Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-11-2013, 06:38 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
RRSCOTT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Maquoketa, Iowa
Posts: 198
Hitch on back.

Just join and love all the info! I would like to put a hitch on back of our Puma 259RBSS to pull a trailer to haul my Trike or a golf cart. Know where I can get a hitch or how to make one?
__________________
Randy

2021 Arctic Wolf
2020 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Gasser
RRSCOTT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 04:15 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
wowzer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Fremont,Ohio
Posts: 186
Not possible....frame not designed to support the weight on that end. Changes the dynamics of the weight issue.
wowzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 04:41 PM   #3
Phat Phrog Stunt Team
 
TURBS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
I'd recommend not doing that unless authorized by fr if your in your warranty period.


Turbs
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	ForumRunner_20130811_164003.jpg
Views:	182
Size:	28.0 KB
ID:	37433  
TURBS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 05:09 PM   #4
Carknocker Family
 
Ida Ratherbe Camping's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 690
Quote:
Originally Posted by wowzer View Post
Not possible....frame not designed to support the weight on that end. Changes the dynamics of the weight issue.
Not true, anything possible with metal. But like also said, will void warranty of frame. I put one on my 2014 model, with that being said. If I couldn't use my toys for what I want, then why have them. IMO
__________________
Nights camped 2015...20
Nights camped 2016...20
Nights camped 2017...24
2017 Ram 2500
2014 Salem 32BHDS
Ida Ratherbe Camping is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 07:44 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
RRSCOTT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Maquoketa, Iowa
Posts: 198
We have had our 259rbss 5 years this July( bought new), so the warranty is up.
__________________
Randy

2021 Arctic Wolf
2020 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Gasser
RRSCOTT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 06:29 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
wowzer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Fremont,Ohio
Posts: 186
ttt
__________________
Jim and Sherri Brown
2013 Silverado 2500 6.6 DuraMax
2012 Sabre 34REQS6
wowzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 06:50 PM   #7
Site Team - Lou
 
Herk7769's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Eastern PA
Posts: 23,268
You have a lot of money tied up in your camper.
A cracked frame is a good possibility and not worth it, IMO.

Buy a toy hauler.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMGP3862.jpg
Views:	179
Size:	48.3 KB
ID:	37726   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMGP3886.jpg
Views:	175
Size:	47.4 KB
ID:	37727  
Attached Images
  
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Herk7769 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 07:24 PM   #8
Camper Less Camping
 
Cajun Po-Boy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: NW
Posts: 3,642
Toyhauler it is...not worth taking risk with additional stress on a frame that was not designed to tow handle additional weight...IMO



__________________
2013 Sabre 32RCTS-6 (sold)
Family of 4 whose always on the GEAUX!
Cajun Po-Boy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 07:32 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Rugged Brown's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,106
Herk: are those pictures resulting from stress to a frame from modifications or is it from regular use. I would think that anyone modifying the frame to add a trailer hitch may beef it up to exceed the manufacturers specs. Just saying.
__________________
Terry/Bernadette
Lily the Yorkie
2019 Dodge Ram Sport 1500
2019 FR Vibe 28RL
Rugged Brown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 07:39 PM   #10
Mod free 5er
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 24,702
Regardless of how well the hitch is welded to the stock frame, the entire frame from front to rear is not designed for the extra load and stress put on it by adding a hitch. You can do as you please as it belongs to you, but you are just asking for problems.
__________________
OldCoot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 07:46 PM   #11
Phat Phrog Stunt Team
 
TURBS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
Dare I say it but I am with old coot .
You can throw all the steel you want at it and over fabricate the hitch and mounts but you still have a tin frame.....
Which was and always will be the weakest link.


Turbs
TURBS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 07:47 PM   #12
Site Team - Lou
 
Herk7769's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Eastern PA
Posts: 23,268
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rugged Brown View Post
Herk: are those pictures resulting from stress to a frame from modifications or is it from regular use. I would think that anyone modifying the frame to add a trailer hitch may beef it up to exceed the manufacturers specs. Just saying.

Funny you should say that. At Goshen I had a LONG talk with the frame engineers about a topic close to my heart.

My camper is perfect for us but I run it almost constantly at its max gross weight of 9217 pounds. My axles are 4000 pounds each and I believe (and the engineers (sorta) confirmed that the GVWR of MY camper is "most likely" based on the axles.

I was entertaining upgrading my axles to 5000 pounds to get a few hundred pounds of payload and wanted to know what the frame was "good for" so I would still be safe.

What I got back rocked me to my heels. The engineer stated that if I put on the heavier axles, my GVWR would NOT change because without a complete engineering study "OF THE ENTIRE CAMPER" they could not know "where the next Domino was."

