Cyber "Truck" Towing Question: hitch receiver is designed to support vertical loads up to 160 lb (72 kg)?

[HaulingAss]

Towing weight applies the force differently than say a bike carrier, or a hitch step that sticks out. So two different limits, one (1,100 lbs) for towing and the lower one (160 lbs) for other scenarios.

This is not unique to the CT, there are other vehicles that are fairly similar in that regard.

Since I weigh more than 160 lbs, I won't be putting a hitch step on there.

A hitch step would be rated for the full 1100 lbs. hitch rating because it can't impose a side load. In a static situation I'm sure you could put two tons on a hitch step without damage (assuming the hitch step you bought could handle that much).

This article, and people's comments to it, make me realize how little most people understand about the types of forces structural engineers deal with every day. It's sad.

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[REM]

This article, and people's comments to it, make me realize how little most people understand about the types of forces structural engineers deal with every day. It's sad.

The vast majority of people on this planet don't have even a basic understanding of simple physics. It's absolutely mystifying to me how someone bumble through life and not understand something as simple as leverage.

 

[Cali5268]

The vast majority of people on this planet don't have even a basic understanding of simple physics. It's absolutely mystifying to me how someone bumble through life and not understand something as simple as leverage.

I'm trying to understand the physics of how this happened.



I've had a Ford and Toyota Truck. The hitches were virtually indestructible. I beat the hell out of my Ford.
Trying to understand why ours is different.

 

[REM]

I'm trying to understand the physics of how this happened.



I've had a Ford and Toyota Truck. The hitches were virtually indestructible. I beat the hell out of my Ford.
Trying to understand why ours is different.

Simple. the repeated off camera slams onto the concrete culvert cracked the casting; a load event that far exceeds any expected use case of the truck.

Your ICE trucks have steel, and will bend out of shape most of the time instead of snap. If you watch that video, you will notice the quick camera cutaway when he mentions that the ford is "fine" after the repeated drops.

It was in fact, not, fine. It was warped beyond usability and the truck was violently shaking as it tried to pull away. Bending it back into shape would result in a significant decrease in strength (and likely be just enough to fool you into thinking it's road worthy; which will end catastrophically).

 

[CyberGus]

The vast majority of people on this planet don't have even a basic understanding of simple physics. It's absolutely mystifying to me how someone bumble through life and not understand something as simple as leverage.

I understand "basic physics" just fine, but when anyone tries to explain "quantum physics" I want to punch them in the face

 

[REM]

I understand "basic physics" just fine, but when anyone tries to explain "quantum physics" I want to punch them in the face

Understandable lol. Here is the best quote on the subject I have ever come across:

I think it is safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics... In fact, it is often stated that of all the theories proposed in this century, the silliest is quantum theory. Some say that the only thing that quantum theory has going for it, in fact, is that it is unquestionably correct.

attributed to: Richard Feynman

 

[OMFG]

Agree 100%. I tow my 10k lb tractor all the time, county bumpy dirt road, across ranch, 90mph on highway… Truck tows amazing. Towing an ATV you won’t even feel it back there.

 

[OMFG]

Also for what it’s worth…The BW 5” drop stow & go hitch fits awesome on our trucks. In the receiver it folds back to stow perfectly. Pricey, but best looking and quality I could find that would fit exactly.

 

[KrennPowerSports]

I have taken my Jetski (stand up) on a hitch hauler across the country several times, 4000 miles worth. It sticks out a total of 18" from the rear bumper (carrier, ski is 30" wide). it weights around 280lbs with fuel. the hitch hauler itself weights about 50-60lbs., AND on top of that I use a "riser dual hitch" and use the top receiver to haul it higher up. This would really define what it would do and there's been no issues and i foresee no issues with it.

 

[REM]

man, that windmill has seen better days

 

[TyPope]

The vast majority of people on this planet don't have even a basic understanding of simple physics. It's absolutely mystifying to me how someone bumble through life and not understand something as simple as leverage.

LOL... Every time we rewatch Jurassic Park and they get to the part where they are trying to push a door closed. One is pushing in the doorknob area and the other, pushing at the hinges. Like, WFT?

 

[HaulingAss]

Simple. the repeated off camera slams onto the concrete culvert cracked the casting; a load event that far exceeds any expected use case of the truck.

Yep, that was intentionally misleading, no other way to interpret it. Which just means you can't trust anything that Cody says in his videos.

Your ICE trucks have steel, and will bend out of shape most of the time instead of snap. If you watch that video, you will notice the quick camera cutaway when he mentions that the ford is "fine" after the repeated drops.

It was in fact, not, fine. It was warped beyond usability and the truck was violently shaking as it tried to pull away.

Even if the F-150 could handle a 5-foot drop onto the receiver, that would only indicate it was poorly engineered.

Engineering is all about making a product do all the things you want it to do without wasting raw materials unnecessarily, being overweight, or costing too much. If the F-150's receiver could handle a vertical 5-foot drop onto an 18" square concrete curb without reaching failure mode, that would not be evidence of good engineering. It would imply that it had lazy engineering and/or construction in that it was not designed around actual loads that users could expect to happen in real world usage. It would imply that it used the steel in a sub-optimal manner, the truck was heavier than it needed to be and cost more to purchase and operate than a better design using less material. Because no one drives their F-150 off 5–6-foot vertical drops in a manner that has their receiver landing on a concrete curb. If they do, it should damage the reciever.

On the otherhand, an errant baseball, or even a grocery store shopping cart, can do thousands of dollars of damage to a new F-150. It's not as tough as Ford wants you to believe.

 

[flyinglow]

See this is where I'm confused. So where is the max of 160 pounds coming from? Did they make a mistake in the owners manual? Doing the math, something seems off

Note that it is vertical load and is probably more of an issue for an up load which the truck/hitch isn't designed to accommodate. With the truck allowing an 1,100 lb tongue weight, the downward load from hitch mounted items like mobility scooters is probably going to ever be an issue.

 

[DeadSetElectric]

This question was raised by me, I’m the one quoted in the article, this is my use case. My question is, why can I do this on every other pickup truck except the cybertruck?

 

[HaulingAss]

This question was raised by me, I’m the one quoted in the article, this is my use case. My question is, why can I do this on every other pickup truck except the cybertruck?

Apparently, you can do it on the Cybertruck!

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