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BradW's avatar
BradW
Explorer II
Sep 08, 2016

Ball Hitch vs Reciever Hitch Blue Ox Tow Bars

Probably been discussed many times, but I can't find a thread.

I will be flat towing a mostly stock 2015 Rubicon behind a truck camper with a 24" hitch extension. There seems to be two basic ways the tow bar attaches to the tow vehicle, either with a 2" ball mount or directly into the receiver hitch.

I'm leaning towards the ball mount type because we will also be towing a boat once we get to where we are going. I just wondered if there was a good reason to get the receiver type.

Thanks for any help,
Brad

9 Replies

  • BradW's avatar
    BradW
    Explorer II
    Sep 09, 2016
    j-d wrote:
    We had a boat trailer that all of a sudden dropped off the hitch. Or so I thought.


    I had a buddy who bought a classic T-bird in Atlanta and was pulling it back with a tow bar. Somewhere near Rome, Ga he was passed going down a grade by T-bird exactly like the one he thought he was still towing. :)
  • mowermech's avatar
    mowermech
    Explorer
    Sep 09, 2016
    I have always used a ball hitch towbar.
    In fact, for many years I used one of the dreaded fixed arm adjustable width towbars ($165 at Walmart) on several different Jeeps.
    But it was only rated for 5000 lbs., so when I wanted to tow a Dodge 1500 I bought a Roadmaster Stowmaster 6000 lb. capacity telescoping arm towbar. IMO, the only thing it has going for it over the old towbar is increased capacity. Other than that, I am not greatly impressed.
    Now that I have a diesel, I need a 10K towbar (I haven't seen any 8K units).
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    Sep 08, 2016
    BradW wrote:

    I graduated first in my class from the University of Hard Knocks and Paranoia.

    No, I I I was First. Must've been a different Year. In my case, probably different Decade, different Century.

    We had a boat trailer that all of a sudden dropped off the hitch. Or so I thought. Looking at it, the part that clipped to the Ball was still on the ball, all locked down. The rest of the coupler looked like it was sawed off clean, by a professional machinist, right where trailer tongue ended and the hitch extended to the ball by itself. I'd learned to not clap the brakes on. We rolled to a stop and once I saw what happened, we chained the trailer up for the last few miles and got home that way.

    But the example I gave you, for a Drop bar, came from right here on RV.net, and was from towing a vehicle.
    BradW
  • BradW's avatar
    BradW
    Explorer II
    Sep 08, 2016
    j-d wrote:
    But PLEASE!!! If you go Ball Mount with a Drop/Lift, be sure it's a reinforced one. One with a diagonal brace from ball mount to the 2" square tubing.


    I graduated first in my class from the University of Hard Knocks and Paranoia; I understand exactly where you are coming from. Can't have too much bracing and weld penetration. :) :)

    BradW
  • BradW's avatar
    BradW
    Explorer II
    Sep 08, 2016
    carringb wrote:
    Ball mount may be easier to level.


    Good info; I had not thought about that.

    Thanks,
    Brad
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    Sep 08, 2016
    carringb wrote:
    Ball mount may be easier to level.


    Less expensive, too. There are a lot of Drop/Lift draw bars for ball hitches, and the ones for receivers are $Large.

    But PLEASE!!! If you go Ball Mount with a Drop/Lift, be sure it's a reinforced one. One with a diagonal brace from ball mount to the 2" square tubing. The ones here the ball mount is just welded to the butt end of the square tubing can fatigue at that joint. Failure looks thing was cut off with a precision saw or a CNC plasma cutter.
  • carringb's avatar
    carringb
    Explorer
    Sep 08, 2016
    Ball mount may be easier to level. The tow bar itself only has about 2" + or- from flat. That said... Blue Ox does sell a nifty double receiver adapter, 2" drop one side. 4" drop the other. Works well for me because I can put the bike rack on the top one, lower one puts the ball low enough for my tow dolly.
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    Sep 08, 2016
    We started out with Vehicle-Mounted and 2" ball on the Coach. I wanted the flexibility to use the towbar with towing vehicles that did not have a 2" receiver. None did. So once at camp, take the whole bar off the towed, clear the seating in one side of the dinette, lug all the pieces into the coach. Our outside compartments would not fit the tow bar. PITA PITA PITA

    We finally went coach-mounted and I really like it. Gotta say, it is NOT as quick to connect as the folding bar with 2" coupler, but well worth it to me.

    A Jeep...? Many of us like the utility look that a Jeep has with the tow bar left in place. On a car or even our pickup with plastic front bumper, no. I want it off.

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