SHANK question

TomG2 wrote:
Basic physics will demonstrate that the farther the load is from the rear axle, the less desirable it is. One reason that fifth wheel trailers tow so well is that the "tongue weight" is right over the axle. Reese says to reduce ratings by fifty percent when using a eight inch extension. I relocated the jack four inches rearward in order to open the tailgate and not affect the leverage that the tongue weight has on the tow vehicle. Six inches may not seem like much, but to understand the forces involved,imagine moving it back six feet.

IMO there is a TON of BUM and/or misleading info in the above post and would strongly recommend for folks to basically ignore the entire post. That 50% reduction is for a receiver extension NOT A LONGER DRAWBAR. As Hunting mentioned having the dreawbar longer actual increasing the leverage that the WDH can exert which is just the opposite of what most are mistakenly assuming.

I have been using an 16/18 in drawbar for almost 40 years w/o any issues or lack of stability/ride quality. I have the longer draw bar so I can open the rear doors on my Van while hooked up.

Larry