In the process of installing a trailer hitch on my 2008 Grand Caravan I managed to mess up one of the bolts that fastens the hitch to the frame. I tried looking for the same size bolt in local hardware stores and even specialty fastener stores, but none had the exact size and metal grade. One store said they could special order it for me but they could not order only one.

I called around to multiple junkyards in my area and none has a Caravan or Town and Country newer than 2001. Does anyone know if the 3rd or 4th generation Caravans have the trailer hitch bolts on the bottom on vehicles without the towing package?

It just occurred to me as I was typing this that the hitch I bought only uses 2 of the 3 bolts on the right side - the one closest to the rear right wheel is unused. Maybe I could take the unused bolt from the right side and use it in place of the messed up bolt. Do these six bolts serve any other purpose other than to fasten a trailer hitch to the frame, i.e., could I run with only 5 of these bolts without compromising the vehicle's structural integrity?

The bolt is grade 10.9, M12-1.75 x 2 inches.

 

i believe the bolts are from the bumper. the hitch does not come with them. You need to remove the ones on the vehicle in specific locations and then re install. Make sure you have a torque wrench to set them to the correct new torques the instructions say to do.
if bolt is just issue dealer can order or have them.

 

That's what I'm trying to figure out - if the bolts attach the bumper bar (or something else unseen) to the frame or if they only hold the hitch to the frame. If their sole purpose is to hold the hitch I'll run with only 5 of them.

I'm definitely going to properly torque the bolts before attempting to tow with it.

 

No you need all your bolts required to remove and re install as per the instructions. you going to loose intergraty if you don't. please follow the instructions or have someone professional install. look up on youtube or trailer hitch many videos.

 

I'm going to take a step back here so we are on the same page. There are 6 bolts for a trailer hitch on the underside of the van that were installed at the factory. On the hitch that I bought, the part of the hitch that contacts the right side frame rail is shorter than the part that contacts the left side frame rail because there are A/C lines on the right side that would be crushed under the hitch if both sides were the same length. The left side has 3 bolt holes but the right side only has 2, hence why I only need 5. That's why I say I have a spare bolt on the right side, but I don't know if I'd be compromising structural integrity somewhere else if I removed it to replace the bolt I messed up.

I also want to know if older (pre-2008) Caravans have these bolts pre-installed on the bottom so that I can find one at a junkyard before trying the dealership (since as I said before none of the junkyards near me have a Caravan/T&C newer than 2004). I really hate to go to the dealership for one bolt.

For what it's worth I bought the hitch from U-Haul. The hitch they sell for the 2008+ GC/T&C/Routan is made by Cequent, which makes hitches sold under several name brands like Reese and Hidden Hitch.

 

look at the video. would help which model hitch you got? I got myself one hitchcity here that had I believe 6 holes. one side I believe had a big notch because it had to clear the ac lines.

 

I've gone ahead and ordered the bolt from the dealership. They will get it in tomorrow. It cost US$4.28+tax. I'm pretty sure the effort I spent trying to find it for less than that was worth more than $4.28. Once I confirm it's the correct one I'll post the part number here. Thanks.

 

I forgot to meantion that I believe there where 2 or the 4 that was a bit bigger I believe and had to be torqued to a different torque. what I meant about model of the hitch you have. who makes it?






QUOTE=kuyabribri;3169091]I've gone ahead and ordered the bolt from the dealership. They will get it in tomorrow. It cost US$4.28+tax. I'm pretty sure the effort I spent trying to find it for less than that was worth more than $4.28. Once I confirm it's the correct one I'll post the part number here. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

 

Thats awesome.
Its just a bolt.
What size is it?
Like a 3/8"x 2" grade 8?

 

It's made by Cequent which is the parent company of several major name brands including Hidden Hitch and Reese. This one has a U-Haul sticker on it. I have the torque specs in the instructions, which I don't have handy at the moment but I do remember the 12mm bolts were around 92 ft lb and the smaller bolts were around 55 ft lb.

It's M12-1.75 x 2", grade 10.9. No specialty fastener retailer in my area carries this size and grade. Like I said, if I had to put a price tag on the effort I spent trying to find this bolt from sources other than the dealership it would be more than $4.28.