Front Mounted Trailer Hitch Compatibility on 1985 Dodge B350 Van

Question:

Hello, While we have a rear hitch already, we are planning on putting a cargo carrier in the front of the van. We saw the Ultra-Fab, the Curt, Stromberg Carlson, or Swagman Bumper hitches. It would go to the original front bumper. We are looking in manuals as well as the internet to find any weight limitation on said front bumper but can´t find any, though we won´t load more than maybe 150-ish pounds on the cargo carrier. It seems like a lot of people were having issues with broken bolts on the Ultra-Fab, and bad welding on the items. Any recommendation and information? Thank you in advance.

asked by: Alfredo

Helpful Expert Reply:

There is not a custom fit trailer hitch for the front of your 1985 Dodge B350 Van. There is also not a hitch that can be mounted to a vehicle bumper safely as they are not rated for load weight.

The RV bumpers are sometimes rated for weight so there are the receivers you mentioned, but they are restricted with the tongue weight and are definitely not a fit for your van. When used on the application intended they work well and have warranties for any issues.

My recommendation is to have something custom made for your vehicle by a custom welder or to use a more universal fit like the Curt Adjustable Trailer Hitch Receiver - 18"-51" Wide - 2" Drop - Class III - 2" # C13701 which requires drilling or welding to the vehicle frame (not the bumper) for the custom mount.

You can use a cargo carrier on a front mounted hitch so I've linked the page to all your options. You will want to make sure when using a front mounted carrier that your cargo doesn't greatly reduce the cooling of your engine by blocking the grille too much.

expert reply by: Jason S