Calculating how an extension de-rates your receiver.

Kayteg1 wrote:
Are you planning to tow with your TC on?
The extension might hold the tongue weight, but make sure your tires and rear axle can.
Depend on the truck the 800lb tongue weight on extension can add up to 1500 lb to the rear axle

I normally tow with the TC on. Either a ~4000lb enclosed utility trailer (with extension), or a ~10000lb flatbed (withOUT extension).

My TC weighs <2000lbs sopping wet, so I still have about 3500lbs of payload capacity left before GVWR, and over 4000lbs before I hit the GAWR.

Last weekend was almost a roadside emergency situation, where the plan was to swap trailers with the guy who was having overheating issues. He would tow my 4000lb trailer while I towed his much larger 7000lb travel trailer.

In the end, we transferred 1000lbs of his equipment to my trailer, and took the longer flatter route home. He had to stop once to add coolant, and it would go over 240 degrees on the hills, but he nursed it home.

ticki2 wrote:
From TCU http://www.visualsc.com/hitch_calc.htm

The rule of thumb I use is:
Revised Receiver Rating = (11 / (11 + EL)) * Mfg Rating
Where EL = the length of your extension in inches & Mfg Rating = the published rating for your receiver.

So assuming you would put a regular ball & mount in your 14" extension, you would derate your receiver to 44% of whatever the rating is from the manufacturer.

Or you can use this chart.

Assume your 14" extension will give a total extension of 25" when the ball/mount is added.

Are you planning to tow with your TC on?
The extension might hold the tongue weight, but make sure your tires and rear axle can.
Depend on the truck the 800lb tongue weight on extension can add up to 1500 lb to the rear axle

I *was* looking at towing a ~7000lb travel trailer last weekend. My friend was having an overheating problem with his 2001 Suburban.

Hmm, so Curt rates their 24" extension at 800/8000lbs with WD. My 14" receiver tube extension should be made from at least as good a material as that one, so it should be good for at least 800/8000lbs with WD, and probably more.

From TCU http://www.visualsc.com/hitch_calc.htm

This looks like it gives Curt extension ratings.

24" Curt

What kind of a load are you putting on it?