Did my ecohitch bend my frame?

[ropero]

Hello!

I have a 2016 S90D (refresh). I had an Ecohitch Stealth installed a couple of years ago and was using it with a Thule 4-bike hanging rack (see first pic below). Recently, I had to use a Kuat NV 2.0 that I had from our other car on the hitch, and I thought that its weight (91 lbs for the 4-pack), plus the 4 bikes (2 adult, two kid), would come in well under the 300 lb limit, so I went for it. I noticed quite a bit of flex, but I thought that was just from my hitch tightener not being able to be tightened farther, or from the rack itself.

But now, looking at the hitch, I swear the angle of it is pointing toward the ground, whereas I thought it was parallel to the ground previously. When I step on it it doesn't flex at all, and I'm pretty sure the Ecohitch itself didn't bend, which has me wondering -- could I have bent the part of the frame that the ecohitch was mounted to? Is that a disaster? Am I losing my mind?

Thanks for any comments/advice.


Here's the car shortly after the ecohitch was installed, and the rack I used (but don't love b/c of the way you have to tetris the bikes together):

And here it is recently, after I put the Kuat rack on it and towed some bikes a ways:

 

[ohmman]

Your hitch was overloaded. The 300 pound weight limit is for tongue weight:

This Tesla Model S tow hitch is rated at 300 pounds tongue weight at the trailer ball

.

The farther you go out from where the trailer ball will be, the lower the weight limit because of cantilever torque. You put the sum of the Thule and bike weights relatively far behind where the trailer ball would have been, which is why you bent your hitch.

I find it very unlikely that you bent your "frame", partly because your Model S is a unibody/skateboard hybrid and partly because the bolt on supports for the hitch are probably more secure than the weakest part of the hitch receiver frame.

This is a common error - people don't think about loads at a distance - so don't feel badly. We've seen it with those "cargo carriers" as well.

 

[NewbyMaybe]

The studs in frame may have given some from the stress of the bouncing. Loosen the nuts, lift the hitch a little and retourque.

 

[jeremymc7]

Photos aren't visible and link not clickable.

At least for me.

 

[gakarl]

Can't see photos either, been thinking about installing a hitch myself.

 

[glide]

Hello!

I have a 2016 S90D (refresh). I had an Ecohitch Stealth installed a couple of years ago and was using it with a Thule 4-bike hanging rack (see first pic below). Recently, I had to use a Kuat NV 2.0 that I had from our other car on the hitch, and I thought that its weight (91 lbs for the 4-pack), plus the 4 bikes (2 adult, two kid), would come in well under the 300 lb limit, so I went for it. I noticed quite a bit of flex, but I thought that was just from my hitch tightener not being able to be tightened farther, or from the rack itself.

But now, looking at the hitch, I swear the angle of it is pointing toward the ground, whereas I thought it was parallel to the ground previously. When I step on it it doesn't flex at all, and I'm pretty sure the Ecohitch itself didn't bend, which has me wondering -- could I have bent the part of the frame that the ecohitch was mounted to? Is that a disaster? Am I losing my mind?

Thanks for any comments/advice.


Here's the car shortly after the ecohitch was installed, and the rack I used (but don't love b/c of the way you have to tetris the bikes together):

And here it is recently, after I put the Kuat rack on it and towed some bikes a ways:

Hello!

I have a 2016 S90D (refresh). I had an Ecohitch Stealth installed a couple of years ago and was using it with a Thule 4-bike hanging rack (see first pic below). Recently, I had to use a Kuat NV 2.0 that I had from our other car on the hitch, and I thought that its weight (91 lbs for the 4-pack), plus the 4 bikes (2 adult, two kid), would come in well under the 300 lb limit, so I went for it. I noticed quite a bit of flex, but I thought that was just from my hitch tightener not being able to be tightened farther, or from the rack itself.

But now, looking at the hitch, I swear the angle of it is pointing toward the ground, whereas I thought it was parallel to the ground previously. When I step on it it doesn't flex at all, and I'm pretty sure the Ecohitch itself didn't bend, which has me wondering -- could I have bent the part of the frame that the ecohitch was mounted to? Is that a disaster? Am I losing my mind?

Thanks for any comments/advice.


Here's the car shortly after the ecohitch was installed, and the rack I used (but don't love b/c of the way you have to tetris the bikes together):

And here it is recently, after I put the Kuat rack on it and towed some bikes a ways:

Well you were way over the roughly 120lbs of allowable vertical weight on the hitch. So yeah…not good.

 

[Pcm888usa]

Photos aren't visible and link not clickable.

At least for me.

Same here.

