SHANK question
I have a 23ft trailer and I recently went from a GMC Yukon to a Ford F150/Raptor. The shank and old hitch works fine after some adjustments, but I noticed today I can't open the tailgate without it h...
Forum Discussion
Which begs the question. Some engineers say use WD when towing a trailer above half the weight of the TV. In 2010, engineers decided I needed to use WD when towing a trailer above the total weight of my truck at 6k~ lbs. Now, the engineers at Ford have decided, with a 2020 duplicate of my truck, I can tow a trailer weighing over twice the truck’s weight without WD. What changed as far as physics goes? Leverage is leverage. Weight off the front is the same. Upgrading the hitch does not change the rating of the truck they say. Yet Ford has effectively done exactly that.
My hitch is rated for 600 lbs dead weight. Apparently, that includes a 500 lb motorcycle on a 100 lb carrier 24 inches out from the pin. This puts 1200 lbs of downward torque on the receiver. All peachy! If I tow our travel trailer on a short 6” drawbar, it’s 1,100 lb tongue weight would put 550 lb/ft of downward torque on the receiver. This, according to the engineers, would be way above the receiver’s weight rating.
Countless contractors tow dump trailers with often over 2,000 lbs of tongue weight on receivers rated to tow far less than half that weight with no trouble. Where do these arbitrary ratings numbers come from? Engineers? Lawyers? Marketing departments?
My hitch is rated for 600 lbs dead weight. Apparently, that includes a 500 lb motorcycle on a 100 lb carrier 24 inches out from the pin. This puts 1200 lbs of downward torque on the receiver. All peachy! If I tow our travel trailer on a short 6” drawbar, it’s 1,100 lb tongue weight would put 550 lb/ft of downward torque on the receiver. This, according to the engineers, would be way above the receiver’s weight rating.
Countless contractors tow dump trailers with often over 2,000 lbs of tongue weight on receivers rated to tow far less than half that weight with no trouble. Where do these arbitrary ratings numbers come from? Engineers? Lawyers? Marketing departments?
