Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[Dftodd]

My dear neighbor, old man Bob, hauled his 10k dump trailer for YEARS using a 2" ball. I didn't discover it until my other neighbor buddy borrowed it one day and I saw up close what he was doing. Neither of them noticed any issue at all, thought it was fine. I bought them both 10k rated 2-5/16" hitch insert balls the next day.

We had a huge pothole in front of the shop. I was leaving the yard with a 10,000lb piece of equipment.

One side of the equipment dropped into the pothole really cranking the hitch to the side.

The hitch popped off the ball.

The equipment would balance on the two axles. Well, when it came loose, the tongue dropped under the bumper and got hung up.

I bailed out of the truck, and had to grab the forklift from the shop and lift the back end of the truck up about two feet to free it from the equipment

 

[Too many Kubotas]

My dear neighbor, old man Bob, hauled his 10k dump trailer for YEARS using a 2" ball. I didn't discover it until my other neighbor buddy borrowed it one day and I saw up close what he was doing. Neither of them noticed any issue at all, thought it was fine. I bought them both 10k rated 2-5/16" hitch insert balls the next day.

Unrelated, but there are 2-inch balls rated at 10K. Had to search for a while after buying a little 10' Thule 3-way dump trailer that came with a 2" coupler and needed more than a typical 2" ball.

Eventually got really tired of hooking up that special (and swiveling) coupler, lopped it off and welded on a tow ring.

 

[BigBlue1]

Unrelated, but there are 2-inch balls rated at 10K. Had to search for a while after buying a little 10' Thule 3-way dump trailer that came with a 2" coupler and needed more than a typical 2" ball.

Eventually got really tired of hooking up that special (and swiveling) coupler, lopped it off and welded on a tow ring.

I think he's implying that the neighbor managed to get away with using a 2 5/16" coupler on a 2" ball.

 

[BigBlue1]

My dear neighbor, old man Bob, hauled his 10k dump trailer for YEARS using a 2" ball. I didn't discover it until my other neighbor buddy borrowed it one day and I saw up close what he was doing. Neither of them noticed any issue at all, thought it was fine. I bought them both 10k rated 2-5/16" hitch insert balls the next day.

As long as there is good tongue weight, a smooth road and a bit of luck they can get away with hooking that 2 5/16" coupler to a 2" ball. When you lose any of those then things get messy.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I think he's implying that the neighbor managed to get away with using a 2 5/16" coupler on a 2" ball.

Which is why I wrote "Unrelated".

 

[WinterDeere]

My dear neighbor, old man Bob, hauled his 10k dump trailer for YEARS using a 2" ball. I didn't discover it until my other neighbor buddy borrowed it one day and I saw up close what he was doing. Neither of them noticed any issue at all, thought it was fine. I bought them both 10k rated 2-5/16" hitch insert balls the next day.

Not as bad, but I realized after several years that the drop hitch I was using between my truck and 7000 lb. trailer was rated only 6000 lb (or was it 5000 lb.?). I had bought that hitch years earlier for a much lighter trailer, and re-purposed it for the new trailer, never taking the time to read the little "max load" numbers stamped on it. It was all 2" receiver stuff, but I've since replaced it to correct that oversight.

 

[cmyoung2]

I use a tri ball, solid shank that has 1 7/8"(never used) 2" and 2 5/16".. I have 2 trailers that use the 2", a bigger 16' that uses 2 5/16" and all the trailers at the farm use the larger size. I painted the 2" side with orange paint, 2 5/16" with green paint so I can tell at a glance or in my backup camera if I have the correct ball size. Before the paint, I have been know to forget to rotate the balls---I do love safety chains.

 

[WinterDeere]

I use a tri ball, solid shank that has 1 7/8"(never used) 2" and 2 5/16"...

Those things look wonderfully convenient for the rare person who's truck and trailer are near the same height. I've never been that lucky, and run drops of 4" to 6" between my current truck and various trailers.

 

[square1]

Those things look wonderfully convenient for the rare person who's truck and trailer are near the same height. I've never been that lucky, and run drops of 4" to 6" between my current truck and various trailers.

Between 2 tow vehicles & 3 trailers it takes 3 stingers to keep everything level. The 2 15/16" ball in the 3" drop is swapped 180 degrees at times depending on which vehicle is hooked to the cargo trailer. I really should buy a 2nd set up for that trailer. Far to often I find myself trying to hook up a trailer - vehicle combo with the needed stinger in the "other vehicle" or no wrench to swap the ball to the other side

 

[Oaktree]

My log splitter has a 1 7/8",

Mine too. Only place I ever use it is on my own property so I just put a 1 7/8 ball on the ATV. Don't use the ATV to tow anything else so it all works out.