On Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:02:35 -0700, "Tom Gardner"
wrote:


"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
.. .
Been driving the new (to me) Ford Ranger. Runs great, gets between
19-21mpg over 4 tankfuls of fuel.

Factory bumper is rated 2000lb gross trailer, so I think it would be
nice to have a receiver hitch. Bolted to the frame. Never did like
using the bumper on the old truck, but it was built heavier than the
current truck. (94 Rangers are built stouter than the ones after '98
IMHO.....this truck...they took all the stuff that didnt wear out and
made it thinner, lighter or out of plastic)

Is it wise to make up ones own receiver hitch, from a liability
standpoint?

Gunner


I think I would rather have something you designed and built than a factory
unit.

Some of the factory units are good, but they ain't cheap. Draw-Tite
makes good ones or at least used to. Never know what's made in China
nowadays.

I'd use triangular gusset plates where the receiver tube makes a T
with the cross tube. Rigid-hitch doesn't do that, but I would. It
enables more linear inches of weld at that joint, and it distributes
pull stress, tongue-weight moment and turn moment much better than a
straight butt joint.

I have (very carefully) pulled an 8000 lb load (excavator on a
flatbed) with mine, no problems. That's way too much for my pickup
but I only had to go about 3 miles to and from the rental place.

Here in MN it's good to shoot a healthy dose of LPS-3 into the
receiver when it's mounted. Stops rust for a coupla years. I forgot
to do that on my camper holddowns and had a bit of difficulty getting
one of them extended after 8 years of neglect.

That may not be a good idea in the desert, where sand is more of an
issue than rust.