Concealed Hitch Receiver Available Again!

Hey guys & gals - I'm pleased to make available to you a concealed hitch receiver assembly once again! This assembly is fashioned after the Tone concealed hitch assembly, and is professionally made by my friends at Fat Man Fabrications in Charlotte, NC. It mounts exactly the same as Tone's fine receiver assembly, while incorporating some "improvements" such as being powder-coated for lifetime durability. For the record, I'm not getting a dime from Fat Man's - we're offering this as a service due to the untimely passing of Tone, to "fill the void" left by the product no longer being available. Same price as before: $229.00 shipped in the conus. Please be sure to specify with or without the safety chain loop - I had mine made without. Here's the link:

http://www.fatmanfab.com/

but I could not find anything regarding the hitch or even the VX

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Originally Posted by circmand

but I could not find anything regarding the hitch or even the VX

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And you won't for awhile - this is a BRAND new offering. If you need to see a close approximation, go to Tone's site - it is fashioned after that one. I placed the link so you folks could find the contact info for Fat Man Fabrications - feel free to order via phone or email.

I used to ride the short bus to school

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Originally Posted by circmand

I used to ride the short bus to school

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hahaha... i graduated... now i drive the short bus to work :D

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Originally Posted by So-CalVX

hahaha... i graduated... now i drive the short bus to work :D

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Is that You?

Called fatmans today, actually just got off the phone with them.
talked to Brent, nice guy.
the scoop he gave me is about a three week turnaround from placement of order to ship.
now......
Ganzman, have you gotten yours installed yet? i was wondering about the pin, is it infront, or behind the cladding, and also how it looked. did you use tone's install instructions. just looking for an overview of the product.
im gonna need a hitch soon, and would really like tone's, or one like it, due to the hidden install.
i am looking to be towing my friends airstream!!http://basecamp.airstream.com/product/index.html
thanks.

David
IndianaVX

Haven't installed mine yet - hope to w/in the next ten days. Here's a couple shots of it, all shiny powder-coated an' sh*t:

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/use.../Hitch_001.JPG
http://images.lilypix.com/albums/use.../Hitch_002.JPG

As you can see, I opted for NO safety chain provisions on my hitch receiver, as I plan on using it exclusively for my 1upUSA aluminum bike rack. Said rack doesn't use a receiver pin either, so really all I needed this for is a 2" square "tube" out the back of my VX. I'll post more photos of the install process after I complete...

Hmmm, from the pic there appears to be no slots built into the hitch to connect the chains....or maybe I'm missing something here.

Maybe its just me? I dont understand the price on this. Seems high for as small as it is.

I dont understand price, or installation, i was thinking this was modeled off of tones, and i thought tone's had the "brackets" that bolted to the frame.....i dont think i would want to haul a trailer with that set up in the pic.
im not knocking what you have there, and it looks well made, it just doesnt look like what i thought the hitch ought to look like......

Scott,

I use a drop hitch on the one I got from Tone so prefer using the safety chain loops nearer the hitch ball anyway. IMHO, not needed at the receiver.

Clint,

Price is high - until you start trying to find someone to fab one up for you. It's a supply n demand thing more than a materials thing. Although the tolerances are fairly tight since 2 of the bolts use existing holes.

Tom

I dont know, I am just not convinced. Not doubting any quality, or "supply n demand issues." It just seems too much to me.

I'm reminded of the saying: "No good deed goes unpunished..."

1. Pricing - IDENTICAL to what Tone was charging, only this has the extra step (and expense!) of powder-coating.

2. Design -Virtually IDENTICAL to Tone's - same thickness materials - only better, stronger welds; did I mention - SAME price?

3. Installation - IDENTICAL to Tone's installation procedure; go to his website, see the photos, read the narrative...

4. If you take the time to READ my post(s), you'll see that I left the safety chain loops OFF of MY receiver assembly which is PICTURED above. You can request safety chain loops or a 1/4" steel plate with holes at the time of YOUR order.

Any questions?:rolleyes:

1. Dont take it the wrong way.

2. I never understood Tones pricing either.

3. I appreciate the effort made and am not saying its bad or that it is better or worse than the original.

4. Maybe I am naive about metal work but it just seems high.

5. Enough said, I am taking my ball and going home.

:gring:

And I negated to view the bottom of his post where he mentions that he opted not to purchase the model with safety chain provisions. My mistake. I own Tone's (RIP) hitch and love the fabrication. It's subtle and quite a nice design IMHO. Besides the bolts I had it welded to the frame since I'm pulling some significant weight and just wanted to make sure. So, if the price is the same as TONE's then some might want to pitch the extra $ for the concealed style of the hitch...I did.

