I am getting a local hitch outfitter to build a custom hitch for my xB. It will be mounted underneath the bumper and hidden from view. All that will be visible will be the 1 1/4" opening. That opening will be covered by a hitch cover when not in use. I plan to get that cover painted to match the vehicle to make it look stock.

The hitch builder will be making a template for any future builds. Would anyone be interested in this type of product? If so, I'll get him to post some info on this board.

I'll get a few pictures posted in a couple of days when the project is finished.

 

What in the world are you going to be towing with your xB? I mean unless you have a s/c or t/c what ever it is you better stick to flat roads & down hills.

 

I'm mainly going to be using the hitch to haul bicycles to the road and mountain bike races around here. I ride a 61 cm frame, and it pretty much kills the room if I haul it inside the vehicle. Then there's the inconvenience of having to take both wheels off, not getting chain grease/mud on the upholstery...

We went to a trail last weekend and it was a real pain laying both bikes on top of each other. We already have a hitch mount bike rack that we use on our vanand it works awesome. It's a lot better than a roof rack: easier to remove, doesn't scratch paint, don't have to worry about roof clearance (I've smack my garage with my Accord once) etc., and doesn't ruin the aesthetics of the car. Have you ever removed and reinstalled a roof rack before? It's a royal pain in most cases.

I may also use it for one of those (3x6?) flat baskets to haul yucky items (i.e. topsoil bags).

You're right...I wouldn't want to haul anything too heavy. At least not heavier than (4 hamburger eating fools...the vehicle weight rating).

BTW, although I wouldn't want to do this, the guy is guessing that his design/work would be able to withstand 2,500 lbs.

 

Interested. Please let me know the update. Not too mention about the wiring harness for the brake lights for the trailer. This would be cool for pulling pocket rockets to car shows. :D

 

FYI...the product being developed will be bolt-on and simple enough for the average DIYer.

 

def keep me posted...very interested...i an a downhill mountain biker...and its a _____ to have to throw 4 DH bikes on the roof, and crame me, 3 buddies and equiptment inside...i need a trailer!!!!!
thanks
-Ryan

 

yea it would be ideal for pulling a lite weight aluminum boat with also

 

i was wondering about some sort of hitch. i'm still wondering if my XB will pull my 2 jet skis? going down the road i don't think would be a big deal, but pulling thm out of the water will be a problem!

 

I was originally going to say something about how you're not going to be able to tow jack ____ with a 108hp engine, but was pleasantly suprised to find out that someone who knows what they're doing is putting a hitch on the xb for a perfectly logical reason. Good job.

 

I used to tow two dirt bikes on a utility trailer behind a Datsun 510. Less power than an xB, but it worked fine. All you have to do is take it easy.

For the xB, I'd rather see the hitch receiver come out through a hole in the plastic skirt than below the skirt. This design would be simpler, stronger, and less prone to damage than putting the receiver waaaay down at the bottom of the skirt. It would also put the hitch at a more normal height so you won't have to use large offset ball mounts.

George

 

What do you guess the tongue weight rating will be?

Since your primary purpose will be for receiver-mount accessories, that is more important than what it's tow rating will be.

Towing a 2,500 lb load with a 108hp 2,450 curb weight car ain't never gonna happen safely...

 

Who said anything about 2500 pounds?

The logical place to mount a hitch is with the hard points that hold the tie-down loops. Since these are designed to restrain the entire car while in transit they should be plenty strong enough to hold a light-duty trailer hitch.

George

 

That's exactly how the hitch is designed as per the recommendation of the hitch builder. By not using offset and penetrating the skirt (ground effect), there is less of a moment arm for any tongue loads. Also, the design prevents any bottom-out/scraping issues that may happen with offset designs.

 

You're absoulutely correct about tongue weight rating importance for the bicycle rack accessory that I intend to use. That was one of the first things that the hitch guy schooled me on.

As far as 2,500 pounds...that's just a point of reference for how strong he believes the hitch will be. I'll ask if he can provide a tongue weight rating as well.

 

Yeah i got a 220lbs Yamaha YZ426 and about 100lbs of gear and no way to take it to the track! So a trailer would be sweet!

 

No problem! Weld up a skeleton trailer out of tubing. It's basically a "T" of tubing with 12" trailer wheels at the ends of the "top" of the T at the rear, and a hitch attached to the "bottom" of the T which forms the tongue. Weld a channel on top of the "T" to hold the bike's tires. You add a crossbar under the tongue to take your tiedowns.

If you keep it light and keep the wheels under the rear of your bike you don't need any springs on the trailer. Your bike will provide all the springing needed!

The whole trailer will weigh about 100 pounds, so between you, your bike, and your gear your total load is around 700 pounds, well within the capacity of the xB.

We used to use these trailers behind Japanese econoboxes and aircooled VWs in the '70s and '80s. No reason they won't work as well now!

George

 

I have a real need to haul my bike too! I wanna see the pics!! Let us know what the cost is.

 

I built this hitch for my xB and I pull my KX250 and a box full of gear on a 4x6 trailer through the hills of West Virginia and up to Indiana to ride. I've probably pulled it 3000mi total and have had no problems at all. The xB handles it real well. I can keep up interstate speeds without even downshifting for the hills.

 

Count me in. I have called around to no avail. Anybody have an idea what the max (safe) towing weight would be? Most of my towing is going to be junk from Home Depot to home (about 4 miles one way) on a 5x8 utility trailer. Am I kidding myself?

thanks!

 

I think if you check the manual, you will find that the "max safe" towing load is "zero."

Once you allow for the weight of the driver, any occupants and the weight of any cargo IN the vehicle (don't forget to subtract the weight of the hitch which is now "permanent cargo,"), the net weight you could tow (subtracting the weight of the trailer) is going to be virtually nothing.

Mounting a receiver hitch to carry things like a couple bikes or light but bulky cargo is one thing, but towing something that puts 250lbs of tongue weight (or a similar load on one of those receiver shelves) on the ___ end of the car is really going to screw up the handling, not to mention further tax an already burdened drivetrain.

And how are you going to bring your car in for warranty work and explain to the service writer "Oh I never use it for towing - I only use the hitch to carry light stuff" - seems like the perfect situation for Scion to deny ANY drivetrain repair as stemming from abuse and using the vehicle for something for which it wasn't intended...