Tow Hitch for 4106 wanted

OneLapper · June 24, 2006, 05:49:03 PM

I'm about ready to add a hitch to my 4106. My trailer is 10,000# with a tongue weight of approx 700#.

Does anyone sell hitches for this bus?

Does anyone know of any companies that can make one?

Does anyone have one they want to sell?

I have the means to cut and weld, but I would like to save the time and effort of fabricating one if possible.

Has anyone out there made a hitch for the 4106 (or the like), and would you like to suggest were I attach the hitch to?

Thanks!

Mark

Dallas · June 24, 2006, 07:38:11 PM

I'm staying out of this one!

[/b]

tucsontattoo · June 24, 2006, 08:05:39 PM

Mark, I have a reciver on my bus. I look in the morning and se what it is mounted to
Tucson

phil4501 · June 24, 2006, 09:20:18 PM

BLASPHEMY!

This subject is not to be discussed, ever.

10,000 lbs, AAAAAAAHHHHHH

Boy are you in alot of trouble. Just wait until the Bus Police get ahold this post. I'd sure hate to be in your shoes.

Your roof shall certainly cave in, perhaps pulling the whole sky in with it.

It won't be as bad on this board, but they stoned a guy over on BNO just for bringing it up.Your only hope is that the wacky guys will step in with pictures of tougue weight reducing contraptions. That is the only thing that seems to calm down the people that you have offended.

Well circle the GMC's boys. Let's get it figured out. My hitch isn't going to work out for me, so I am with you . But they aren't going to like it.

OneLapper · June 25, 2006, 07:11:07 AM

Wait a minute, let me get my Helmet!....... Okay. Now my nomex racing suit, nomex socks and glove liners. Let me arm the aqueaous foam fire supression system, "click", now only press the big red button if it appears that this thread is going down in flames!!

Okay, here are the facts. My trailer with tools, spare tires, fuel and the car is a little under 8000. Trailer is rated for 10,000. Tongue weight can vary between 500 and 800, depending on placement of the car (rear engine car that I can pull straight in the trailer or back in for more tongue weight). I can run less tongue weight due to the size of the bus.

I'm just asking for the experience of the members of this board before I set forth in making my own hitch. I have seen other GM coach pulling trailers of all sizes, even larger than mine.

Okay, now let me put my 6 point harness on... click, click, click click. done. Okay, I'm ready!

Please feel free to pmail me if you do not want your name associated with this thread

.

Mark

phil4501 · June 25, 2006, 08:19:09 AM

I'm not scared.

Hey, Dallas, You can come out from behind the water barrel now. I have taken the liberty to arrange for some other bus nuts to post decoy posts:

"How do I put a slide in my gmc"

"How do I make my Bus haul @$# up really big hills"

"Can I use my 17 year old retreads for steer tires"

"Can I use 4 AA Duracells for start batteries"

These will be placed on the apppropriate boards at strategic times to give us some room to get this hammered out. As a absolute last resort we have the mother or all abrasive posts that I have been saving for just such an occasion. This will be posted only if needed to save one of our lives. It is so volatile that I dare not even think of it unless the nuclear option is needed.

I have seen some that have distributed the weight through the Aluminum structure and some that have attached to the axle mouting positions. Engine is a big no no but not as bad as a bumper hitch, which is what my coach came with.

What kind of racing do you do? I there a chance that in a few years you will be heavier or were you scared to put the real weight down?

FloridaCliff · June 25, 2006, 08:55:14 AM

Phil,

Your better than a 12 step program.

I feel that I can confess, I built a hitch for towing my Jeep CJ7 4 down yesterday.

Even though I used the general setup that I saw others using for years(there just lucky) and beefed it up a little to be safe.

But, if you see a Jeep with an 8V71 attached to the front on the side of the road, it isnt me

Of course my setup in NO way would/or should be used for a heavy trailer.(unless you want to turn the back of the bus into a rumble seat)

Cliff

OneLapper · June 25, 2006, 09:49:33 AM

The major race I due is Cannonball Run, which is now commonly known as the One Lap of America. It's 24 hrs a day for 8 days. You race on the track during the day for points, and you and your co-driver drive the car overnight to the next track. Sometimes the next track is 1350 miles away! We'll cover 4500 to 6500 in one week. See the following link: http://www.onelapofamerica.com/. That's us at the top of the page in the silver 911. It's not a race for the faint of heart. Our car put's out 560 rwhp on pump gas all day long and has won the event three years in a row. We've beaten factory teams from Porsche, Dodge (Vipers), Hennessey (Vipers), Ford (the new GT500 Shelby), andNoble.

