receiver hitch or bumper?

Hi again,

one accessory that I would really like to have for my XJ but haven't managed to pick up for cheap by watching forums, Craigslist, eBay, etc. is a receiver hitch. I would like the option of being able to pull a trailer should the need arise and my vehicle is spec'd so that the only thing really missing is the hitch itself (and the wiring, but I do have a 4-pin adapter that I picked up off a part-out, not sure if the factory trailer tow package included the wiring for a brake controller or not.)

Anyway, here's my thought. I could go for something like this:

http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Jeep/Cherokee/1999/13160.html?vehicleid=1999303279

Which is $150, not the end of the world.

OR I could go for something like this:

http://nates4x4.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=51

which is only slightly more money, but would give a bumper with recovery points and preserves departure angle. Now I'm not into serious wheeling but it does seem like a good idea to try to maintain the capabilities that a vehicle came with whenever possible.

My question is regarding the receiver on the Nate's bumper, or a similar product if someone wants to recommend it. I am ASSuming that the main reason for including the receiver in an off-road bumper is to provide a place to put a receiver mount winch, not a ball mount. I'd probably be more likely to use it for actual towing and/or a bike rack mount. Typically, would it still be rated at the usual 500 lbs. tongue weight/5000 lbs. trailer weight or is it not really "certified" for towing use? I'll definitely drop Nate's an email and see what they say but also figure I'd post here to see if a new bumper was an idea even worth pursuing. (and yes, I know it's probably not the best, but I saw a post recommending it as "good but inexpensive" and I'm really just looking at it as an alternative to adding a trailer hitch and keeping the stock bumper.)

I have both the aftermarket tube bumper shown in the link and frame mounted receiver, so that is another option. I suppose a guy could always get whatever drop hitch was needed to keep his trailer tongue low if his bumper/receiver was too high.....

http://rockratz.com/cherokeebumpers.html

well, I'm trying not to spend a whole lot of money on this heep... already sucked up too much. I definitely want a receiver for towing purposes. Since it appears that I will have to pay full price for it I'm not averse to paying slightly more for a bumper that incorporates the receiver to keep some ground clearance and also provide D-ring tabs... but if that is not an acceptable solution, I'll just buy a new receiver hitch and keep my stock rear bumper.

I posted a wanted ad here for a factory bumper and within a day I had something set up for 50 bucks. I bought the two nutstrips from Morris 4x4 since mine does not have the factory tow package. Plus 16 bucks in hardware. I think I spent 113.00 bucks done and mounted.

I must not be getting my point across somehow... I have a factory bumper installed right now. I would like to have a receiver for purposes of towing stuff. Question is, is an aftermarket bumper with the receiver welded into the bumper acceptable/strong enough for same? I would prefer that to using a trailer hitch, but only if it is safe to do so. Otherwise I'll just buy the trailer hitch and be done with it. I already have a gas tank skid so I shouldn't have to buy anything other than a bumper or a hitch, whichever way I choose to go.

i believe my bumper is strong enough for towing, and i would definitely do so. maybe not a 7500lb boat, but a small trailer, sure. i think the limitations would be the jeep itself, not the bumper, in my case. my bumper mounts to the trailer hitch mounting points anyways, and i'm pretty secure with my welding. i think using the bumper as a recovery point puts more stress on it than towing a 1000 or 2000lb trailer on pavement anyways

N8N_99xj said:

I have a factory bumper installed right now. I would like to have a receiver for purposes of towing stuff. Question is, is an aftermarket bumper with the receiver welded into the bumper acceptable/strong enough for same?

Click to expand...

It is hard to imagine what the point of having a receiver unsuitable for towing would be. What would the function of a receiver be that cannot be used to tow? If its OK to winch its certainly OK for towing.

Or are you posing a trick question?

landlfabrication makes great quality, low-price bumpers. As long as you run some sort of frame tie-in for the bumper it will be fine to tow/winch, etc. If you only have one mounted by the stock bumper brackets, then do NOT tow with it.

I'm just thinking liability. If something were to happen I'd probably be in better standing with my insurance company if the mfgr. of the bumper were willing to say that it was OK to tow with.

That, and I do remember using a step bumper on my dad's old Chevy truck to tow a car trailer with... it was stamped right in the bumper that it was rated for more than the weight I was pulling, but when I got to where I was going, it was about an inch lower than it was when I started :/ (there's beef, and then there's beef...)