 

[roblab]

When I had an ecohitch on a previous Tesla, I only used it to haul a trailer, with a tongue load of only about a hundred pounds. Small aluminum trailer. It is way too easy to overload a hitch, and with your lever affect on the hitch, it's not surprising it is drooping. I could load my three wheel recumbent and my wife's bike in it, and it was never hard on the car.

 

[gakarl]

Interesting wonder if other people notice this issue be good to know. I’m wanting to put one on my p85+ for my two bikes and kuat rack.

 

[ropero]

Sorry all and thanks already to responders. Here's an attempt to re-attach photos.

Pic from when I originally had the ecohitch installed:

And pics from just now, post-heavy rack usage:

 

[ropero]

Your hitch was overloaded. The 300 pound weight limit is for tongue weight:

.

The farther you go out from where the trailer ball will be, the lower the weight limit because of cantilever torque. You put the sum of the Thule and bike weights relatively far behind where the trailer ball would have been, which is why you bent your hitch.

I find it very unlikely that you bent your "frame", partly because your Model S is a unibody/skateboard hybrid and partly because the bolt on supports for the hitch are probably more secure than the weakest part of the hitch receiver frame.

This is a common error - people don't think about loads at a distance - so don't feel badly. We've seen it with those "cargo carriers" as well.

Well you were way over the roughly 120lbs of allowable vertical weight on the hitch. So yeah…not good.

Definitely -- but how did you arrive at 120lbs?

 

[jeremymc7]

Can we get a dead center photo from right behind as well as you me underneath, as possible.

 

[ropero]

The studs in frame may have given some from the stress of the bouncing. Loosen the nuts, lift the hitch a little and retourque.

That's interesting -- I can't imagine the eco-hitch horizontal column twisting, that thing seems super sturdy. I will try to get a look at the frame studs and post back.

 

[ropero]

Can we get a dead center photo from right behind as well as you me underneath, as possible.

Attached 3 images.
1) bottom up view from ground looking into hitch receive (it's a "stealth" ecohitch so the hitch itself is removable, which I've done here).
2) looking directly at bumper, with "stealth" cover on. used to be flush, definitely protruding now
3) same view as 2), but with stealth cover removed and vertical hitch receiver visible.

 

[glide]

Definitely -- but how did you arrive at 120lbs?

Eco hitch doesn’t provide vertical weight for their hitches.

Tesla is between 120-150 for the MX/MY. That’s why I’m using it as a ballpark.

 

[glide]

Attached 3 images.
1) bottom up view from ground looking into hitch receive (it's a "stealth" ecohitch so the hitch itself is removable, which I've done here).
2) looking directly at bumper, with "stealth" cover on. used to be flush, definitely protruding now
3) same view as 2), but with stealth cover removed and vertical hitch receiver visible.

That hitch is compromised. I wouldn’t continue using it.

 

[ropero]

That hitch is compromised. I wouldn’t continue using it.

Agreed. But what do I do now - go to the hitch place that installed it (Rack Attack in PDX)? Try to self-assess (don't I have to take the bumper off to get the bottom panels off)? Go to a body-shop and get an eval?

 

[ohmman]

Definitely -- but how did you arrive at 120lbs?

You can also estimate (very roughly) torque forces by doing the math. Measure how far out from the attachment point the ball hitch would be. Say that's 8". So the torque force for a maximum tongue weight of 300 lbs at that distance would be (300 lb * 8 in) 2400 lb-in of force. If you were to extend the weight out an additional 8", you'd have to take your 2400 lb-in, divide by 16", and you'd get half of the value - 150 lbs, etc. From the looks of your setup, your center of gravity was out at least 3x as far as the ball hitch would be, so it would be something like 100 lbs max.

Note that this isn't terribly accurate because a cantilevered, unsupported weight has different dynamics than the tongue of a trailer which is stabilized by the trailer wheels on the ground. The trailer ball also provides a way for the trailer to avoid putting torque stresses on the hitch because it relieves the bouncing forces in all directions. So really it's reduced by even more than the math above would imply.

 

[gakarl]

That’s a lot of bikes hanging off that bike rack. And that weight hangs off a ways behind the car. Imaging hitting a couple hard spread bumps or dips in the road and that weight pulling down on that hitch. I’d talk to eco hitch send them pics and talk to the dealer that installed it. They should replace for free if within weight.

 

[glide]

Agreed. But what do I do now - go to the hitch place that installed it (Rack Attack in PDX)? Try to self-assess (don't I have to take the bumper off to get the bottom panels off)? Go to a body-shop and get an eval?

That’s up to you and depends what you want to do with it from here. Replace it? Just stop using it?

If A: do it yourself or take to a shop. If B: do nothing.

Since it’s an eco hitch you probably still have your factory crash bar installed. So at least you won’t have to replace that too.