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Old 05-10-2017, 10:38 PM   #1
23U_2016
Junior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Virginia
Posts: 15
THOR #7389
8,000-lb Trailer Hitch Summary

The following is a summary of the 27 replies which were viewed 728 times when I posted my opinion in the post titled “8,000-lb Trailer Hitch For 23U Cannot Be Used For 8,000-lb Towing”

  1. The discussion was centered on a 2016 Thor Four Winds 23U
    a. Gross Vehicle Combined Weight rating (GVCWR) = 22,000-lb
    b. Actual vehicle fully loaded weight = 10,600-lb
    c. Vehicle fully capable of towing 8,000-lb or more.
    d. The Thor brochure specification stated “8,000-lb hitch with 7 pin connector”
    e. On vehicle hitch nameplate contained the following information:
    Class IV.
    Tongue weight limit of 500-lb.
  2. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is responsible for the industry specifications on hitches.
    a. SAE J684 tells us that a Class IV hitch can handle a trailer up to 10,000-lbs but requires a tongue weight rating of 15% of the trailer load.
    b. Other trailer experts say that the 15% requirement is to prevent trailer sway which is a cause of accidents.
    c. Therefore, an 8,000-lb trailer will need a tongue weight rating of 1,200-lbs
  3. There were two parts to the discussion replies on the capability of the specified 8,000-lb hitch:
    a. Many of the replies were centered on the fact that the hitch was capable of flat towing up to an 8,000-lb toad vehicle and therefore the Thor specification was correct.
    b. There was also agreement that the 8,000-lb hitch could not tow an 8,000-lb trailer as the RV tongue weight rating of 500-lb was too low.
  4. My final thought is that in today’s world of internet purchasing, one needs to rely on the written specifications of a product. We do not like surprises when our package arrives. There was no written advance disclosure of the 500-lb limit. Only by traveling to pick up your intended purchase would you be able to see the name plate 500-lb limit. I assume that many of us are willing to travel to pick up a good deal and would not be happy to find out our deal was not what we were looking for.
  5. I am going to set up a poll with this summary post:
    a. If you agree that Thor has correctly advertised the hitch capabilities, please vote or reply yes.
    b. If you do not agree that Thor has correctly advertised the hitch capabilities, please vote or reply no.

    Thank you in advance for your participation.
    Hopefully this discussion will be a help to those considering an RV purchase with an intent to tow something.
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