Pick up to Trailer space

TomG2 wrote:
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. The fact is, GM engineers say to keep the ball as close to the vehicle as possible. No, they don't mention 18". They do indicate that 16" would be better than 18" or 18" would be better than 20". Get the picture? Sorry, but I think they have more expertise than the typical Internet expert.

Note that I am not commenting on the effect of weight distributing hitches on this subject. That is a much more complicated issue that is well beyond the ability of most of us to calculate or debate.

As Marty has correctly pointed out and I agree just for handling purposes in a WC only mode the closer the ball is to the rear axles the better the handling for exactly the reasons Marty pointed out and IMO has absolutely nothing to do with the effects on receiver ratings so your GM reference is not germane here when they are suggesting one keep the ball as close to the vehicle as possible. Furthermore, I would guess that the vast majority of folks here use WDH sytems so to limit your comments now this far into a discussion to WC carrying only is very misleading and not to have limited you comments with this critical caveat earlier like in your first post here.

As I said you can't provide any actual receiver derating specs any where to support you opinion and the only drawbar I know of that has more than one rating is the Reese with two holes and that makes sense to derate it when you use it in the longer version since you have asection of drawbar with a 5/8" hole that has now removed approx. 31 percent of material in the drawbar between the ball and the attachment point of the drawbar in the receiver so I would expect some derating to be applied based NOT ON LENGTH, but simply drawbar strength due to less material much like you find in class 1 and 2 hitches with smaller receiver openings. NOW THAT MAKES SENSE.

Larry