Tensile Strength of 4 square RV Bumper

[LuvToFish]

Tensile Strength of 4" square RV Bumper

I'm building a Class II style hitch for mounting on a 4" square RV Bumper. The RV bumper wall thickness is around .090 thousands. The bumper is welded perpendicular to a couple box frames on 60" centers. I intend to mount the hitch directly to the center of the bumper. My question is simply this, does this 4" box bumper have enough tensile strength to withstand loads up to 3,500 lbs and a tongue weight of up to 350 lbs? I would like to be able to pull my Boat behind the RV. Nothing like going camping without the boat, right?

My gut tells me no, but without the necessary knowledge to scientifically compute tensile strength of the box frame, I have no way of proving my theory.

Does anyone have a quick and dirty method for determining this? If this setup will not work, what wall thickness would be required to withstand the loading of the boat?

Thanks in advance for any assistance provided!

 

[Q_Goest]

Hi fish. If you attach a drawing of what you plan on doing, it would be a whole lot easier to evaluate. Please include as much detail as you can.

 

[ravenprp]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your concerns about the tensile strength of the 4" square RV bumper. Based on the information provided, it is difficult to determine the exact tensile strength of the bumper without any specific measurements or material information. However, I would recommend consulting with a structural engineer or a professional welder to determine the appropriate wall thickness and materials needed to withstand the loads you are planning to put on the bumper.

In general, a 4" square bumper with a wall thickness of .090 inches may not be strong enough to support a tongue weight of 350 lbs and a load of 3,500 lbs. It is important to consider not only the weight of the boat, but also the additional forces and stresses that may be placed on the bumper while towing.

A quick and dirty method for determining the tensile strength of the bumper would be to calculate the cross-sectional area of the bumper and then multiply it by the yield strength of the material. However, this method may not accurately reflect the true strength of the bumper as it does not take into account any factors such as welding quality, material imperfections, or the effects of external forces.

I would highly recommend seeking professional advice to ensure the safety and durability of your hitch and bumper setup. It is always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to towing heavy loads.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck with your RV and boat adventures!