Baja Man
Inland Empire, CA
Senior Member
Joined: 02/20/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
Miguel--
You may want to read this...Hitch Set up for Towing
I helped a friend set up his hitch for towing. He wanted the safest method possible. We talked about several different options, and in the end decided on Torklift, as pictured below...
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/V1wXSe3l.jpg)
2023 GMC, 3500HD, Crew Cab, 6.6L Gas/6 Speed Auto, 4X4, Standard Bed; SRW
2011 Outback 250RS - Anniversary Edition
Equal-i-zer 10K
|
mkirsch
Rochester, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 04/09/2004
View Profile
|
We've already gone down the torklift rabbit hole in the previous thread. OP doesn't want to spend the money, and really, probably doesn't need to for what they want to tow NOW. That is, pulling a 3500lb trailer with a 600lb tongue weight.
That's fine. If there was a RATED extension available for their 2" receiver, that's probably all they need. No such thing exists. No 2" extensions on the market are rated for more than 3500lbs, period.
Upgrading to a 2-1/2" receiver and getting the RATED extension is a good middle of the road solution.
OP doesn't trust their own engineering ability and wants to keep within ratings. There is nothing wrong with that. Throwing caution to the wind isn't for everyone.
Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.
|
Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
Senior Member
Joined: 05/06/2013
View Profile
 Offline
|
^Perfect advice. A 2.5” receiver will handle what he’s doing without even breaking a sweat, or a weld, lol. The good ones (idk what the Ford OE is, but Ram is 1800lbs iirc) will be rated for 3x + of his actual tongue weight. And a 2’ moment arm (hitch extension) would allow for 900lbs tongue weight (@1800lb hitch rating) and before exceeding the “rating.”
The next part is where folks who don’t understand (understandably) the basics of design factor of safety, some of which is completely necessary and some of which is to idiot proof and reduce financial liability of commonly overloaded or abused components, like trailer hitches, rims and tires, the stuff that in a catastrophic failure may make the evening news and a law firms principle’s desk, both in short order.
With a little knowledge gleaned either formally, in formally (like on this forum) or by experience, good or bad, one can be relatively assured that dipping a little into the “idiot proof” portion of the factor of safety isn’t a bad thing.
The same people who ask how to shift their automatic transmission on their new motorhome are the same type that generally aren’t good with going over the “rating” due to lack of knowledge and their perception that it’s “unsafe.” When in reality, them simply being behind the wheel of something they aren’t qualified to handle or even understand the basics is arguably a far greater personal liability.
It’s ok, ratings are there for a reason, but the aire of reasonableness seems lost on many.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold
|
Miguel951
San Diego
New Member
Joined: 08/03/2023
View Profile
Offline
|
mkirsch wrote:We've already gone down the torklift rabbit hole in the previous thread. OP doesn't want to spend the money, and really, probably doesn't need to for what they want to tow NOW. That is, pulling a 3500lb trailer with a 600lb tongue weight.
That's fine. If there was a RATED extension available for their 2" receiver, that's probably all they need. No such thing exists. No 2" extensions on the market are rated for more than 3500lbs, period.
Upgrading to a 2-1/2" receiver and getting the RATED extension is a good middle of the road solution.
OP doesn't trust their own engineering ability and wants to keep within ratings. There is nothing wrong with that. Throwing caution to the wind isn't for everyone.
Thank you! this is exactly what I feel is a happy middle-of-the-road solution.
|
Miguel951
San Diego
New Member
Joined: 08/03/2023
View Profile
Offline
|
Thank you all for the great advice.
I hear the ones saying that I can easily roll with the 2" hitch with either a custom-made extension or just the off-the-shelf extension. I appreciate that advice as well and will honestly consider it just as much as the 2.5" hitch w/ the 24-36" extension. Thank you for the help, the time and energy
|
|
|
WarrenS65
SoCal
Full Member
Joined: 05/18/2021
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Check out Patriot Hitches or Gen-Y Hitches.
Either will let you quickly adjust the height of your weight distribution hitch and add a bit of extension on for you.
2022 F450
2023 Host Everest
2021 Yamaha YXZ1000R
1987 Honda TRX250R
2002 Honda 400EX
2023 Yamaha Raptor 700SE
2018 Look 24' enclosed trailer
|
|
