tow hitch set-ups-hidden hitch

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by Beelzeburb

Since this is a hitch that is sold to the general public and is regularly bolted to roadgoing vehicles, it would have to meet some sort of Federal certification.

"it would have to meet some sort of Federal certification".... I don't think so, and that is the problem IMO.

I did some research on hitches today. I was unable to find any regulation, state or federal, that require hitches be built to any “standard”. There are state regulations for trailers, but I couldn’t find any for hitches.

Standards for Hitches

There are numerous standards for hitches. Here are a couple I found:

Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission Regulation VESC-5: Minimum Requirements for motor vehicles connecting devices and towing methods.

http://vesc.org/Media/VESC%20V-5%20M...g%20Method.pdf

Society of Automotive Engineers J684: This SAE Standard includes couplings, hitches, and safety chains used in conjunction with all types of trailers or towed vehicles whose Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) does not exceed 4540 kg (10 000 lb).

http://www.sae.org/servlets/works/do...age=dOcDeTaIlS

Based on my research, both of the above standards requires actual mechanical testing and a certification document.

I did notice that companies like Draw-Tite have statements such as “Meets V5 & SAE J684 certifications”.

So if I were buying a hitch, I would ask:

Does your hitch have certification documents that are available that shows it meets SAE J684 and VESC-5 specifications?

If they can’t provide you with these certifications, which include mechanical test reports from an independent testing lab, I believe I would keep looking. Otherwise you don’t really know what you are getting.

Caveat Emptor: Buyer Beware. A hitch design that has not been actually tested to it’s rated capacity really isn’t worth much, is it?

I don't have a hitch on my truck so therefore I don't have a dog in this hunt. If you have a hitch and are concerned or curious, call the manufacturer and ask them the above question. Better yet email them the question and follow up with a phone call. We would all like to know what you find out.

John