Trailer hitch rust out

[Throbbin Rods]

I was under my 2002 Suburban last weekend fixing something unrelated and discovered that there were holes rusted through the main beam of the trailer hitch! I tow a 19 foot Grady White so this was a real unpleasant surprise. I tend to take a small ball pein hammer and tap the exposed portion of the hitch a couple of times a year, but have never thought to check in back for some stupid reason. Old hitch came off somewhat easy with a torch in one hand and an air wrench in the other. New hitch is due in today. Frame and assorted mounts in the general area are fine, just the hitch is bad. Eye opener for me.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Sadly most manufacturers use barely thick enough metal, and a very poor powder coating job. looks great when installed. 5 years later the powder coating is gone and rust is everywhere. The coating is only on the outside, with nothing on the inside either.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I've seen one get ripped right off the truck when my buddy decided to rip out a stump with his. He tows a camper all the time. He was actually glad it happened with the stump.

 

[venturesomerite]

Happened on my buddies 2000 gmc 2500, rotten from the center. He also tows a boat. We just replaced it. He regularly dips it into long island sound where he launches. He built a 2' extension for launching, which helps, but as with tides and all that ****, the truck usually still gets dipped too.

While I have a factory hitch on my 99 f250, and it's still going strong. It never has seen water though (boat ****).

 

[LB-1911]

Look at the upside - You noticed it, addressed the issue and your post may just prod a few others to give the hitch(s) on their vehicle(s) a good once over.

 

[POS Camaro]

I had to replace the hitch on my '03 Suburban for the same reason. I think half the hitch fell into the driveway when I ripped it sideways. It was a CT truck, so I'm sure that had something to do with it. My '04 F250 is a SC truck and no issues with it at all. I don't know if that is a testament to Ford or SC.

 

[Lotek]

Just a suggestion, but maybe look into getting or building a hitch extension for launching the boat to keep from dipping the back end of the truck in the water.

 

[finn]

A hitch extension isn't going to keep road salt out of the hitch.

Dipping in the ocean once every couple of weeks is nothing compared to seven months of annual road salt exposure.

 

[djjsr]

Anyone know what company supplies the hitches for GM? Do they supply others?

 

[Lotek]

A hitch extension isn't going to keep road salt out of the hitch.

Dipping in the ocean once every couple of weeks is nothing compared to seven months of annual road salt exposure.

Silly me, he mentioned hauling a boat...

 

[APEowner]

Yikes! Good thing you caught that.

Lotek's suggestion is a good one for salt water launches but I suspect that road salt is a bigger contributor to the problem than boat launches.

 

[gungatim]

when I used to camp and be on the woodalls forums, there were lots of horror stories like yours...certain year GM trucks had lots of hitch failures. good catch...

 

[Throbbin Rods]

Never launch in salt water, fresh only. Biggest problem is NH road salt.
New hitch is on and ready to go!!

 

[Firebrand]

You think NH salts our roads? Try crossing the CT River into VT! They go nuts wih road salt to keep their tourista flow moving up from the flat lands to the south. Way more salt annually than here in NH. Just my .02!

 

[CJM8515]

Thats what happens when they salt the roads or you launch a boat with it. If the hitch is that nasty and rotting out, how bad is the frame of the truck, brake lines and so forth?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I guess unless you have experiecned it and know somebody that has, I'd think that most of us take the take the hitch for granted.

Glad to see you found it the "easy" rather than the "hard" way.

 

[Throbbin Rods]

I am in Vermont almost as much as NH. Best friend lives in Vermont, Karen works in Vermont, we frequent restaurants in Vermont. I have seen their salt

 

[slow]

Thanks for the warning


Let me.go enjoy salt the way it should be used. Wife just made some margaritas

Ryan

 

[Buckgnarly]

All the VT haters in NH should do some research..... it appears you are awfully close to us in salt use per mile, if not more, and even started the salt madness!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...30.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGZzxN5MuMM7f6O3BLSw1WoutWzKQ

http://www.autoappearancecentergr.com/0_0_0_0_505_367_csupload_30575406.jpg?u=3797038344

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

We have a 1999 Suburban 1500. Tow the 10,000# race trailer with it. Doesn't get used me in the winter and probably 3,000 miles year round.

A couple of years ago we replaced the brake lines. A month or so ago gas I cheap and I filled up the 44 gallon tank and noticed it was leaking! Used the Suburban until the tank was empty and took it in to replace the tank.

Mechanic told me the hitch was fine, but a cross member of the frame behind the tank had holes in it.

So ... now I think I've got to move onto another race trailer puller.

Someone commented about the painting, powder coating, and lack of rust proofing on the inside of trailer hitches. I think those are areas that could use LOTS of improvement.

I'm told that trailer frames should be primed with zinc chromate before painting and that would go a long ways towards cutting down on rust.

Anyone have experience with zinc chromate primer? I know its used to paint the inside of airplanes ... I think its green in color.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Living in Upstate New York, the hitch on my Malibu rusted the same way. Sadly, the next month the frame rusted away, sold the car for $200 to the scrap yard

 

[RegeSullivan]

Maybe a year after picking up a new 2003 Avalanche 2500 and only one full season of towing I was hooking up our 8500lb Wild Cat to put it away for the winter and noticed the weld on one side of the receiver was cracked. Chevy replaced it but I never felt comfortable towing after that so I replaced it with a aftermarket hitch rated at 12000lb. I started talking about it to other campers and found it was a pretty common problem.

 

[Cyberbear]

Obtain a replacement unit for the rusted out one and take it down and have it galvanized.
Best thing is to have one fabricated from stainless steel for lasting effect.