There is no policy saying we cannot hook up to a step bumper

 

Okay, thanks for checking. I see it does say minimum class 2 hitch though, which is 3500 lb rating. This "bumper-hitch" has a sticker indicating a 12000 lb rating, but not sure if that really equates to any "class" of hitch in the conventional sense.

 

<dl><dd>Class I —up to 2,000 pounds
</dd><dd>Class II —up to 3,500 pounds
</dd><dd>Class III —up to 5,000 pounds</dd><dd>Class IV/V —up to 14,000 pounds</dd><dt>so you have a class IV/V rated bumper.
</dt><dt>and Remember rating of a tow package goes by the weakest link. so if you have 12000 lbs rated bumper and a 2" ball with a rating of 2,000 lbs....you can't tow anything more than 2,000 lbs
</dt></dl>

 

The 2" ball on there now indicates a rating of 6000 lbs. I think I should be okay.

I may go ahead an replace the bumper to frame bolts with some new grade8 stuff just for good measure. Anyone know off-hand what size they are?

 

Got my truck inspected this week at the gas station which also happens to be a U-haul rental place. I asked about renting a dolly with my bumper hitch and he said "no", He didn't seem to care what it was rated, just "no".

I guess I better get a hitch and not chance it.

 

 

Thanks. Having that page printed out could help me, but then again, it might not - I'd totally be at the mercy of some unknown guy deciding my fate, on the day that I need to be focused on getting my car home, not installing a hitch! My "test" of that potential problem showed exactly what I feared could happen, and this is a guy that I sorta know, getting my vehicles inspected there every year.

 

Just to follow-up on this thread, finally hauled the project car yesterday. Indeed the easiest/least expensive solution turned out to be pulling the dolly empty for half the trip - basically doing a round-trip rental rather then one-way rental. Just reduce the tire pressure to 30 PSI when pulling it empty so it doesn't bounce around so much. Price difference was $45 vs. $200.

As for the hitch, I had installed a Putnam hitch a few months ago, so using the bumper-hitch was no longer a concern. That said, in my case, I would have been fine using the bumper. They never even came out to see my truck - just asked if I had used one before and when I said "yes" they just sent me on my way.