MC-9 towing

[hogi6123]

If I have a hitch built for my MC-9, will it safely handle towing a large 15000 lb box trailer?  (8v-92t and ht740)

I don't see any real rust on the frame in the back.

I have concerns about the weight breaking the frame of the bus.  I'm leaning towards selling the bus and buying a large truck so I can tow the trailer.

[buswarrior]

Fwiw, the rear of an MC9 wasn't intended for dragging a big trailer.

Lots have boldly gone ahead and done it, few of them seem to be around to brag about it, as the years go by...

Yes, a truck chassis would be a better choice for longevity at 15k...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[plyonsMC9]

Agree with buswarriorr,

If I remember correctly the mc9 has an engine cradle you’d mount the hitch to, and the tongue weights it supports are amazingly small. Rolling weight is a little better.  Sorry no exact numbers, it’s been a while since I looked into it for ours.  I think I’ve seen the numbers posted before. 

Hope this helps, Phil

[hogi6123]

Thanks, that's helpful.  I didn't know MCI might have actually published tow ratings.

There are devices that have wheels to take the tongue weight but I don't have any experience with those and not sure I want to try them.

[buswarrior]

Trailertoad.com

Those that have them, say good things about them.

Fwiw, there have been no mentions of disaster on the bus boards, and you can be sure someone would put a link, if there was.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[luvrbus]

Stop by my shop in AZ we are repairing  a 9 and a C  the engine rails have seen better days

[lvmci]

Here's what Clifford, Mike and I discovered after taking the engine out, almost all of my C3 8V92 angle truss tubes, had broken bottom welds and two of the square vertical tubes had broken welds, on the truss support for the engine sled motor mount, lvmci...

[hogi6123]

It's hard to see in those pictures.  What caused that, towing, or just driving?  How much weight and how much tongue weight?

[luvrbus]

It's a weak point on MCI  trailing or  not you see weird stuff welded to the rails for support towing a trailer .
MCI  offered a hitch for a short period  with 250# tongue weight

[buswarrior]

Mci engine rails have been hit or miss over the decades.

Some are as sound as the day they left th factory, some are coroded out.

Some combination of operating environment, road conditions, de-icing, workmanship in assembly, horsepower... none of the paid converters of multiple used MC8 could decide, it was too random, what came in the door.

Important inspection point, and repair attempts have to be looked at with a sharp eye, lots of trashy repairs made to them too...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[Jim Blackwood]

Sounds like the cradle should be reinforced for towing. Shouldn't be that hard. On my DL I remember a couple of side plates that were the first to hit the pavement. Been awhile since I looked at it but I would think you could add a diagonal below the cradle using those plates as the lower limit (and a handy attachment point) and going back underneath to a suitable low point on the frame maybe? I'll take a look when I get the chance, maybe I can make some good suggestions.

Jim

[hogi6123]

I'm not sure it's that easy, because all pieces of the entire frame work together,  including the verticals and diagonals and doubled rails along the corners of the roof.  The engine cradle is basically hanging from this structure.  The engine cradle is beefed up a lot more than the rest of the frame.  If the engine cradle needs to be enforced, I would think a lot of the rest of the frame may need it as well.

[buswarrior]

MC9 is very different from a DL in the engine cradle execution.

They started to learn... DL is much beefier in the verticals.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[lvmci]

Yep the D's are all verticle square tubes, Cs are alternating angle round tubes with verticle squares...

[chessie4905]

say your tongue weight is, say 1000lbs. What does that increase to going through a short severe dip or pavement drop of say 2 inches?