Hi all,
Our new Scamp will not be ready until October, so plenty of time to get our new hitch and wiring mounted on our 2006 Ford Freestyle.
I have seen some semi-horrible looking vehicle hitches with a square 2" I think, tube that the actual piece with the ball on it slides into and is locked by a large retaining pin.
When a family member rented a small U-Haul trailer this summer and asked me to back it into a drive for them I was horrified by the clunking and banging that turned out to be the ball part of the hitch slopping around in the trailer hitch "socket" mounted on the car.
Hopefully that is just for temp hitches and not used for permanent ones.
Do they still make the "old fashioned" hitches that are solid w/o these removable pieces?
The Lock n Roll hitch noted in the "Hitch popped off" post looks really intriguing.
Cheers
all receiver hitches are sort of "one size fits all" or none. For a very few bucks you can buy a small bolt on device that will take all the wiggle out of your hitch. Just means you can't pull the stinger quiet as quickly. very much worth the money. BTW, old fashioned hitches fit to the bumper-often made of steel- and new cars have a whole different set up. the receiver and stinger is the only safe way to go. Unless you have a 1958 Chevy!
Hi PhiilipG,
What is the "small bolt on" thingy called and/or where would I find one?
Having lived in Central America for he past 25 years I guess I have been totally out of touch with what trailer hitches are these days, among other things
Here to learn from others, what works and what doesn't
They are called de-rattlers. Check where you got hitch, or northern tool, mybe u-haul?
Tnx I will look,
First quick Google search turned up this one...
I will find one Fo Tru as we used to say in Belize.
Tnx.
Here to learn from others, what works and what doesn't
Carl
Found this on etrailer.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkurrpOoSeg
I wouldn't worry about the rattle, you can't hear if you turn up the radio. What size Scamp did you order? I hope you checked the tongue weight against your Freestyle capacity.
I am new to all of this. I just bought a used 16 Scamp and brought it home. It clunked and jerked and made noises whenever I went over anything like a bump. I assume this is what you are talking about. I would imagine this is not the safest thing to happen and would like to do whatever I can to quiet it and stay safe on the road. I would appreciate detailed explanations and descriptions since I have never pulled anything before.
Cindy G
Towing Clunk is not Normal, at least to the extent you describe.
There are three things you need to check...
First, check the hitch, which is attached to the vehicle (without the trailer).
With the hitch in the receiver grab the ball and move it around, there should be very little play between the hitch and the receiver, just enough to allow you to slide it in and out during installation. Be sure to move this up, down, sideways and Back and Forth (Use a LOT of Muscle behind this test, find a big, burley, friend to help with this if necessary). Also, be sure the Ball is on there good and tight!
If you find looseness the causes will be; your receiver is slightly larger than it should be, your hitch (part with ball attached) is slightly smaller than it should be, your ball is loose (or the ball shaft is smaller than the ball hole in the hitch), or the pin that holds the hitch in the receiver is undersized and is allowing things to slide. Also possible, but less likely, your receiver could have loosened up from your tow vehicle.
Next, check the size of your Ball and the Ball size required by the trailer manufacturer Check the Owner's Manual (also, there should be some marks on the trailer tongue indicating the proper size Ball required). Be sure you have the correct Ball installed for your trailer.
The next thing is to verify that your trailer was tightened to the ball properly. Sometimes there are adjustments which can be made on the tongue-to-ball mechanisms. Sometimes there is simply a square handle on top of the ball which gets tightened onto the ball to lock the trailer to the ball. If you have the square knob on top of the Ball type, you need to stop after a mile of pulling your trailer and make sure this knob has been tightened well (you do not need a wrench on this but a good, firm, tightening is required).
If all this fails, then hook your trailer up and test it while you (or someone) observes how the trailer and hitch operate together while performing small forward / quick braking maneuvers (also in reverse) to determine where your problem is coming from. Obviously, be extremely SAFE and DO NOT GET BETWEEN THE VEHICLE AND TRAILER while performing this test !!!
Please let us know what you find out.
Stay Safe and...
Happy Scamping !!!
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
Thanks so much for the details. Its just what I needed. The receiver appears to be slightly oversized, causing most of the clunking. . . I hope. There is enough slop there that I can easily wiggle it around. It was installed at my local Dodge Dealer. Is there a way that I can take up the slack with something? Maybe buy one of those bolt-on hitch tighteners? Is that what those are for? I would love to see how much "play" there is in everyone's hitch. won't that be a good campfire topic! I will continue to work down the list of suggestions given until it seems that the "clunking" is at an acceptable level.
Thanks a bunch for all the help
Cindy G
The de-ratteler is is listed above.
http://scampcamper.com/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/comment-...
This thing clamps around the inner square tube and clamps it down to the receiver part and removes the excess slop.
This is what stops the ratteling.