Are 5 Bolts Enough to Safely Install Curt Trailer Hitch 13364 on a 2014 Chrysler Town and Country

Question:

what was the reasoning for not using 6 bolts on chrysler town and country curt 13364 trailer hitch,the unitbody on these vehicles is not a heavy guage metal and you need all the anchor points you can get on this type vehicle with a 350 or 400lbs tounge weight right side only has 1-10mmbolt and 1-12mmholding it on.where is that resonable???

asked by: Gene H

Expert Reply:

Apparently, on the 2014 Chrysler Town and Country, on the passenger side frame rail there is a bolt that is holding on the bumper and it should not or cannot be removed. Otherwise there would likely be 6 bolts instead of 5 holding on Curt trailer hitch # 13364.

The sheer strength of the bolts, even though there are just 5 of them, is more than enough to handle the horizontal pulling force of towing a trailer. The clamp strength of all of the bolts is more than enough for the tongue weight capacity of the hitch.

A 10mm bolt with 24 threads per inch has a clamp force of 1,116 pound-force (lbf). The figure drops when less threads are used but you can see that the 5 bolts holding on the hitch can do the job up to what the hitch is rated for.

expert reply by: Michael H