Pick up to Trailer space

LarryJM wrote:


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

As someone once said "Give me a long enough lever and I can move the world". If you do not understand the effect of leverage on something like a receiver hitch, I don't expect you to get it this time, but I will try. Imagine that the "drawbar" is the lever which is trying to rip the receiver away from the tow vehicle. Now extend that lever even a few inches and notice how much more mechanical advantage it has gained. I am not a lawyer, but I do understand basic engineering principles. The longer the lever, the more leverage it has. That applies to everything from wrenches to trailer hitches.

PS: If you know very much about engineering, you would realize that drilling a 5/8" hole in the center of a beam has little effect on its ultimate strength. That is not where the maximum stress is. Look at a bridge I-Beam to prove my point. We drill all kinds of holes in the web but stay away from the flanges.