Hitch / receiver extension question

Boatycall wrote:
Any time the issue of hitch extension comes up, I always step up on my soap box. The issue of safety vs. extension has come up a lot, most recent recollection on this post.

To reiterate the TRUE story I always tell (and please understand, I'm rehashing this purely in the interests of safety).

My post on that discussion--

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I *think* I'm safe to say I haul the biggest/heaviest combo on the TC forum. 2-slide Eagle Cap@~6800lbs, plus a 26' Wells Cargo 10k trailer. In my years, I've spent a lot of time and money on my truck and setup to get where I'm at, but I realize I still need a bigger truck.

My white knuckle experience came doing exactly what you're referring to. Years ago, I had an F250, hauling an average TC at the time, and a 20' ski boat ski boat @about 4500lbs. I had a 2 foot extension on a Reese Class V hitch. Didn't think I was doing anything wrong at the time.

Went in to Torklift one day in Kent to buy some rear tie downs. They inspected my truck, said sure, and they'd even install them for free.

OK.

20 minutes later, they came and grabbed me and said they refused to work on my truck.

ok.. why?

The hitch extension had made the hitch fail. There was a large crack running down the passenger's side mount bolts to the frame.

I turned white... One good hard bump and I could've had the hitch fall right out from under the truck. I immediately had them put on a SuperHitch and haven't looked back since.

The moral of my TRUE story - DO NOT guess, estimate, or figure you can safely run a hitch extension. Only a Superhitch is engineered and DOT approved to run a hitch extension.


....I now step off my soap box.