Adding a class 2 hitch to the back of a Travel Trailer

[ToddCarey]

Has anyone added a class 2 hitch to the back of their travel trailer? I DO NOT wish to tow anything, but I have a flat storage tray that goes into a 2" receiver hitch, and it would be nice for additional equipment I could carry with it. It would never have more than 200 to 300 lbs on it.

[notanlines]

Todd, if you will, visualize your 300 pounds bouncing around while traveling I40 at 65 mph, torque on your aftermarket hitch around the same as GM’s ‘dirty max.’
Now visualize again some rum-dumb 25 year old with his iPhone filming the going's on. Now you're on YouTube AND out the goodies you had tied to your platform.
IMO just not a good idea.

[NH_Bulldog]

I would suggest that adding a receiver for a cargo hitch is a bad idea, especially true if yours is any of the lightweight trailer models since the frames are very thin and cannot take the stress of an add-on hitch. Even trailers with receivers designed, engineered and installed from the factory have a 300 lb. limit inclusive of the weight of the carrier and cargo. Adding one to a frame not designed for it is a disaster waiting to happen, and if the trailer is still under warranty, it will void it. I have seen a lot of these set-ups (rack, cargo and all) bounced and ripped off the back and dumped onto the road behind the trailer, often without the driver even knowing it. From a legal standpoint, you are responsible for any damages to other peoples’ vehicles or property as well as clean-up of debris.

[Raptor Dave]

I would have no problem installing one that is properly spec'd for your trailer.
I've seen many on the road. The best ones I've seen have had additional tie downs on both ends of the rack to help eliminate any wobble. They also make a tightener for the receiver to eliminate any slop there.
If it's a properly thought out and executed install I don't see many problems.
Don't over load it and you should be fine.
I've also seen many pulling an additional trailer behind the 5th wheel using frame mounted hitches.
Just make sure you get a hitch that bolts to the frame of the trailer and not just a bumper mount deal. Curt Manufacturing would be a good place to start looking.
I would also recommend a camera in the rear to keep an eye open for any possible problems.
GL
Dave

[JRTJH]

Todd,

I believe your trailer is an Outback 328RL ?? If so, then it's a 38' ultralite trailer, built on a BAL Norco huck bolt frame. The distance from the rear axle to the rear of the frame is about 15'. That "vertical bounce" at the end of a 15' fulcrum could be 10 times the force of your 200 pound load on the receiver. That would likely do some pretty serious damage to the frame and to whatever you load on a rear rack, not to mention the risk to anyone following a tad too close behind you.....

Also, that frame system does not easily adapt to a rear hitch/receiver. Before you do any drilling or welding to the frame, I'd contact BAL/NORCO and discuss your plans as well as get their recommendations for how to best modify your trailer frame or potentially, learn that it simply isn't recommended by the people who build the frame..... You can contact them at 877-557-7788. The BAL website NORCO Frame information is located here: https://balrvproducts.com/product/nxg-frame/

As sophisticated as the NGX frame is, I would stronly encourage you not to "wing it and hope it works"... The NGX frame is "built to be durable in its design envelope. It does not play well when used "outside its engineering capacity".... You don't want to be a "test case" for either their research or for their warranty repairs !!!!!