Trailer Hitch Conspiracy

   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy #1  
Ductape

Ductape

Elite Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
4,805
Location
Central New Hampshire
Tractor
Kubota B3030HSDC
OK... what gives??? I volunteer to pick up one of those rental boom-lift (snorkel-lift) contraptions from the home improvement store for my sister, since her Volvo wagon wouldn't cut it. They are adamant that you must have a minimum 1/2 ton with a trailer hitch with all components rated for a 6000 lb minimum. No problem.... i've got an F-350. My trailers both use 2 5/16th balls, the lift uses 2". No problem, right? I go to Wal*Mart... pick up a 6000lb ball.... no problem. Ball mount??? EVERY one they sell rated for only 5000lbs.?? Lowes..... 5000lbs !! The tractor dealer (who sells alot of landscaping trailers/ deckovers).... 5000lbs. NAPA store... 5000lbs. TSC... 5000lbs. H D .... 5000lbs. What gives???? Is there not a mass produced ball mount rated over 5000? OK... i know i can find one on the internet, but i needed it today, as the rental lift was supposed to be available today. I scoured four towns and easily a dozen places that sold trailer hitches. Is this the same as the "eight hot dogs per package but six buns per package" deal the grocery stores use?? Why do they bother stocking a 6000lb ball???
 
   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy #2  
I bought mine at TSC.

It's been my experience that Once you break the 5000# mark, the shank of the ball mount ups to 1 1/4" (although I have seen the 6000# balls mike you mentioned in 1" shank). My 2 5/16 ball & the mount are 1 1/4" shank & rated for 10,000#. It was pricey at around $50.00 for the pair, but it won't be failing on me anytime soon. I have pushed them both to about 13,000# so far with a load of pine & hemock logs.

The mount is usually solid 2" steel. Mine happens to be hollow, but has a second piece of smaller square stock welded in the middle. The flat section where the ball mounts to is also wider.

Just a guess, but I would suspect most weight distribution mounts would be rated for 10,000# too, although I have never used one.
 
   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Yes.... TSC had one rated (i think) for ten thousand pounds, with an inch and a quarter hole. TSC also had but ONE ball to fit ......... 2 5/16ths ! It didn't help me.
 
   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy #4  
Yes, you have to jump up to pricier mount to get the rating you need. For my 14k flat trailer I have to use a 6" rise mount rated at 10k and have a 2" 10k rated ball with 1 1/4" shank. The mount shank is solid steel and with the 6" rise it has a heavy gusset welded to it too. It's a Hidden Hitch brand mount and I have about $75 in the mount and ball. I never load this trailer over 10k even though it's got 14k axles. For my 12k dump trailer I use a straight mount - Draw Tite solid steel shank rated for 10k with a 2 5/16" ball with 1 1/4" shank. This trailer I have run as high as 13,200 lbs. several times with no worries. I have about $70 in this mount & ball.
 
   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy #5  
   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy #6  
Try finding a drawbar rated for 14K:cool: I have a dump trailer rated at 14k and had a very hard time finding a drawbar and ball rated that high. The one I finally found is a solid completly forged unit made by Chicago Hitch rated at 15k and it cost me dearly. I've been unable to find another when I've recommended it to others.
Here is the deal- liability
So suppose one deems a 10K drawbar adequate for their minimal use of their 14K trailer.
So one day it breaks and the trailer kills someone. Unlikely but could happen.
The family sues you.
Think ANY civil court is gonna let you off light?
So Mr. Trailer Tower you knew you had a hitch rated at less than the load and used it anyway, on a public highway. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury you should award Mr. Victims survivors millions!
It doesn't matter that his insurance is only good for half a million, he has a farm and a house and vehicles and investments.
Scary huh? :eek:

Thats why I go to the trouble to make sure ALL my stuff is up to spec......I'm not saying this is right, just the way the world is today.

BTW Ductape- they have sleeves to put the smaller shank ball in the larger hole- TSC should carry them too...
So what happened? Did you get the trailer?
 
   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy
  • Thread Starter
#7  
No rental lift yet. The Depot had seven people in line for it, and when my sister couldn't get there within a half hour of when it was dropped off by the last renter, they gave to the next in line. Maybe we'll get the next one today.

I ended up with a ball mount from a small pickup cap dealer, that looked like it had been sitting in his showroom for many years. Its rated at 12,000 pounds. Had to buy the shank sleeve @ NAPA..... and used my ball from Wal*Mart. TSC only has the sleeves to go from a 3/4 to 1" shank.

This is the hitch i think i'll end up with. It has so many features i like. Locks in place, corrosion resistant (which us guys in the salt belt like), anti rattle, relatively light, etc. Its much cheaper on ebay though.

http://www.amazon.com/Diversi-tech-Adjustable-Aluminum-Hitch-Diversitech/dp/B000P9H04A
 
   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Skyco,
Is your reciever a 2 1/2 inch ? Last fall i was looking at heavier hitches (the hitch that was on my truck when i bought it is a Valley 7500 [10,000 WD]) because i was looking at deckover trailers. The few i found that were above 10,000 (12,000 WD) jumped up to 2.5. I think they were in the $3-400 range.
 
   / Trailer Hitch Conspiracy #10  
Ductape said:
Skyco,
Is your reciever a 2 1/2 inch ? Last fall i was looking at heavier hitches (the hitch that was on my truck when i bought it is a Valley 7500 [10,000 WD]) because i was looking at deckover trailers. The few i found that were above 10,000 (12,000 WD) jumped up to 2.5. I think they were in the $3-400 range.
Click to expand...

Yup- it is a Reese Titan V, probably had it 10 years now on my 96 F350. Don't recall exactly but I remember it was much more expensive than the regular duty receiver it replaced....
 
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