When I asked, they said it was most likely the WALLS. They put more wall studs in the heavier gross weight campers to sustain the flexing that goes with a higher gross weight. He said my next "point of failure" would most likely be cracks at the slide openings.

That conversation saved me a small fortune.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Herk7769 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 07:50 PM   #13
Phat Phrog Stunt Team
 
TURBS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
Quote:
Originally Posted by herk7769 View Post

Funny you should say that. At Goshen I had a LONG talk with the frame engineers about a topic close to my heart.

My camper is perfect for us but I run it almost constantly at its max gross weight of 9217 pounds. My axles are 4000 pounds each and I believe (and the engineers (sorta) confirmed that the GVWR of MY camper is "most likely" based on the axles.

I was entertaining upgrading my axles to 5000 pounds to get a few hundred pounds of payload and wanted to know what the frame was "good for" so I would still be safe.

What I got back rocked me to my heels. The engineer stated that if I put on the heavier axles, my GVWR would NOT change because without a complete engineering study "OF THE ENTIRE CAMPER" they could not know "where the next Domino was."

When I asked, they said it was most likely the WALLS. They put more wall studs in the heavier gross weight campers to sustain the flexing that goes with a higher gross weight. He said my next "point of failure" would most likely be cracks at the slide openings.

That conversation saved me a small fortune.
Thanks for explaining that to me at the rally!
TURBS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 07:57 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Rugged Brown's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,106
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by herk7769 View Post
Funny you should say that. At Goshen I had a LONG talk with the frame engineers about a topic close to my heart.

My camper is perfect for us but I run it almost constantly at its max gross weight of 9217 pounds. My axles are 4000 pounds each and I believe (and the engineers (sorta) confirmed that the GVWR of MY camper is "most likely" based on the axles.

I was entertaining upgrading my axles to 5000 pounds to get a few hundred pounds of payload and wanted to know what the frame was "good for" so I would still be safe.

What I got back rocked me to my heels. The engineer stated that if I put on the heavier axles, my GVWR would NOT change because without a complete engineering study "OF THE ENTIRE CAMPER" they could not know "where the next Domino was."

When I asked, they said it was most likely the WALLS. They put more wall studs in the heavier gross weight campers to sustain the flexing that goes with a higher gross weight. He said my next "point of failure" would most likely be cracks at the slide openings.

That conversation saved me a small fortune.

Point taken, but you didn't answer my questions about the origin of the damage illustrated on the pictures. Was that frame modified? I agree with OC, Turbs and yourself about the limitations on the frames, but I also have suspicions that the frames are probably not strong enough even to withstand the factory , unmodified , within weight , camper. My point about adding a hitch is that anyone that would likely attempt this would beef the frame to strengthen it. Probably still not advisable. BTW, did you guys soften OC up a bit at the rally. He seems somewhat subdued.
__________________
Terry/Bernadette
Lily the Yorkie
2019 Dodge Ram Sport 1500
2019 FR Vibe 28RL
Rugged Brown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 08:26 PM   #15
Phat Phrog Stunt Team
 
TURBS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rugged Brown View Post

BTW, did you guys soften OC up a bit at the rally. He seems somewhat subdued.
Did you not see the photos?
TURBS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2013, 08:27 PM   #16
Phat Phrog Stunt Team
 
TURBS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
Just sayin

Click image for larger version

Name:	ForumRunner_20130814_202723.jpg
Views:	168
Size:	50.4 KB
ID:	37739



Click image for larger version

Name:	ForumRunner_20130814_202742.jpg
Views:	157
Size:	48.6 KB
ID:	37740
TURBS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2013, 06:54 AM   #17
Site Team - Lou
 
Herk7769's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Eastern PA
Posts: 23,268
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rugged Brown View Post
Point taken, but you didn't answer my questions about the origin of the damage illustrated on the pictures. Was that frame modified? I agree with OC, Turbs and yourself about the limitations on the frames, but I also have suspicions that the frames are probably not strong enough even to withstand the factory , unmodified , within weight , camper. My point about adding a hitch is that anyone that would likely attempt this would beef the frame to strengthen it. Probably still not advisable. BTW, did you guys soften OC up a bit at the rally. He seems somewhat subdued.

Quite a bit of Limoncello and wine was consumed at the Rally. Perhaps the aftereffects?

That was not my frame, and the article/post the photos came from is unknown by me (typical of the Herkbrary the source is long lost).

I seem to recall it was frame damage above the axles from an "aftermarket" weld shop install of a generator/cargo shelf at the rear. I could have mixed that up with another frame failure from a bike rack (whose photos are also in the library).
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Herk7769 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
hitch

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:33 AM.