GM hitches junk?

[redrider#1]

I read on an RV site that this is the general conception(of some) and there were many pics of bent hitches to prove the point as well as many posts that family members have been hurt and killed due to this problem.

Has anyone heard of this or had a problem with the hitch that comes on our trucks? I am very interested since I pull a travel trailer that weighs about 9000 lbs.

[DennisG01]

We've been using GM trucks at our marina forever. Never had a problem - and they get used ALOT to deliver boats. 9,000 lbs. is about an average weight for the boats we deliver. For our newest diesel, though, we did put an aftermarket hitch on it. We used one rated at 15,000 lbs. I don't recall the manufacturer, offhand. IF you need a new hitch, might as well get the biggest one you can. But, for the weight you're pulling, I wouldn't go out and spend the money on replacing a perfectly good hitch that will carry that weight with no problems.

[Mark Rinker]

I have done extensive hauling of heavy trailers behind late model GM trucks and have come to the conclusion that they are superior to any Class III aftermarket hitch, and many aftermarket Class IV hitches. I recently replace the OEM hitch on my 2002 Duramax after it sagged due to two bolts left out when the truck was switched from a work body back to a standard box. The Putnam Class IV hitch failed within 15K miles of use with a bumper pull 30' trailer averaging loads of 6-8K lbs. The (junk/expensive) Putnam "Class IV" hitch has been heavily reinforced with steel and additional support. One look at the OEM peice that came off and the Putnam would have a child choosing the GM peice...

Currently, I am hauling many loads in the 12-14K range behind these hitches. I keep a close eye on them, but have had no cracks, bending, or distortion of the receiver tube.

IMPORTANT: One key feature of the GM hitches are the two bolts that tie the hitch upward to the factory bumper, on each side of the receiver tube. These two bolts are key to the hitch's strength and should not be removed or modified.

[More Power]

The trucks and hitches are rated for up to a properly load balanced 12,000-lb trailer, and when using an equalizer. I suspect the problems people have had are due to overloaded trailers, too much tongue weight and no equalizer. I see em every time I'm on the highway..... :rolleyes:

Jim

[HowieE]

The factory receivers installed on the Subs and I assume pickups will not fail in the receiver tube itself or the horizontal tube but will show cracks, around the tube were it goes through the flanges at each end. After a trip to Alaska I noticed cracks about 1 in. long in 4 of the 8 corners were the tube went through the flanges. The hitch probably had 75,000 towing miles on it at that point.

[tanker]

I switched my stock receiver for a Reese Class-V, which is a very heavy duty unit with a 2-1/2" square receiver tube, rated at 14,000lbs WD. The ball mount is rated at 17,000lbs. WD (weight distributing) My trailer is rated at 12,000lbs and I did not want to have an issue with the stock 12,000lb receiver and ball mount. There are also several different 2-5/16" balls each with its own rating. Check each item for the weight you plan to carry, we all know about the weakest link in the chain.
Best to weigh your rig on a certified truck stop scale, which will give you each axle and gross weight. Make sure you load your trailer as you would when you travel. We all know that our better half's all like to load everything as if we were never to return! Just my 2 cents.

[Stlheadake]

Hey Red, I read about those hitches too. It seems to me that the focus (in the article that I read anyway was on the weight distribution properties of that hitch. The study was looking at those hitches as just hitches, not weight distributing hitches.

I saw several pics of failed hitches. What I don't know is what was the particular circumstance of each. Suppose you had a 12k trailer on your hitch with the proper WD hitch set up. Let's suppose also that you have to back that 30 trailer into from a level street into the driveway which has a 8% grade (I am exagerating for example here). The trailer will transfer more load to the hitch because the angle of the lever is changing.

This could overburden many hitches. That is an extreme (albeit simple) example. Still the best cat 5 hitch out there is about 200 bucks, that's a lot cheaper than my deductible if something goes wrong. I'm changing mine just because!

[More Power]

The 2007 GMT-900 trucks will have a 2-1/2" receiver hitch with a 13,000-lb trailer weight max (with a weight distributing hitch :) ).

Jim

[JeffsTowTruck]

Mine is stock. Never had any problems, the last 6 or so years I've had it.
My trailer has 10500 on the sticker and I figure the golf cart is a grand so I pull about 12k, guessing. I know my truck does not want any more than this as it has a problem with getting any speed on a hill.
Must be the something preset that won't let you go over 30 up a hill???? HAHAHA

[dstoops]

Hey Red,
I've probably put 100,000+ miles on my '95 factory hitch---30,000 of them at 12,000# or more (liquid fertilizer). The only problem I've had is the holes that hold the keeper pin for the insert have elongated slightly--probably from the liquid sloshing to and fro. I am retiring that truck from heavy hauling this year. If not I would be replacing that reciever with a Reese.