RE: [ihc] Identify Rear Step Bumper/Receiver Hitch

[Tom Harais <THarais@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ted:

Are you sure it wasn't a "stock" IHC step bumper that someone added the
receiver to?  It sure sounds like the stock step bumper on mine and it would
be easy enough to weld a receiver with some support underneath.  Of course,
then I wouldn't trust it to be sturdy enough for something bigger than a
small boat, because the weak link would be the stock angle iron brackets
that connect the bumper/hitch to the frame.

The best hitch set up I ever saw was the one that Bill Thebert built for his
Scout.  He had a bumper that was channel or rectangular steel set right at
the height of the rear cross piece on the frame.  A 2" receiver was built
into the center of that bumper and IIRC, welded into the frame structure of
the Scout behind that bumper.  It's sort of hard to explain.  The great
thing was that he had a hitch AND bumper that didn't cut the rear exit angle
by any significant amount.

Of course, Bill would be the first to tell you that Scouts are not great tow
vehicles with their relatively short wheelbase, high center of gravity and
comparatively squirrelly suspensions.  I don't know if I've told this group
before, but years ago, while on a trip back from Washington, I saw the
horrible results of towing a big trailer with a Scout.  On I5 in southern
Oregon, coming down a long grade, I encountered clothing and other debris
spread out for 300 yards down the road.  At the end of that debris trail,
was a much shaken family, sitting by the side of the road counting their
blessings, along with Oregon State Trooper who was comforting them.  Just
past them, was a Scout on its side still attached to a 16' to 18' travel
trailer, also on its side, in the #1 lane.  The trailer was torn open, as
though someone had applied a giant can opener to it.

Another time, when I was pulling a four horse trailer with my then Terra
loaded with two horses in WA, I got to experience having my life flash
before my eyes.  The trailer and horses weighed less than 4,000 lbs.  I
thought it should be safe.

The trailer was pushing the Scout all over the place on the downhill grades.
Then, the rear driver's tire blew and shredded apart, tearing up the rear
quarter panel and taking out the fuel filler line with it.  I had no control
and we were on an elevated, divided, four lane freeway.  As we hurtled
forward down that freeway with limited steering control, the Scout went into
the center divide about three hundred yards before an over crossing.  All I
could see was us getting to the over crossing and plunging down the
embankment onto the street below.  Luckily, we were able to coast to a stop
just short of the drop off for the over crossing.  But, upon exiting the
truck, I not only found all the damage and a smoking tire, but the gas tank
was emptying itself out into a puddle under the rear of the truck.  I had to
unhook the trailer in a hurry, engage 4WD because there was no rear tire on
that side, and get that Scout away from the trailer and horses in a real
hurry.  All this while my friend's wife, and owner of the horses, was going
into hysterical shock over this set of events. 

Tom H., '76 Traveler