Tow hitch/ receiver steel, any special about it?

[matt s]

So working on a project that will require a couple of receivers. Just wondering if there is anything special about the steel used in receivers vs the same size and wall thickness of standard steel stock.

thanks for the help.

 

[evldave]

Receiver tube is special in that it does not have an internal 'seam' where the tubing was bent and welded together. Go to your steel yard and ask for receiver tube, they'll know what you are talking about.

If you buy 2-1/2 with 0.25" wall square tube, the dimensions work, but the seam will block putting in a tube.

Also, if you make your own receiver, put some sort of flange on the end or you could 'flare' the end where the hitch goes. I just welded some 1"x1/4" flat bar all the way around and it seems to be holding up well (probably 2,000+ miles so far on the trailer).

 

[corax]

x2 - nothing special about the steel itself, just make sure you add a collar to the opening as previously stated.

Try Tractor Supply or Northern Tool if you'd prefer a ready made receiver tube

 

[Box Rocket]

Yep, only issue is the seam inside the tubing which can also be clearanced pretty easily if you find that you are unable to get your hitch inside the tube. I built my own on my trailer project (which didn't need .25" wall) but I did follow the suggestions others have made here to weld a collar to the end of the receiver to keep it from flaring.

trailer tongue without collar.

after collar was welded to it.

 

[joker2041]

Go to www. rocky-road.com and look at there sliders. They talk about using hitch steel in that application versus all the other manufacturers products.

 

[matt s]

Thanks everyone. That confirmed my suspicions. Also thanks for the tip about the welded seam, that is a key piece of information.

I priced out a couple of prefabbed receivers today $50 each (2ft long and I need two of them for this project). Ouch. Hopefully the raw receiver tube from the steel supply is not so dear.

 

[changingground]

Thanks everyone. That confirmed my suspicions. Also thanks for the tip about the welded seam, that is a key piece of information.

I priced out a couple of prefabbed receivers today $50 each (2ft long and I need two of them for this project). Ouch. Hopefully the raw receiver tube from the steel supply is not so dear.

Matt- Harbor Freight sells an 18" version. I don't know what their price to ship to Alaska would be, but if the length works, they're considerably cheaper than $50. http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?category=&q=receiver+tube

 

[evldave]

I priced out a couple of prefabbed receivers today $50 each (2ft long and I need two of them for this project). Ouch. Hopefully the raw receiver tube from the steel supply is not so dear.

I paid $37 for a ~40" piece from my local steel yard...

Then I paid another $5 for the flat bar for the end support...

Then I paid another $25 for the 5/8" bit required to drill a hitch pin hole...that's really one you can't skimp on, and for a good one, they aren't cheap. Of course, I've used mine a ton for other stuff since I rebuilt my trailer, but if you are looking at $100 for two premaid 2' receiver hitch tubes, that's not a bad deal.

 

[matt s]

Great forum and great info. Thanks again everyone. A very busy week has held up any progress, I haven't even been able to price out the raw material yet. On the bonus side the extra time before starting has let me refine the design in my head a bit.

 

[handsoff]

There is one more difference that sometimes applies and sometimes does not. The corner radius of the receiver tube is tighter for it's wall thickness than is standard. Depending on the wall thickness (& related corner radius) of the tube used in the slider there may or may not be interference at the corners.

^This.

Depending on the mill the radius of the tube's corner will be different. Receiver tube (2.5x2.5x.238) also has a wall thinner than .250 to aid in fitment, and is usually rolled to the same corners as .188 (3/16) or .250 2" square tube.