do you know where to attach the emergency brake cable?

Marceline

Denny16 said:

Trailers can exert a lot of force on a vehicle.  That is why, I prefer a 50-percent safety net, using a 6K rated TV setup on a 3K trailer, less likely to have these issues.
cheers

It's pretty clear that this issue in @DougH 's case was the draw bar itself. This is (a) design flaw in the draw bar, (b) manufacturing flaw in the draw bar, or (c) some kind of operator error. It has nothing to do with towing capacity. 

If your draw bar fails it doesn't matter if the vehicle has a 4,000 lb or 15,000 lb towing capacity. 

(PS. I'm not arguing that the problem was (c). I'm just saying that these are pretty much the only possibilities.)

DougH

Well there were those few times I pulled some semi-trailers out of the ditch after an ice storm in the TX panhandle... but I have a diesel so no problem, right? 

Marceline

N7SHG_Ham said:

aftermarket receiver mounted on a unibody-type vehicle

That about says all we need to know about that incident.

This is why I am a huge proponant of ONLY factory installed tow equipment. How many manufacturers of especially unibody vehicles sell with a "tow package" that is mostly marketing and the owner is left to fend for themselves installing subbpar hitches incorrectly?

A proper tow package from the factory should include any engine cooling mods, a properly wired seven pin wiring harness, a suitable reciever hitch, possibly beefed up suspension and maybe now days an integrated trailer brake controller. Having an oil or transmission cooler ONLY does the consumer a disservice. My 20 year old Dodge Ram had all of the equipment from the factory when ordered with a trailer package (except an intergrated brake controller), it is time a tow package meant ready to go from the factory for ALL makes!

Oh bullpucky. Here we go again.
I have a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. I bought it new and installed the draw bar myself. It attached with 5 big bolts at either end into the pre-existing reinforced attachment points, and I torqued them to spec. I actually got rear-ended by a MB during the first 6 months I owned it. My stinger went right through his front grille and into his radiator (boo hoo Mr. Tailgater). My draw bar was fine (I had it checked as part of my insurance claim). The vehicle came with a transmission cooler as standard equipment. I installed a 4pin harness myself (not rocket science) and I towed an un-braked 1400# boat trailer with it for 10 years before I bought my T@B. I probably have more towing miles on it than non-towing miles. The vehicle body is starting to look kind of beat up at this point and it could use some new struts, but it tows fine.  

There was a unibody vehicle driver on the T@B FB group who had a major calamity with an aftermarket towbar. Unfortunately, her shop installed the wrong towbar on her vehicle and drilled their own holes into her vehicle body. Obviously this is not going to work because those shop-drilled holes don't have the reinforcement of the factory-built attachment points. This is not a unibody problem. This is an idiot shop problem. 

You want to drive a pickup truck, fine. Your Dodge Ram came with all that stuff because it's rated for towing much heavier things than a T@B. But it's not accurate to claim that it is inherently wrong to tow a T@B with a unibody vehicle. There are hundreds of us safely putting thousands of miles on our trailers every year.

Cbusguy

Bullpucky,  I love it.

The big issue with add on tow bars, unibody or frame mounted, is you are at the mercy of  installer.   further more if you are not the original owner you are beholden to everything the prior owners have towed and how they have maintained the vehicle  especially in areas where road salt is common.  

the ford truck with the factory tow hitch that fell off due to rust was a truck only used to haul Boy scout troop trailers on monthly outings.   It was parked and ignored the rest of the time,   maintenance rarely thought of.


I agree stuff happens and not every owner is neglect if a hitch falls off,  a decent visual inspection and correction of anything suspect will prevent an ugly incident.

N7SHG_Ham

@Marceline I think you misread what I wrote. "aftermarket receiver mounted on a unibody", key word there is aftermarket!

What I said is a rig meant for towing should have ALL the stuff you say you added, that was my point, not necessarily that a uni-body can't tow. Sure it can if the factory equips it as so, not my preference, but a uni-body can tow if properly equipped. The problem is folks rarely do it right, they put some kind of aftermarket hitch on because it is cheaper and that is where the issue starts. If you want to add after the fact fine, BUT buy the factory parts and do it right. A tow package (regardless of truck or other) should really already have all the bits and pieces and many makes don't do that, that is a disservice to the buying public. If xxxx brand says yyyy vehicle is good to tow zzzz pounds, WHY doesn't xxxx equip the vehicle from the factory to do that?

I will say, a uni-body vehicle is less forgiving of a non factory hitch install, especially if installed improperly, the sheet metal can rip out, whereas on a full frame vehicle the hitch it is going to bang around long before damage is done and a failure occurs just due to the much thicker metal on the frame. All the clunking should give even a semi conscious driver some clue that something is amiss.

Tundra57

My Grand Cherokee Jeep had an aftermarket hitch fitted by me. I had it for 20 years and it did over 200,000 miles and the hitch never broke off

 I towed on road and off road. That SUV had a unibody. I think the main concern, as someone mentioned is fit good quality parts, fit them right and above all use the correct ones for your vehicle. If it doesn't fit right take it back   don't use it. Regardless of factory fitted or home fitted, check the assembly regularly, treat rust, check for cracks. Don't expect someone to do it for you. Everytime you hitch up rattle everything look carefully including the hitch, pins, bolts chains. Check your emergency brake cable regularly, if it's possible pull the emergency brake cable to release the pin and check it locks the brakes. Just do your due diligence. Don't trust your life or camper to others. Just like with your doctor, be informed and be your own advocate.