I fab'd mine about 4 years ago, going off Tone's great design with my own Tweaks. $50 total and $20 of it was the powder-coating. Go to any farm and home supply and buy a blank 2" receiver about 10" long, a 3/8" thick angle iron ( I think mine is 6" x 12" ) and using my home 110v mig I pulled the bumper cover off/on several times and cutting the receiver each time until I was happy with the location/angle then tacked with the 110 mig, took it to my buddies race shop and hit it with the 220 mig, powder-coated and installed. Saving a ton and having a warm fuzzy feeling inside. The price Ganzman had really isn't that bad considering the huge use you'll get from it, I just had equipment, time and experience in fabbing..

Sorry,, Kinda dirty...

http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/w...h/102_0681.jpg

[quote=ScottinMA; since I'm pulling some significant weight

Scott,
are you pulling 2000lbs with that hitch? i know tounge weight wont be that much, but im just afraid of pulling my bumper out from under the vx......

i did get confused on the two hitches, im sorry about above post, and the mounting to the frame. and again, i dont question the quality, or any other aspect of the hitch that was made. im just concerned about the amount of pull that the hitch will withstand.

thanks

I pull my SeaDoo with Tone's hitch (pix in gallery). It's about 2000 lbs. No problems to date.

Tom

Looks like this Friday is the day that my buddy and I will do this. For those of you who have installed this receiver assembly "out of the box", how long can I figure two retards to install, with no beers in the mix?;)

[QUOTE=IndianaVX;157257][quote=ScottinMA; since I'm pulling some significant weight

Scott,
are you pulling 2000lbs with that hitch? i know tounge weight wont be that much, but im just afraid of pulling my bumper out from under the vx......

i did get confused on the two hitches, im sorry about above post, and the mounting to the frame. and again, i dont question the quality, or any other aspect of the hitch that was made. im just concerned about the amount of pull that the hitch will withstand.

thanks[/QUOTE]

Indiana,

I believe the hitch is rated for 5000 lbs. I pull 2 to 3 thousand without problems.

if you're also installing a trailer light harness. It took me longer than that, but I only had access to one retard! Don't forget the 2 "hidden" screws behind each side cladding panel, and take your time cutting the notch in the rear cladding.

Randy

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Originally Posted by 4X4 UFO

if you're also installing a trailer light harness. It took me longer than that, but I only had access to one retard! Don't forget the 2 "hidden" screws behind each side cladding panel, and take your time cutting the notch in the rear cladding.

Randy

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No light harness, Randy; and actually, only ONE of us is a retart (ME) - the other guy is "all that and a bag of chips"...

Hoping to do the whole job in ~5 hours - whaddya think?

That should be doable, Joe. I don't think it took me much longer than that...........the printed instructions were a big help when I installed mine. I can send you a copy if you need them.

Randy

Joe - do yourself a favor and buy a new drill bit for the job. It'll cut the install time if half.

My install took over night since I wasn't paying close attention to the instructions and broke a mounting tab on the cladding. Over night was for the epoxy to cure on repairing it (lucky me - it's hidden - can't even tell I pulled a SNAFU).

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Originally Posted by tom4bren

Joe - do yourself a favor and buy a new drill bit for the job. It'll cut the install time if half.

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Tom You are 100% correct, I had one I thought was good enough and even after a series of step-up bits my final bit wasn't cutting it. I borrowed a buddies "new" bit and had to hang-on.

I fought for 2 hours (it felt like 8 hours) drilling the first bolt hole with a bit that I thought was in pretty good shape. When I finally broke that one & went & bought a new one ... Oh me Oh my ... what a difference. The second hole only took minutes.

Yer right though, hang on. With a good bit that large, when the bit punches through, it'll grab. If you can find one, a drill with a side handle helps a lot.

Man - I had to be careful how I wrote that first sentence lest LBUD quoted me on it and turned it into sumpn dirty.

i broke a new drill bit halfway through the first hole.. then used drilling/cutting oil with my 2nd bit.. big difference there too!

