uhaul trailer hitch

[appalacious]

Hey guys,
After lots of searching, I think I'm at a loss about which class 3 hitch to put on my m1009. I ordered the civi blazer hitch from uhaul, but when they put it up there it wouldn't fit. It was like the distance between the frame and the bottom of the bumper was too far. Do you just have to cut out that bottom plate under the pintle? Or are you supposed to get a different hitch? Is there a civi truck model that I should tell uhaul to order the hitch for? I'd really like a "turn key" since I'd like to do some towing this weekend.
I need the class 3 to tow a camper home about 100 miles.
J

 

[dunedigger]

I'll be in the same boat soon. I want to add hitch and keep the pintle. I havn't looked it over much yet but I think it will need some fabrication to keep both.

 

[papercu]

Just do a search "blazer hitch" lots of threads, most of the ones I looked at was modified to work. Wayne

 

[appalacious]

did the search. even searched the old forum. Only threads that showed any detail were custom jobs. I need a turn key if there is one.
J

 

[ojsdna744]

I used the hitch from U-Haul also for my M1009. Ground out the offending parts to make my hitch sit almost level. I ground the hitch, not my pintle set-up. Sits almost level, but kinda low. Needed to turn my insert upside down to haul most trailers to have them sit proper. (If it wasn't -5F I'd snap a few pictures for you.

 

[papercu]

were custom jobs

As I understand it, there are none, they all have to be modified to fit. Wayne

 

[appalacious]

I used the hitch from U-Haul also for my M1009. Ground out the offending parts to make my hitch sit almost level. I ground the hitch, not my pintle set-up. Sits almost level, but kinda low. Needed to turn my insert upside down to haul most trailers to have them sit proper. (If it wasn't -5F I'd snap a few pictures for you.

When it warms up, I'd love a couple pics.

As I understand it, there are none, they all have to be modified to fit. Wayne

That's what I'm afraid of. But I'm still hopin' somebody knows a better way.
J

 

[jimm1009]

uhaul trailer hitch - STOP - don't grind yet!

STOP - don't grind yet!!

Here is a hitch that I bolted onto my M1009 without modification to the hitch or damage to the truck.
What I did have to do is take off the skid plate for the gas tank and the cross brace for the pintle reinforcment. I did not want to cut the skid plate at the time but it could be modified to fit too.
I did add 3/8 inch thinck spacers between the frame and the hitch due to the rings for the safety chains on the military bracket. I compressed them up about 3/8 inch on the outer edges but they were still fully functional if needed.
The hitch is a Valley brand. There are four lines on the right side.
Line #1 reads: 996925
Line #2 reads: 14029182
Line #3 Reads: Valley
Line #4 reads: V-5

There are two weight limits. Dead Weight is 2000 lbs max with a 200 lb. tongue weight. Weight Distributing is 6000 lbs. max with 750 lbs. tongue weight.
I'm sorry that I did not have more "canned pics" but I can take more although it is not installed at this time.
One shot shows it installed with the Valley brand pintle / ball comination hitch and another show the civy hitch removed while the combination hitch is installed. If you look closely you can see the cross brace is removed which severly weekens the hitch on the bumper. I was playing around with different ideas. I did not pull anything more than 1,000 lbs with the cross brace removed. The final is the misc. parts laying on the shop floor.
Jim

 

[appalacious]

There are two weight limits. Dead Weight is 2000 lbs max with a 200 lb. tongue weight. Weight Distributing is 6000 lbs. max with 750 lbs. tongue weight.
Jim

Weight distributing? forgive my ignorance, whats the difference here?
J

 

[m38inmaine]

I installed a combination ball/pintle hitch, it's a direct replacement for the pintle, no drill, or mods necessary, same bolt pattern.

 

[appalacious]

Also, where'd you get the hitch? Did you ask for one that fit a civi blazer?
J

 

[appalacious]

I installed a combination ball/pintle hitch, it's a direct replacement for the pintle, no drill, or mods necessary, same bolt pattern.

Thats clearly the best solution if the bumper can handle the weight, but apparently they're only rated for something like 1200 lbs. with 120 tongue weight.
J

 

[armytruck63]

Ditto for me on the combination pintle/ball hitch. I have towed a single axle car trailer with an M151A2 aboard. You loose the swivel feature of the military pintle hitch, but the M416 trailer I have has its own sivel. Use all grade 8 hardware to mount the combo hitch.

 

[jimm1009]

U-Haul hitch

Weight distributing is the term used largly for camper trailers with tandem axles. It is a means bringing the tow vehicle and the trailer into the same plain (sort of).
You can almost double your tongue weight by using them but I'n not much into that sort of thing anymore.
Perhaps some other can chime in here to explain a little better.
There are one or two bars that follow the trailer tongue and attach to smaller balls mounted on the receiver hitch.
perhaps if you do a "Google" search this may help until someone else has more to add.
Jim

 

[jimm1009]

u-haul hitch

I'm not sure if the question was directed at me or not or which hitch is at question.
The Valley brand civilian hitch (2 inch recxeiver) was removed off a 1985 Civy Blazer that found it's way into a junk yard.
I took it off, bolts and all, and got out of there for about $35.00 but that was about 8 or 9 years ago now.
The other Valley brand combination was purchased at Pep Boys about 10 years ago for $50.00 and then I added a 1 7/8 ball to the purchase for a little extra. I have a 2 inch and a 1 7/8 ball for obvious reasons.
The bumper is indeed a not-so-strong design for trailers but I use both types because I have a M101 military trailer and two other civilian trailers that I need from time to time.
Jim

 

[jimm1009]

u-haul hitch

With regards to weight distributing hitches,
Here is a link that explains it some.

http://www.etrailer.com/faq_weightdistribution.aspx

 

[ida34]

There is a support bar for the pintle hitch plate that runs from frame rail to frame rail. The bottom of the pintle hitch plate attaches to the middle of the support bar. The bar is rectangular tubing. To make any blazer hitch fit you need to take out the bar. I cut the bar and attached it to the middle of the receiver hitch. This way my pintle hitch still works and I have a receiver hitch for use with anything including my weigth distributing hitch. This hitch has springs that attach to the trailer and a special drawbar. It basically transfers some of the trailer weight from the rear suspension of the truck to the front. Some people just leave out the reinforcing bar but this leaves the pintle way too weak for towing anything with it. I posted pictures in another thread but can't find it. I did not have to modify my skidplate.

 

[ida34]

Check this thread. Look on the 4th page and you will see a setup with the rectangular bar removed. Check the rest of the thread to see a more in depth explanation of what I did.