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Old 03-15-2008, 10:08 AM   #29
Excella CM
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Profile:  1978 31' Excella 500
Venice , California
Posts: 828

If you have room, you can have a nut welded onto the receiver tube and use a bolt to jam the hitch bar once it is inplace. This wont affect the integrity of the hitch.
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Old 03-15-2008, 05:11 PM   #30
SteveH
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Profile:  2001 25' Excella
San Antonio , Texas
Posts: 341
Images: 2

Just wondering here....what if you replaced the hitch pin with a 5/8" grade 8 bolt and lock nut, and torqued it down tight when you installed the hitch. I realize it would be an additional step in hooking up, but I'd bet it would eliminate any movement, side to side anyway, of the hitch in the reciever.
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Old 05-06-2008, 01:54 PM   #31
SilverToy
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Profile:  1992 34' Limited
Falls Church , Virginia
Posts: 945

My tale of woe....

Hello all -

Here is my little addition to the reciever tube "slop" saga....

Had an OEM hitch (the kind that has had numerous failures) on my 01 2500 Burb, and since I have a BIG AS I figured safe is better than sorry....

Had a Curt Class V installed. Happy as a pig in slop....until....

Went to put the bike rack in so I could take the kids bikes to a LL game and the rack/bikes wobbled like English Pub Crawlers at 3am (not that I have ANYTHING against the english, OR pub crawlers!). NOT OK!!!!

Checked all the other recievers in the Curt and they all wobble just as bad. EVERY SINGLE ONE WAS AOK in the OEM. This is not because of a loose pin as I tried 3 different ones.

Likely the worst was the Equalizer hitch head. Side to side (1/2 inch) + up and down (3/8 inch) wobble. That has to play havoc with the WD properties, or?? It can't be good regardless.

Called the install/dealer location, and their answer was that all the recievers are now made in China and that they all have lousy fit quality. They suggested I use 'cardboard' to firm up the connection. Thinking that I will go back and tell they to take the 'new' off and put the old back on.

Is this a Curt problem, industry wide, what???

Saw a few comments about 'shims', another about a bead of weld, etc.... Is this really the best that I can expect?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Axel
SilverToy
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Old 05-06-2008, 04:46 PM   #32
ROBERT CROSS
"The Frantic Banana"

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Profile:  2003 25' Classic
W.N.Y. , "
Posts: 1,454
Images: 41

Hitch Woes

Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverToy
Hello all -

Here is my little addition to the receiver tube "slop" saga....

Had an OEM hitch (the kind that has had numerous failures) on my 01 2500 Burb, and since I have a BIG AS I figured safe is better than sorry....

Had a Curt Class V installed. Happy as a pig in slop....until....

Went to put the bike rack in so I could take the kids bikes to a LL game and the rack/bikes wobbled like English Pub Crawlers at 3am (not that I have ANYTHING against the English, OR pub crawlers!). NOT OK!!!!
Checked all the other receivers in the Curt and they all wobble just as bad. EVERY SINGLE ONE WAS AOK in the OEM. This is not because of a loose pin as I tried 3 different ones.

Likely the worst was the Equalizer hitch head. Side to side (1/2 inch) + up and down (3/8 inch) wobble. That has to play havoc with the WD properties, or?? It can't be good regardless.

Called the install/dealer location, and their answer was that all the receivers are now made in China and that they all have lousy fit quality. They suggested I use 'cardboard' to firm up the connection. Thinking that I will go back and tell they to take the 'new' off and put the old back on.

Is this a Curt problem, industry wide, what???

Saw a few comments about 'shims', another about a bead of weld, etc.... Is this really the best that I can expect?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Axel
SilverToy
I know of what you speak. FWIW This was my solution to the OEM

receiver problem. Replaced it with a Reese class V. Had the 2" sleeve welded

in, then the whole thing was re-powder coated. Both my original

Reese head and the HAHA head fit perfectly. Are you sure you don't have

a 2 1/2" opening on your new receiver?

I think you can tell from the photos why I replaced the OEM unit.
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Old 05-06-2008, 04:52 PM   #33
bake315
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Profile:  1994 34' Limited
Elgin , Texas
Posts: 794
Images: 161

Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverToy
Hello all -

Here is my little addition to the reciever tube "slop" saga....

Had an OEM hitch (the kind that has had numerous failures) on my 01 2500 Burb, and since I have a BIG AS I figured safe is better than sorry....

Had a Curt Class V installed. Happy as a pig in slop....until....

Went to put the bike rack in so I could take the kids bikes to a LL game and the rack/bikes wobbled like English Pub Crawlers at 3am (not that I have ANYTHING against the english, OR pub crawlers!). NOT OK!!!!

Checked all the other recievers in the Curt and they all wobble just as bad. EVERY SINGLE ONE WAS AOK in the OEM. This is not because of a loose pin as I tried 3 different ones.

Likely the worst was the Equalizer hitch head. Side to side (1/2 inch) + up and down (3/8 inch) wobble. That has to play havoc with the WD properties, or?? It can't be good regardless.

Called the install/dealer location, and their answer was that all the recievers are now made in China and that they all have lousy fit quality. They suggested I use 'cardboard' to firm up the connection. Thinking that I will go back and tell they to take the 'new' off and put the old back on.

Is this a Curt problem, industry wide, what???

Saw a few comments about 'shims', another about a bead of weld, etc.... Is this really the best that I can expect?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Axel
SilverToy
Cardboard?! You're kidding!

