I am about to make a move from green bay wi to Naples Fl in my 1989 f150. I will be towing a 8x14 enclosed trailer with my motorcycle and furniture in it. It will weigh about 4500 lbs. My question is can the bumper hitch handle this? To me it looks built just as strong as a tow hitch, and conected to the same place and with same size bolts... But any advice out there?

 

No, get a hitch. The max bumper capacity is around 2000 pounds.

 

Do you have pics of your rear bumper? Is it an aftermarket one?

 

there are numerous people here to have ripped bumpers off. Just get a hitch

 

Wow, thanks for the input! I would have tried to use the bumper had you not told me that... Good thing I asked. Got to love this forum

 

And if its the stock bumper its not bolted to the same place as the hitch would be

 

This ^^ Also most times the bumper is too high anyways. For proper weight distribution the tongue of the trailer should sit level or close to it especially when you start getting into the higher weight loads. Too high of hitch can cause some nasty trailer sway.

 

Thanks again.. even more good towing insight.. I will be puting one on tmrw

 

Agreed! And if anything make sure the front of your trailer has a little more weight than the rear. I have seen some nasty fishtailing of trailers because people didn't load properly. One of the worst I personally saw was a slid loader some guy loaded too far back on his trailer...I backed off from him as did everyone else...don't know how he even kept out on the road, that trailer was all over the place wicked. How something didn't break is beyond me...or pull his truck off the road.