| Author |
Message |
Donald19952
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 3:47 pm: | |
Hello All. I have been following this bulletein for quite a while. Keep up the good deed.As time goes on we will become better aquainted.
I am now in need of your thoughts,photos,and experiance.
I am preparing to build a class 3 or 4 trailer hitch,anticipating 250-400 lbs. tongue weight for my 1978 Eagle #19952.
Your thoughts and recomendations on what to do and NOT to do.?
PS.I attempted to register and have yet to be approved.... |
niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 4:31 pm: | |
Welcome to the board Donald - and don't worry about your 'approval' - don't know that any one has ever been 'disapproved' - its a fairly 'elite' group of individuals - LMAO -
On your question - you can access the archives by using the search function located under utilities on the left side of your screen - its a wonderful feature of this board - and may not answer alll your questions - but might serve to limit it to specifics that may need further discussion - please note that the threads to the south have not been archived yet and you may wish to peruse those too - Niles |
thattruckerguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 4:49 pm: | |
You will find a lot of information here:
http://www.towingworld.com/Info/
read the towing physics 101 for a start |
Jim Shepherd (Rv_safetyman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 6:56 pm: | |
I wanted to point to a specific thread from this board, but it seems to have been removed for some reason. I recall that several of us pointed out some pretty significant issues with towing larger trailers. The thread was titled: MCI 102A2-towing trailer and was started on April 25, 2005. I have some of my text saved, but it is a real shame that this thread has been removed for some reason.
Ian, is there any way to get the thread back?
Jim Shepherd
Evergreen, CO
’85 Eagle 10
Bus Project details: http://www.rvsafetysystems.com/busproject.htm (updated 2/17/05) |
Jim Shepherd (Rv_safetyman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 7:07 pm: | |
Perhaps I should explain the above post just a bit more.
There have been a very large number of threads/topics on towing large trailers -- which it sounds like you are planning to do.
Some of the threads have some pretty good information in them. Some of us have spent quite a bit of time putting our thoughts into words. To have them removed from the board is a real frustration.
The thread that was removed was pretty detailed and would have served as good background for your question -- even though it started with an MCI related post. Many of the issues are the same with many of our busses.
If Ian can't find the thread, I will post some of my text to help your thought process.
The basic issue is that our buses were not designed for hauling large trailers. There are some structural issues that a person needs to think about.
I will end this post now and see if some of our work can be reposted.
Jim |
Donald19952
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 2:35 am: | |
Anyone else?? Drawings pics?
Actually the trailer is 14 feet and ill be closer to 250 lbs tongue weight than 400...
Don |
Jim Shepherd (Rv_safetyman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 10:25 am: | |
Donald, making a trailer hitch for an Eagle is a real challenge. First of all, the whole engine support frame is offset to the driver’s side by about 9 inches for the drop box configuration. Secondly, the hitch must be built around the miter box.
This kind of question has been asked many times, and I have never heard of any drawings for any bus. I believe that one person said that they found some factory drawings for an MCI as I recall, but that was never confirmed. I think that every hitch is custom fabricated.
When I made my first hitch, I made it in several bolt-together parts so that it could be removed easily. It was a huge job. I thought that I had documented the details on my project page, but I guess that I did not get that part of the project on the web site. While I have some pictures, they probably do not give enough detail to define a design.
If you build the hitch yourself, just plain common sense should prevail. Everything will be tied into the engine cradle/frame rails. There are several one inch holes on the frame rails and you use these to do the actual mounting.
If there is any doubt about your ability to build the hitch yourself, I would check around your area for a shop that custom builds heavy duty trailer hitches and has a good reputation. They will have no problem doing the work, and it will be money well spent.
With the age of your bus, you should not have any computer systems. Still, it is good practice to unhook the batteries when you are welding.
Jim |
TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 12:08 pm: | |
Donald...
I have a '78 Eagle..s.n. 19835....and, recently lost my toad...due to the hitch on the dolly unhooking at 60 m.p.h.....the hitch on my Eagle was fine...PLEASE ,do not overload...you say a 14' trailer...with a car ? ...already overloaded...buses..have no FRAME...I welded a receiver to my miter box frame& braced with 1/2"x2" bar |
Donald19952
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 2:05 pm: | |
Not with a car.I will have a motorcycle and a few tools.
I have wondered about attaching to the miter box,or building as close to beneath it as possible. Concern here would be ground clearance.
Another concern was if the mitre box "flexed" and so then would it "grind" on the hitch/reciever.
I have recently retired from 31 years of heavy Eq. Maint. My welds pass muster.
Thanks Jim for the ECM reminder.
Niles I about exhausted the search.
TDogs thanks too.
Will be welding this afternoon and testing the hitch on the 15th.
I hauled my trailer to Alaska from AZ.(empty)on a piece of 2 inch X 1/4 channel (origially used to tow bar a Lincoln Town Car by the previous owner with apparently no ill effect),which twisted distorted amd cracked.
IT was held on by one 3/4 in. bolt left and right engine cradle ahead of and under the outboard rear harmonic balance portion of the miter box.
I want to consider my design so that future reinforcement if needed included bracing to the miter box, It seems apparent that it would "move" with the engine cradle not "in total opposition" of it.
Any more thoughts appreciated.
See ya down the road.
Don |
Jim Shepherd (Rv_safetyman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 3:03 pm: | |
I have looked at a lot of Eagles to get ideas and have not seen any that use the miter box as a part of the hitch system. I would be concerned about using the miter box frame work. For sure it was never intended to handle that kind of load. In addition you would be loading up the engine mounts a bit and you would get some movement from the engine mounts.
There is really no reason to use the miter box frame. You can go straight across the back with the primary load carrying member and attach it to the two rear-most 1 inch holes. Then you can come off of that cross memeber and run arms back to the 1 inch holes on the engine "slide" that are about 2 feet further back in the engine compartment. The arms look a little strange since the hitch is not centered on the engine, but you get the idea.
One other issue I often mention is that if your Eagle has much rust, then the engine cradle structure may be compormised. One person on this board had down tubes that were almost completely rusted through. This would really compromise your ability to handle any loads.
Lastly, I always advocate hooking the safety chains to a separate location on the frame. I run a set of chains from the hitch to a very solid place on the frame and then hook those chains and the tow safety chains together at the hitch. That way if anything happens to the hitch, you still have working safety chains.
Jim |
niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 4:32 pm: | |
Donald - your right - I just looked - I coulda swore there was something there in the archives - sorry to send you on the goose chase - You may want to contact B & B coach works - I believe the # is 702-873-4414 - HTH - Niles |