How did I do this? - Bent Ball Mount

Like already stated a few times... Harbor Freight is GREAT for some items.... disposable gloves, tape, open end wrench for an odd job, misc hand/non power tools tools..

I would NOT buy anything from them that was directly related to the safety or well being of my family , or anybody elses family...

want a tarp, great run over to HF.... Want a hitch, buy from someone else..

and YES - you DO get what YOU pay for

Just MY opinion

It appears that you are using 2 sway bars. My guess is you backed up without releasing the tension of the sway bars. You need to release the tension always when backing up. You also do not need two sway bars. one sway bar puts tension on the other. Add some cheap Chinese steel and you have your answer. FYI Curt is Chinese junk if that is what that is.

Bet it had something to do with the dual little balls on the side and getting the trailer in a jack-knife situation and those dumb friction sway bar things that folks think do anything just bent the hell out of it... ha, ha...

Yeah, yeah... Everyone needs "sway control".... Been towing stuff with the same EAZ-Lift hitch and bar setup for almost 20 years on 2 different trailers and have yet to need to add that little ball thing...

I do like the grease zerks on the sides where the bars would slide into.. Wish mine had those... I just grease my bars manually, so it still works.. :)



Mitch

I did ask him to remove the ball. It was wiggling when I saw it but he did not have the tools to remove it at the time. Certainly something odd going on there.

This is all great discussion. I honestly did not expect such helpful treatment. I look forward to passing this along and encouraging my friend (I wonder if you guys think "my friend" is actually me. :)) to join the discussion.

Here are the stats. He is already doing some more thinking himself.

As already stated: https://www.harborfreight.com/10000-lb-capacity-weight-distributing-hitch-system-67649.html

Make and model?

https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2014-shasta-flyte-travel-trailer-floorplan-315ok-tr19997

2014 Shasta 315 - the above link says 5,800 lbs. dry, but our sticker says 6,400.

He measured 1000 pounds tongue weight nearly empty and expects his loaded tongue to be more like 1100. (overloaded)

I'll have to think through the scenarios you all have proposed and ask him about his friction sway set-up.

Thanks.

The sway bar was to tight or he took a hard right turn and binded the sway bar causing the bend

No question...replace!

IMHO...looks like jackknifed to the left and the friction bar bottomed out and bent the left minball mounting plate...therefore since the main ball on the same plate...it also bent

. My guess with bending down of the 2 5/16 " main ball mount and the left lean ( possible a also forward lean? ) of the left friction sway brake mini ball is that too sharp of a left jackknife turn bottomed out the left friction sway brake which would pull on the main ball, push on the mini ball. causing both to bend their mounts as shown.
From my welders and fabricators point of view, it is not a fault with the hitch, Maybe just too sharp of a turn, the sway brake rear mount set up too close on the tongue to allow fullslide action before ending its stroke.
This would cause one to bend down, the other up and sideways proportionally to the forces.

The shank on the OPs ball looks to be bent. That takes a lot to do that. Only thought is is he wrong diameter shank.