Cougar 31SQB frame mount receiver for bike rack

[dspfeiffer]

We have a 2013 Cougar 31SQB. I have finally given up on trying to put all four bicycles in the back of the trailer. I am going to bite the bullet and have have a hitch receiver installed to the frame. Before everyone jumps all over me, I know this issue has been discussed ad-nauseum on this and other forums, but I have a few specific questions.

I cannot seem to find an acceptable weld-on or bolt-on receiver that will work with the Cougar's bumper/frame mounting setup. A four inch box-frame member is welded onto the bottom of the I-beam. The 4" square bumper is welded to the end of that rectangular tube. Every potential receiver I have seen (many on e-trailer.com, but from many other sources) hang down too low (like the Curt #13703- I have a sloped driveway I have to get up). With this, if I bolt to the box frame members, it's too low. If I go up under the bottom sheathing and bolt it to the I beam, that places the receiver too high, right at bumper height, not just under it as I need.


I have talked with a few techs at etrailer.com, called Keystone, called my dealer, a hitch installer and nobody has a specific solution. The welder is willing to do the job, but doesn't have a handle on what hitch to start with.

I want to do the right thing and attach to the frame, as almost everyone on the planet recommends, but I can't seem to find a suitable receiver setup that will work. The box frame members I would weld (or bolt) to are exactly 66 1/4" apart. I need the 2" receiver tube to come out just under the bumper (which is flush with the bottom of the box frame members).

I don't want to reinvent the wheel, if someone has already done this on a 31SQB or a Cougar with a similar bumper configuration. Again, I have been through all of the generic solutions, now I need something specific for this, if anyone has done it.

Here are a few pic of what I am talking about:





Thanks for your help!

[JRTJH]

On our 27RKS, the frame rails go all the way to the back wall, the bumper is mounted on two 2x4" square tube extensions that are welded to the bottom of the frame rail I-beam. Our fabricator did a custom job and welded two "end caps" to the outside edges of the I-beam and down to incorporate the bumper extensions. He then ran a 3x3" tube between those "end caps" and welded a center support to the 3x3 crossmember and bolted that to the upper frame crossmember (just forward of the bumper). The 2" receiver is welded to that 3x3 tube and is also tack welded to the bottom of the bumper to keep it from rattling, not to give any support. The finished hitch assembly sits down about 3" below the bumper, the receiver is directly below the bumper and the two "end caps" act as "skid plates" to keep the bumper/hitch from scraping the ground if necessary. So far, we've been satisfied with the way it's attached and performs.

We have towed a 3000 lb boat over some pretty rough roads and never had any issue with the hitch.

We don't have the slide rack to contend with, so you may not be able to use this method, but possibly some adaptation of it may give you ideas to use. If you need more or clearer pictures, let me know.

[dspfeiffer]

Thanks a lot. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That is exactly what I was looking for. Your setup is the same as mine and the location of the receiver is perfect for me. We don't have the pull out bike tray, so that isn't really an issue. A couple of questions:

1. Do the end brackets wrap up and on top of the horizontal part of the I-beam?
2. I'm not sure I understand how the center support is attached
3. Were any of the parts manufactured or did he fabricate everything from scratch?
4. How low from the bottom of the bumper are the outer "skid plates" where the chains attach? Could they be shorter and still strong enough? Clearance is an issue in my sloped driveway.
5. Finally, do you mind giving me a ballpark on the cost? I would like to have something to compare an estimate to.

I wonder if something like this might be adapted:

http://www.redtrailers.com/ShowItem.asp?id=82201

Thanks again. You answered in one post what I have been trying to figure out for two years!

[JRTJH]

You're very welcome. To try to answer your questions:

1. No the end brackets are welded to the edge of the horizontal part of the I beam and also to the square tube that the bumper is welded to. See pictures.

2. There are two "gussets" welded to the top and bottom of the crosstube, the receiver slips between them and is welded in place. Then the center support is welded to the top of the upper gusset and the 3x3 tube and extends upward and is bolted to the Cougar's rear most cross member. See pictures.

3. Everything was custom fabricated except for the receiver tube which is a standard item. I suppose the one you link to would work, but I'd suspect it would cost more to order that than to have a qualified welder build one.

4. The "skids" extend down about 2.5" below the horizontal tube. See Picture.

5. I really have no idea how much it actually cost. We had it installed prior to delivery of the trailer and it was included in the purchase price. On the sales invoice, it's listed as "Install rear hitch assembly" with a price of $325. I'm guessing the dealer didn't inflate that price as it's in line with the cost to do similar work on our previous Springdale and I am certain he didn't give me a discount LOL So I'd guess that last August when the hitch was installed, the price was right at $325 for labor and materials.

[dspfeiffer]

Thanks so much for the detailed pictures. I am going to put them on my phone and take them to the welder so I can show him exactly how to do it. They are exactly what I need. I really appreciate your going the extra mile to help me out. I will try to follow up when I get it fabricated. Hopefully this may help some other Cougar owners with the same dilemma.

[dspfeiffer]

Just picked up my trailer from the hitch shop. They did a great job. I told them since I had a sloped driveway, clearance was going to be a big issue. They looked it over and decided to put the hitch on top of the bumper, instead of below. The hitch tube was welded directly to the ends of the I-beams and to the top of the bumper itself. They moved the spare tire to the other side for clearance. Not only does it work great, it looks great too. My bikes clear the spare tire with plenty of room and I have the peace of mind knowing it's welded to the frame. The welder assured me it could handle any bike/rack combination we could put on it. (but, I had to promise him I wouldn't try to tow a car behind me).

I just wanted to post this follow up for anyone who is struggling with how to put do this with the Cougar X-lite bumper configuration. This is really a very elegant and simple solution. Pics are attached.