HELP PLEASE... Hitch and extension ?
Hello and thank you in advance for any input/ clarity you can provide. I have a 2003 F-250 W/ a 2K LB (dry) truck camper. I need a 3' extenion to be able to tow my 12' flatbed single-axle trailer and ...
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I agree that you need to determine how long your hitch/ball mount really needs to be. A few things that people haven't mentioned.
1. Your hitch is 20 years old. Maybe it is fine, but maybe it is not. I'd personally look into an aftermarket hitch or OEM takeoff that is a 2.5 or 3. I believe the 2003 F350s had an option for 2.5s which are a lot stronger than a 2. Also, long 2.5s are more commonly available.
2. The tongue weight is variable depending on how you load the SxS on the trailer and where the axle is.
3. You "could" extend the trailer tongue and not extend the hitch. That creates other possible issues.
4. A few companies make extended ball mounts as well. Your total length of hitch extension/ball mount is important, but you can make up the difference with making one longer/shorter.
If you want to wing it, that's up to you. But if you want to be more accurate, get some measurements and weigh the combination. If needed, you could take the trailer loaded to a weigh scale without the TC. You may be very close to perfect, or way off. You won't know until you check everything.
Fwiw, plenty of people have been shocked how much their rigs weigh and that counts all types of RVs.
I agree that you need to determine how long your hitch/ball mount really needs to be. A few things that people haven't mentioned.
1. Your hitch is 20 years old. Maybe it is fine, but maybe it is not. I'd personally look into an aftermarket hitch or OEM takeoff that is a 2.5 or 3. I believe the 2003 F350s had an option for 2.5s which are a lot stronger than a 2. Also, long 2.5s are more commonly available.
2. The tongue weight is variable depending on how you load the SxS on the trailer and where the axle is.
3. You "could" extend the trailer tongue and not extend the hitch. That creates other possible issues.
4. A few companies make extended ball mounts as well. Your total length of hitch extension/ball mount is important, but you can make up the difference with making one longer/shorter.
If you want to wing it, that's up to you. But if you want to be more accurate, get some measurements and weigh the combination. If needed, you could take the trailer loaded to a weigh scale without the TC. You may be very close to perfect, or way off. You won't know until you check everything.
Fwiw, plenty of people have been shocked how much their rigs weigh and that counts all types of RVs.