The rest of the year we go around the east coast testing our setup for next year's race. The idea behind the bus was to tow the trailer and stay in the bus at the track. It would also make it much more "family friendly" to have all the comforts of home right there with us!

That being said, you could think of the hitch as being a family bonding tool!

Any thought on using the radius arm pick up points for the rear axle to attach a frame to?

Busted Knuckle · June 25, 2006, 10:11:00 AM

Well I ain't got no experience with a Jimmy so I really can't give ya much usefull advice. BUT I'm sure if ya brought it to the "TN Fall Bus Bash" at Knuckle's we could all get under it in the PIT and put all our heads together an as Nick signs his posts" Get 'R Done!" LOL! Opps I know it ain't help'n ya but if ya neeed to take some heat off this thread we'll also start one saying come to the "TN Fall Bus Bash" and help us re-egnieer a GMC 4106 to Pull a 20,000# trailer! That should keep the bus police busy enough to get by on this subject an get some useable ideas! BK!
"TN FALL BUS BASH" is gonna be a BLAST!

Busted Knuckle · June 25, 2006, 10:17:02 AM

Oh yeah sorry Onelapper, I wasn't try'n to Hi-jack yer thread! And I also realize it's a shameless way to plug the "TN Fall Bus Bash" at Knuckle's but I was really try'n to humoressly take some heat off your thread! BK
"TN FALL BUS BASH" is gonna be a BLAST!

Busted Knuckle · June 25, 2006, 10:20:18 AM

Quote from: Dallas on June 24, 2006, 07:38:11 PM
I'm staying out of this one!
[/b]

Dallas I couldn't believe it when I first read it, I still can't beleive it, I don't believe it, and most of all I still won't believe it after it's done and over! Come now you know you can't refuse to get involved in a challenge such as this! LOL! BK
"TN FALL BUS BASH" is gonna be a BLAST!

phil4501 · June 25, 2006, 11:19:38 AM

Ok wec4104 has our backs covered. He gave 'em the old slider. That ought to keep 'em busy for a while. http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=1052.msg8463#msg8463

Does anybody have any pictures?\

One Lapper and Florida Cracker should serve as an inspiration to us all. We make a stand here

My name is Phil and I would like to be able to tow 10, 000+ punds with my Scenicruiser. There Ii've said it!

Come on Folirida Cracker, take it one step furhter and edit the disclaimers out of your post.

WE HAVE GMC'S AND WE TOW WITH THEM

roadrunnertex · June 25, 2006, 11:37:17 AM

Folks there has been tow hitches built for our GMC Coaches.
At one time the late Gary Dean at Deans Coach Repair was selling the plans for fabricating and installing a tow hitch on GMC intercity coaches.
You might email the folks at Coach info.
http://www.coachinfo.com/
And see if they offer the same plans for fabrication and installing the tow hich.
Just a thought on my part.
jlv

FloridaCliff · June 25, 2006, 12:58:16 PM

Phil,

I would like to edit my post, but I have to go to a meeting tonight for people who have done a roof raise on a GMC and havn't

had there bus split in two, YET!.

I am only on step 1, so don't put any more pressure on ME.

This is just too stressful

Cliff

OneLapper · June 25, 2006, 01:01:41 PM

One Lapper and Florida Cracker should serve as an inspiration to us all. We make a stand here

My name is Phil and I would like to be able to tow 10, 000+ punds with my Scenicruiser. There Ii've said it!

WE HAVE GMC'S AND WE TOW WITH THEM

Quote

You guys are a riot! Who knew there were so many us in the closet with trailers to tow!?!

It appears that it is not a good idea to attach a reciever hitch to engine craddle for obvious reasons. The next appropriate looking area looks to be the iron brackets that the upper and lower radius arms attach to. Because of the distance from those bracket to the rear bumper were the hitch ball, I would think that it would be best to triangulate the structure.

Tomorrow I'll have the chance to get under the bus and take some pictures of the areas I'm talking about.

Tucson, how is your brake project going? Did you start at 4:30am? Too early for me! I'd appreciate some pictures of your hitch if you have the chance.

We can do this.

Mark