigan, weighs 860 pounds total. The mileage back home was about 850 miles, and my HHR towed the camper easily. No swaying, and other than a 10 MPH drop in gas mileage, it was easy to pull.
But I did not know the tongue weight. Although I may not have checked it completely accurately, I DO know it is over 200 pounds. Most likely around 240 pounds. Now then, my hitch is a Curt Hidden Hitch model. The hitch itself is rated for up to 300 pounds tongue weight. My HHR, however, is only rated for 100 pounds.
I am not able to relocate the axle on the camper, because to do so would mean I'd have to totally redo both sides of the camper, and I don't have the skill to do that; nevermind the problems inside the camper that would result.
Although I had no problem towing this camper, is there anything I can do to my HHR to either lessen the tongue weight, or add strength to the hitch attachment to the chassis?
Thanks.
Pete
07-26-2009, 12:04 AM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: 01-13-2008
Location: Washington State, where it rains
Posts: 4,708
Try this,, maybe it will help..
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-p...gue-weight.htm
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-p...gue-weight.htm
10-07-2009, 12:06 PM
#38
Join Date: 06-22-2009
Location: Delaware
Posts: 2
Trailering
I finally put together a 4X8 foot trailer from Harbor Freight. it comes as a kit bolt together type and is rated for 1000 lbs. I put on a Hidden Hitch (eBay) which came with a wiring harness and ball. The first trip was about 350 miles to the Outer Banks and back. I have the 2.4L and an auto trans, and still got over 30 mpg even though there is a long stretch of small towns to go through. Costs: trailer on sale $280, hitch and harness $211, spare 12" tire $44, trailer wood flooring and sides, fasteners $70. The nice thing about the trailer is that it is a fold up one for storage with a 3 X 5 footprint in the garage.
10-07-2009, 12:22 PM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-08-2007
Location: Marysville, PA
Posts: 405
I would think, To lessen the tongue weight, you can try moving weight to the rear of the trailer
Ok, I posted this information on another thread, but here is it again.
The camper I just bought and brought back to southeast TN from north Michigan, weighs 860 pounds total. The mileage back home was about 850 miles, and my HHR towed the camper easily. No swaying, and other than a 10 MPH drop in gas mileage, it was easy to pull.
But I did not know the tongue weight. Although I may not have checked it completely accurately, I DO know it is over 200 pounds. Most likely around 240 pounds. Now then, my hitch is a Curt Hidden Hitch model. The hitch itself is rated for up to 300 pounds tongue weight. My HHR, however, is only rated for 100 pounds.
I am not able to relocate the axle on the camper, because to do so would mean I'd have to totally redo both sides of the camper, and I don't have the skill to do that; nevermind the problems inside the camper that would result.
Although I had no problem towing this camper, is there anything I can do to my HHR to either lessen the tongue weight, or add strength to the hitch attachment to the chassis?
Thanks.
Pete
The camper I just bought and brought back to southeast TN from north Michigan, weighs 860 pounds total. The mileage back home was about 850 miles, and my HHR towed the camper easily. No swaying, and other than a 10 MPH drop in gas mileage, it was easy to pull.
But I did not know the tongue weight. Although I may not have checked it completely accurately, I DO know it is over 200 pounds. Most likely around 240 pounds. Now then, my hitch is a Curt Hidden Hitch model. The hitch itself is rated for up to 300 pounds tongue weight. My HHR, however, is only rated for 100 pounds.
I am not able to relocate the axle on the camper, because to do so would mean I'd have to totally redo both sides of the camper, and I don't have the skill to do that; nevermind the problems inside the camper that would result.
Although I had no problem towing this camper, is there anything I can do to my HHR to either lessen the tongue weight, or add strength to the hitch attachment to the chassis?
Thanks.
Pete
09-08-2014, 08:24 PM
#40
Member
Join Date: 08-26-2014
Location: Cape Coral
Posts: 41
I too am going to pull a Harbor Freight trailer- building it this week.
Anyway, installing he trailer hitch was a bit of a challenge- now I know why all the videos show it being done with the car on a lift! I just barely managed to get the passenger side angled down enough for the hitch to get over the muffler by jacking up the drivers side and lowering the muffler. The final trick was to put a small piece of EMT conduit in the muffler's tailpipe (after the rubber hangers were unhooked) and hang a concrete block on it. That extra inch allowed the hitch to go over the muffler.
Cleaning all the Chinese cosmoline off those Harbor freight wheel bearings was a royal pain- and then I had to repack them with marine grade grease.
Anyway, installing he trailer hitch was a bit of a challenge- now I know why all the videos show it being done with the car on a lift! I just barely managed to get the passenger side angled down enough for the hitch to get over the muffler by jacking up the drivers side and lowering the muffler. The final trick was to put a small piece of EMT conduit in the muffler's tailpipe (after the rubber hangers were unhooked) and hang a concrete block on it. That extra inch allowed the hitch to go over the muffler.
Cleaning all the Chinese cosmoline off those Harbor freight wheel bearings was a royal pain- and then I had to repack them with marine grade grease.