It's done and came out FANTASTIC! It looks totally "factory" - photos here:
http://images.lilypix.com/albums/use...ceiver_001.JPG
http://images.lilypix.com/albums/use...ceiver_002.JPG
http://images.lilypix.com/albums/use...ceiver_005.JPG

O.K. - I added photos above. It took us ~6 hours total. The BIG thing is getting the rear bumper cover cladding cut EXACTLY right - my friend prolly put it on and off (in place, not bolted) 4-5 times, cutting it a bit more each time. I don't think there's any way to make a "template" for this, since each hitch assembly is gonna be slightly different when it's welded up. My buddy also "radiused" the uppermost corners with a drill bit, rounding them slightly to match the receiver tube contours - the receiver tube literally looks like it has "grown" out of the cladding. If *I* was the one doing the job, it would have looked like a 7 year old had cut it!:bwgy:
http://images.lilypix.com/albums/use...ceiver_004.JPG

I gotta say that I'm surprised that NO one has ordered one of these yet, considering the PM response I got...:confused:

If I didn't already have Tone's, I would have.

Hat's Off Ganz...Looks very, very nice

I would probably get one. But I do not have the skills

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Originally Posted by circmand

I would probably get one. But I do not have the skills

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Yeah, it's not for the faint of heart. My man has the chops - he could eat a bushel of apples and sh*t a fruit salad!:bwgr: The tough part to get REALLY right is cutting the cladding. Most pro shops would NOT put the time in to get it dead perfect...

Ugh! I want one of these so badly, it's all I can do not to get my credit card out and order one right now. I don't, though, because I haven't the faintest clue what I would do with it when it got here. My son, on the other hand, may know exactly what to do. I will show him your photos, Ganz, and see if he thinks we could pull it off. By the way, thank you for doing this.
Leah

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Originally Posted by Leah

Ugh! I want one of these so badly, it's all I can do not to get my credit card out and order one right now. I don't, though, because I haven't the faintest clue what I would do with it when it got here. My son, on the other hand, may know exactly what to do. I will show him your photos, Ganz, and see if he thinks we could pull it off. By the way, thank you for doing this.
Leah

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There are a number of "keys" to doing this right, after you get the part in:

1. Read and reread the verbal instructions on Tone's site, and look at the photos. They're pretty much "on the money".

2. Have a helper! Pulling the side cladding back to access the "hidden" Torx screws would be pretty near impossible w/o help. Have some gloves on-hand (no pun intended) too - that cladding is kinda sharp! We also replaced the double-stick tape that we had to remove on the side cladding when pulling it back; don't know if it's "necessary" but we did, just to make sure that the cladding edges didn't "curl up" later on down the road.

3. Have a GOOD, new 1/2" drill bit, and make sure to drill the INNER two mounting holes FIRST! The holes on the receiver assembly likely won't EXACTLY align up with these two existing frame holes, so be prepared to have to "hog out" the frame holes a bit. It's good to have a good SET of drill bits, you'll use several smaller sizes before the job is done, for pilot holes, etc.

4. Allot ALL of a day to do this; there's no hurrying this job, especially cutting the cladding. Due to the nature of this job, there's just no way to supply a "template" for the cladding cut, so careful measuring, cutting, remeasuring, and recutting is SOP (standard operating procedure). Use blue tape to "mark off" your cut line parameters after measuring. We used one of those tungsten "cut everything" hacksaw blades with great success. Remember to radius the corners of the cuts - we used a 5/16" drill bit for this, which seemed to exactly match the radius of the "square" tubing of the receiver.

It's not a particularly difficult job, it just needs to be approached with careful, concentrated deliberation to pull off a "perfect", factory-look result the first time out of the gate. Like brain surgery, there ain't no "practicing", unless you've got a spare section of lower rear cladding! Luckily, once you get "close" on these cuts, you CAN "test fit" the cladding over the receiver assembly; it's a slip-fit, so you see how close you're getting to having the cladding mounting holes lined up. Plan on 3-4 "cuts" to get it exactly right. The results speak for themselves - after doing this, I can't IMAGINE having one of those hideous "generic" round tube assemblies hanging down under the back of MY Vehicross!

I'm selling the hitch that was sold on Tone's website I bought it and ended up not wanting to use my Vehicross to tow. It is still new in the box from when it was shipped to me. I will do $200 for the hitch if you are interested send me a PM

Hey guys. If possible does anyone have the plans for this hitch so i could get one made up overhere.

I dont mind the Kurt hitch and ones like that just this hitch looks 100x better.

Cheers.
Aaron

Guys,

The hitch install really isn't that difficult (at least it's not as difficult as we made it sound). It does take some time and a helper makes the job much easier. Don't let the install scare you away from purchasing. The finished product it well worth the effort.

Aaron - If mine weren't already installed, I'd try to make some drawings for you. Sorry. Try sending VX-13 a message to see if he can trace the parts onto a piece of paper for you.

Tom