Well I swapped out my stock 12 000lb rated GM hitch last night for the Putnam XDR class V rated to 16 000 lb WD (15 000 lb WC vs 5000 lb WC stock).

The hitch is roughly 20 lb heavier, and took less then an hour to install in the parking lot using basic hand tools.

Here is a picture compared to stock:

http://www.trailseeker.com/gallery/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=6721&g2_serialNumber=1

The 2500 series GM seem prone to some frame flexing with the stock hitch and this is suppose to cure it. We'll see. It is about 2" higher which will be nice as the stock hitch requires some lift out of the WD hitches.

I am going to flush mount the connector in the oem bumper so it doesn't hang down.

There is a thread over at rv.net about those particular GM hitches actually failing, tearing the receiver box from the cross tube:eek: . Something about the way it transfers the force from the WD hitches to the bumper first and not straight along the frame. Interesting reading if you've got some time to kill.

These make me feel good about the $150

http://paulscomputershoppe.net/GMhitch/cracked_welds.jpg

http://paulscomputershoppe.net/GMhitch/GMrecieverPulledOutAtWelds1.jpg

There is a thread over at rv.net about those particular GM hitches actually failing, tearing the receiver box from the cross tube:eek: . Something about the way it transfers the force from the WD hitches to the bumper first and not straight along the frame. Interesting reading if you've got some time to kill.

When I looked at the lower hitch in his picture - I said NO WAY that's a Class IV hitch. I've seen Class III's that looked beefier than that! :eek:

These make me feel good about the $150


$150 is a great price. Where did you buy it from?

http://www.etrailerpart.com/hitchguide.htm
$146 + $20 shipping. (so 166 to my door)

I did this same upgrade to my Suburban a few months ago. I bought my hitch at Performance Center for $130 shipped.

http://www.performancecenter.com/

wow, those are downright scary, especialy the fact that the safety chain loops came off with them...

I looked into a class 5 for mine this summer, but decided upon just building my own bumper, so I could put a pintle above the reciever.

These make me feel good about the $150

http://paulscomputershoppe.net/GMhitch/cracked_welds.jpg

http://paulscomputershoppe.net/GMhitch/GMrecieverPulledOutAtWelds1.jpg
Ok so umm.. Dads gettin a new hitch for Xmas, Fawkin GM :shaking:

I am going to flush mount the connector in the oem bumper so it doesn't hang down.

i just did the same a couple months ago. i don't run a spare on my truck, so i put a trailer socket where the lock would normally be located.

Ok so umm.. Dads gettin a new hitch for Xmas, Fawkin GM :shaking:

Better then Ford. My buddy's oem Class V on his '05 F-350 survived one trip. The second one is on its way out too. Of course its convient because it has been in for repairs about two dozen times so the new hitch is easy to get.

Yes i realize this is an old thread, but anyone got anything to say about the factory Dodge hitches ??

Yes i realize this is an old thread, but anyone got anything to say about the factory Dodge hitches ??

I have one in the shop you can have :flipoff2:

I used mine once with a 18" extension to tow my boat behind my camper. It flexed really bad campared to the Ford I had before. I replaced it with a class V Reese.

Yes i realize this is an old thread, but anyone got anything to say about the factory Dodge hitches ??

My 2nd gen ('01) was pretty bad. Colapsed in a pretty minor rearend accident. I only towed a few times with it, but considering how it faired after getting hit by a plastic grill and an aluminum rad, I can't say I would be confident in it.

Hmm ok, my buddy was telling me about a class V known as the "tow beast" Anyone know anything about these ??

Hmm ok, my buddy was telling me about a class V known as the "tow beast" Anyone know anything about these ??

It's a Reese Class V

http://www.redtrailers.com/ListItems.asp?cat=81

It's a Reese Class V

http://www.redtrailers.com/ListItems.asp?cat=81
I wonder if he can fit one in this lunchbox :laughing: :laughing:

Mudslayer, my '03 Dodge hitch has been remarkable. A ton of tongue weight and 450K miles of towing. The last 100-150K miles have been at over 5K pounds of tongue weight. Trailer weight usually at 22K pounds.

Mudslayer, my '03 Dodge hitch has been remarkable. A ton of tongue weight and 450K miles of towing. The last 100-150K miles have been at over 5K pounds of tongue weight. Trailer weight usually at 22K pounds.
Im not going with a 2500 or a 3500 though, unless i find a used one priced within my budget..

I've been happy with my stock 96 dodge 1/2 ton hitch. It's rated 5,000/10,000 - 500/1,000 tongue.

I typically run 800-1,000lbs or so of tongue weight on it, I used to inspect it often, but after three years of inspecting and finding nothing going wrong I stopped.

Personally, I don't completely trust any hitch with it's rating if the main cross bar is a single round tube. But hey, that's just my thing.

Personally, I don't completely trust any hitch with it's rating if the main cross bar is a single round tube. But hey, that's just my thing.

Yet you trust a hitch with a single square tube? WTF? What engineering principle are you basing that? A round tube will be stronger. The GM one is likely too thin, but that is the ONLY OEM hitch I have towed max loads with out failure with.