Anyone that tells you that cardboard is going to fix an issue that has to do with towing anything - let alone a 34' travel trailer - is a taco or two shy of a combination plate, I'm thinking. I'd be cutting my losses and seeking a different dealer and a different hitch manufacturer.
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Old 05-06-2008, 08:09 PM   #34
Silverwanabe
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Profile:  1967 26' Overlander
Winston Salem , North Carolina
Posts: 118
Images: 5

"Called the install/dealer location, and their answer was that all the recievers are now made in China and that they all have lousy fit quality."

Dont' tell me the rv industry suffers from the made in China blues too.

I am suprised some business has not start building RV's in Mexico.
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Old 05-06-2008, 08:44 PM   #35
jayray5
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Profile:  1973 25' Tradewind
Romulus , New York
Posts: 138

class V

2 1/2 " receiver size?
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Old 05-06-2008, 08:47 PM   #36
jbond
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Profile:  Shalimar , Florida
Posts: 243
Images: 13

Devoman

I have been using a device similar to what you first asked about and it will stop the rattle. Bought mine at Camping world and its a little different. Because of the way the new Suburban hitch is set into the bumper I had to grind on the device a little to make it fit.

Uwe
This also stops all the side to side movement so far. I towed several thousand miles with the new hitch & device. If this hadn''t worked I was going to have a welder adapt an older Reese hitch to mount underneath the current hitch at a more normal height. I contacted (reese)Cequent and they said they had no plans to make a receiver since all Suburbans come with the hitch aka known as the bumper.
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Old 05-07-2008, 03:56 PM   #37
ROBERT CROSS
"The Frantic Banana"

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Profile:  2003 25' Classic
W.N.Y. , "
Posts: 1,454
Images: 41

Quote:
Originally Posted by jayray5
2 1/2 " receiver size?
Quite a few companies use a 2 1/2" reciever opening on their class V hitches.

You can see the welded sleeve in this photo.
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" I'll know where I am when I get there"

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Old 05-07-2008, 04:10 PM   #38
clancy_boy
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Profile:  2003 22' International CCD
1966 17' Caravel
Kiln , Mississippi
Posts: 1,889
Images: 8

I have a friend who hated this issue with his hitch - he had a 2nd hitch pin hole drilled through the hitch and bar and used a non-locking pin in addition to his lock pin to hold the bar in place - all noise was stopped. Seemed like overkill and the hitch alignment for this option was vehicle specific but it works. No way could it make the hitch or tow bar weaker - I have seen tow bars with up to 3 holes in them to get the correct extension under the bumper length. The two holes were only an inch apart. I'll see if I can get a photo. Drilling the hitch was no issue but the hitch bar required a serious drill press for proper alignment.
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Old 05-27-2008, 12:18 PM   #39
gaylejoe
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Profile:  2003 25' Safari
St. Hedwig , Texas
Posts: 149

I have an 06 3/4 ton Dodge pu with the Reese hitch and have also noticed a lot of slop between the hitch and the receiver.
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Old 05-30-2008, 04:36 PM   #40
valletta1
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Profile:  1983 34' Excella
London , New York
Posts: 2

Blue ox have two kinds of tow hitch stabiliser on offer, they appear much more substantial than the one shown previously in this thread.
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Old 06-17-2008, 12:07 AM   #41
SilverToy
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Profile:  1992 34' Limited
Falls Church , Virginia
Posts: 945

Latest info update on Curt hitch problem

Hello all -

Here is the latest on my Curt hitch issue.

Just to recap (for those that don't re-read the threads) - bought a Curt ClassV hitch to replace the OEM hitch on my '01 Burb. I pull a '92 34' Classic Limited and did NOT want to have a problem.... hence the replacement of the OEM unit.

Once I got the Curt hitch home (pro installed) and installed a hitch bike rack, I noticed a LOT of slop in the unit. Tried all the other hitch bars/ hitch pin combos and they all had the same problem. Checked the OEM unit. All were tight.

Took a tape measure to check the OEM unit - 2 1/16 inch ID. Curt unit was 2 1/8 inch ID.

Called the seller/installer, explained the situation - and was told that all units were now built in China and that they all had similar tolerances/slop and there was nothing that could be done.

Fumed a bit, then posted here.

Decided to contact Curt directly and ask them for an explanation. Got a very quick response from corporate, and they asked for the info off the hitch. They also explained that they try to spot check the reciever tubes when they come in, but that on occation oversize units do get through....

I'll skip all the back and forth email stuff and get to the end result.

Today Curt sent me a brand new unit. They have offered to reimburse me for the install of the new unit and have asked that I send back the 'defective' unit.

I will be checking to see that the new unit has tight fits on all my hook ups before it goes on my truck, but I expect that Curt has made the needed checks before sending the unit out to me.

I can say that I have been extremely pleased with the prompt and satisfying responses I have gotten from Curt.

I will report back again once I have all the details buttoned down. Thanks to everyone for reading this far.....!!!!

Axel
SilverToy

PS - Others have offered several ideas/ solutions that were seeming work-arounds to the actual issue - the hitch was too loose. Talk to the maker of your hitch - perhaps you can get similar satisfaction and a new hitch for your TV.
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Old 06-17-2008, 01:19 AM   #42
lewster
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Profile:  2006 19' International CCD
Marco Island, FL , Hood River, OR
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverwanabe View Post
...............'snip'....................

I am suprised some business has not start building RV's in Mexico.
They already are................a little company called FLEETWOOD recently closed a plant in California and are opening an assembly line in Mexico.

Can't wait to see the quality problems in those units!!!!!
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