Help me out. Please share your thoughts. I have a 2015 F350 4x4 CC, single rear wheel, gas, 4:30 axle, camper package, etc. I was lucky enough to find a 2008 Northern Lite 9'-6” classic camper in really nice condition. Camper has the rear bumper mounted between the jacks with the attached step platform with 2 folding steps. I have an older Featherlite aluminum 2 horse straight load trailer. I am guessing this trailer weights maybe 2500 lbs max empty, and maybe 4000 lbs when loaded with one horse and gear, and 5000 to 5500 with two horses. We probably will be towing with one horse 95% of the tows, and we will only be towing several times a year. F.Y.I., Ford includes a 2 ½” inch square receiver hitch standard on F350 series models that have a diesel, but they only put a 2” square hitch on the same models with the gas engine (go figure). I am trying to figure out my options for towing with this truck and trailer combo. The most common option is to use a hitch extension. I will not be towing that many times with this trailer, but I do want to do it safely. Trying to keep my expenses down, I have been looking at getting a Reese Titan 2 ½ inch receiver and using the Reese extension. I have been doing research on the web in reference to a “trailer tongue” extension and I found this web site with photos: http://www.pbase.com/jimthode/trailerext. I have never seen anything like this and found it very interesting. I am only guessing, the cost of having something like this fabricated would be about the same as purchasing a new receiver, extension, extended wiring, etc. The only negative I can see about having an extension like this is that if I ever wanted to tow some other trailer I would still be faced with having someway to attach it if I had my camper mounted. Your thoughts?

Using a tongue extension actually lightens the applied hitch weight to the truck (which is good). What you have watch is when you go through dips or driveways that you do not make contact with the underside of the camper or one of the rear jacks (which is bad).Using a receiver extension reduces or eliminates the chance the of the tongue interfering (which is good) but now you have more leverage against your receiver (which is bad).The simplest solution is also the most expensive by replacing your receiver with a SuperHitch and SuperTruss. It will be a big sting in your pocket, but it will only be once until you decide to replace the truck. Other solutions, like using a heavy 2.5" receiver with extension can accomplish what you want in a safe manner for less money, but you will only have about half the capacity of the Torklift setup when using a less expensive extension solution.Think about your usage today and how soon you think that will change to make your decision. I know what I like (I'm on my second one), but my demands are much greater than yours.

I can see several problematic situations develop here. When you encounter a low spot in the road or trail the hitch could potentially hit the bottom of the camper because the pivot point is all the way forward under the camper. I like the hitch extension because it keeps the trailer/truck pivot point behind the camper not under the camper as with the trailer tongue extension.I would prefer the hitch extension but I do not believe Reese make a heavy duty version. I made my own extension out of solid steel bar and added stabilizer bars on each side to prevent the extension hitch from moving left and right.

Explorer1016 wrote:I can see several problematic situations develop here. When you encounter a low spot in the road or trail the hitch could potentially hit the bottom of the camper because the pivot point is all the way forward under the camper. I see that as a problem too.

Don't screw around with anything as precious as your horse's life. TorkLift Super Hitch. Period.

I opted for an extended trailer tongue...we tow a Classic Whaler...not horses.This has worked very well for us.Total weight is 1500#, TW = ~ 200#.Bill

Sanity check: Hitch extension vs trailer tongue extension.

30 Replies

mike_mck
Explorer
Apr 24, 2015
805gregg wrote:
You can go to the hitch store and get a 2.5" Curt hitch ($310) that will fit under your 2" and then get a 2.5" extension and go from there or like I did tie the 2.5" to the original 2" and get a stronger and much cheaper set-up than Torkcrap high dollar rip off, like their tie downs

Gregg
To each his own but I went the Craigslist route. I don't like to calculate weights or worry if I have enough truck or towing capacity.
Just a side by side comparison. The Reese that came off my F550 and the super hitch that went on. I'll let you draw what ever conclusion you choose. This set up with the tiedowns and 48" extensions was $500.00.
Bottom 2 images is with the 48" extension. Rated for 12000 Lbs.
Farmerjon
Explorer
Apr 23, 2015
We ordered an 18in ball mount Rated at 9000lbs and have a 2 horse trailer that was manufactured with an extended tongue. It works well for us and is well below max weights on all components.
805gregg
Explorer
Apr 23, 2015
You can go to the hitch store and get a 2.5" Curt hitch ($310) that will fit under your 2" and then get a 2.5" extension and go from there or like I did tie the 2.5" to the original 2" and get a stronger and much cheaper set-up than Torkcrap high dollar rip off, like their tie downs
Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Apr 23, 2015
Don't mess around with your horses well being. I tow my horses behind my lance and a superhitch and a supertruss is the only acceptable solution for me. I could never forgive myself if I hurt my horses by going "that should be good enough" or by going cheap.
bobndot
Explorer III
Apr 23, 2015
I did make the tongue longer on my home made trailer a few years ago and as Bedlam stated, you have to watch the clearance of the jacks while making a tight turn.

Being that I could not use the camper fold down step, I welded a platform onto the tongue.
It worked for many years without any issues. The only exception was, I could only tow that trailer .
I have since bought two other trailers and I have now changed the recvr. to a 2.5" Curt with a 24" extension which tapers down to accept standard 2" accessories.

Here is the old set up with the extended tongue :
BTW, yes that's an Arctic Fox painted on the trailer . My DW painted it to match our previous TC and I'm smart enough to not paint over it . :W
billtex
Explorer II
Apr 23, 2015
I opted for an extended trailer tongue...we tow a Classic Whaler...not horses.
This has worked very well for us.
Total weight is 1500#, TW = ~ 200#.
Bill
_DJ_1
Explorer II
Apr 22, 2015
Don't screw around with anything as precious as your horse's life. TorkLift Super Hitch. Period.
trail-explorer
Explorer
Apr 22, 2015
Explorer1016 wrote:
I can see several problematic situations develop here. When you encounter a low spot in the road or trail the hitch could potentially hit the bottom of the camper because the pivot point is all the way forward under the camper.

I see that as a problem too.
Explorer1016
Explorer
Apr 22, 2015
I can see several problematic situations develop here. When you encounter a low spot in the road or trail the hitch could potentially hit the bottom of the camper because the pivot point is all the way forward under the camper. I like the hitch extension because it keeps the trailer/truck pivot point behind the camper not under the camper as with the trailer tongue extension.

I would prefer the hitch extension but I do not believe Reese make a heavy duty version. I made my own extension out of solid steel bar and added stabilizer bars on each side to prevent the extension hitch from moving left and right.
Bedlam
Moderator
Apr 22, 2015
Using a tongue extension actually lightens the applied hitch weight to the truck (which is good). What you have watch is when you go through dips or driveways that you do not make contact with the underside of the camper or one of the rear jacks (which is bad).

Using a receiver extension reduces or eliminates the chance the of the tongue interfering (which is good) but now you have more leverage against your receiver (which is bad).

The simplest solution is also the most expensive by replacing your receiver with a SuperHitch and SuperTruss. It will be a big sting in your pocket, but it will only be once until you decide to replace the truck. Other solutions, like using a heavy 2.5" receiver with extension can accomplish what you want in a safe manner for less money, but you will only have about half the capacity of the Torklift setup when using a less expensive extension solution.

Think about your usage today and how soon you think that will change to make your decision. I know what I like (I'm on my second one), but my demands are much greater than yours.

Forum Discussion

Sanity check: Hitch extension vs trailer tongue extension.

30 Replies

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