Bumper-mount towing?

Hey folks,

I just got a new (well, to me anyway) truck last weekend, and am contemplating my towing options for the Hobie. Cheapest way would be to just throw a ball on the bumper mount and tow from the bumper. I'm not worried about exceeding the 2000 lb weight limit for the bumper with my Hobie, but I am a bit worried about the hitch height.

It's a '94 Ford Ranger 4x4 (sits a bit higher than the 2WD models). Stock ride height as far as I can tell at this point. The boat is put away for the winter so I haven't had a look yet, but I have this vision in my head of the trailer tongue sticking way up and the end of the mast bumping/scraping along the pavement as I drive along.

Has anyone had any experience towing Hobies from a bumper hitch (preferably on this truck, but experience on any other truck bumper-hitch would help too). I'd like to put a class III hitch on it eventually anyway - I'm just trying to get a feel for whether I need to do that before sailing season begins, or if I can limp along with the bumper hitch for a year or so before ponying up for a hitch.

Thanks!

-Bill

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-Bill

Conesus Lake, NY
1976 Hobie 14

I'm stating the obvious here but...when you say your boat's put away for the Winter, can you get to it and measure the tongue height of the trailer? Most cat trailers I've run across have a tongue height of around 14" minimum, and taller.

Another obvious statement, you run the risk of not enough tongue weight, if there's a huge desparity between heights. While this may be "OK" for short, low speed, hauls, my "optimum" would have the reciever height parallel or slightily below the trailer tongue height.

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

Another problem with a bumper hitch is if the ball blocks a letter or number on your license plate it's illegal in some states.
Look n a junk yard for a ranger with a tow assembly, hitch mount can usually be had for cheap with a little wrench turning.

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Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/

http://0profits.com/Step-Bumper-Mounting-Hitch-Receiver/M/B0016ZWNVM.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

Something like this will get the job done.

_________________
2003 Tiger - Don Atchley

This receiver will allow the use of hitch to get the ball lower. These are available in a variety of "drop" lengths.

http://www.nextag.com/drop-hitch-receiver/search-html

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I have a 1994 Ford Ranger 4 x 2 used to tow my 18SX (29.5' mast), and a trailer hitch ball is bolted to the bumper - no problems. Since I remove the rudders and the law says I can't have something stick out further than 3' from the end of what I'm towing, I don't have worries about dragging the mast.

You wouldn't happen to know something about changing wheel bearings on the truck, would you?

Hey folks,

Thanks for all the input. I've got a ball lying around the garage somewhere that I think will fit the bumper. Once the snow melts and i can get the trailer out of the back yard I'll hitch it all up and see how bad it looks.

And no - I haven't even had the wheels off mine yet, sorry. I'm pretty sure the front assembly on the 4x4 is quite different anyway (especially since mine has aftermarket manual locking hubs installed). I just picked up a Haynes manual though ('93 to '05), and it details the procedure fairly well for both 4x2 and 4x4. It jumps around a bit, but it's all there.

Thanks again.

-Bill

_________________
-Bill

Conesus Lake, NY
1976 Hobie 14

It is not illegal if you are towing, only illegal when not towing , remove ball when not towing. I know got ticketed once in a work truck by chp on hwy 20 in lake county. Officer told me he wrote tickets all day long to farmers who didnt remove hitch ball.

In Kansas, trucks are not required to have the license plate mounted on the rear OR displayed in a window. Not sure of the origin of this law, but people have gone so far as to put a John Deere plate in their license plate location??? Strange...and my wife says they must not be required to use their turn signals either!

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

Yes I was refering to when not towing.

_________________
Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/

I've got a 2007 2WD GMC Canyon with the H.D. suspension kit. Probably close to your height. I bumper tow my 16 on it with out a problem the hieght is just about right and wieght is non issue. The only prob is the trailer is gauging the bumper.

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Division 10, Fleet 185
Hobie 17 and Hobie 14

I used to pull my hobie with my 3/4 ton GMC pickup with bumper hitch it was pretty tall no problems ever
My kid pulls a hobie with a ford ranger bumper hitch again no problems
A receiver hitch is not necesarry for the very light weight hobie but a receiver does help backing with less chance to damage trailer in jacknife
Check your tounge weight which should be at least 10% of trailer and boat weight. Check adjustment on hitch and adjust to the ball.
Gary

Someone asked about the hubs.....

You sure they're not just the warn hubs that some of the 4x4 rangers had? Most of the rangers and exploders had automatic hubs, however some had manual hubs.

Not too bad to rebuild. JC Whitney has the rebuild kits. I can't imagine that they are too different than the Warn hubs found on older jeeps.