My truck is a 2004 F150 super cab, FX4, 5.4L, 3.73 gears, factory tow package. I tow a Keystone Passport 3220BH, tongue weight is usually 950-1000lb and total weight is pushing 7500lbs when loaded for a normal weekend. I use the Reese dual cam WD hitch with 1000 lb bars.

This past weekend I was hooking up to the camper for a long weekend of camping, when I happen to notice that the tube (that the ball mount sides into) had 3.5" rip in it on both sides. It has to have been caused by the WD hitch since I was ripped from the front to the back. I had a friend, who happens to be a certified welder, run a couple beads for me quick so we could go camping. Tomorrow he is going to put a reinforcing band, like on the end of the receiver, onto the front to beef it up. He said that he has never seen a hitch rip like mine, and wonders if it could have had a flaw in hitch from the factory, especially when looking at the picture you can seem rust on the some of the ripped metal in the center of the rip. But there is also couple areas that look like they are "fresh" tears with no rust whatsoever on them, like on the front edge of the tube (left side of picture). Which is making me think that there was possibly a problem with the hitch since the day is was brand new.

Has anyone else seen or heard of anything like this with the 2004-2008 F150 hitch?

 

Replace the hitch with a quality aftermarket. Those welds look like crap, total lack of fusion, and poor results (as you're noticing).

 

Never seen one open up like that, but sounds like a good fix there.