Hitch Extension

[jeremywatco]

Good Morning,

Buying a new flat trailer to haul my dirtbikes & other toys. The trailer company's trailers come standard with a 36" long tongue and the salesman wanted to make it clear that if I am towing behind my motorhome that I really need a 48" long tongue to avoid hitting the rv in tight turns. Comes at a price... a few hundred dollars and a month long wait while they make a custom trailer.

I totally understand the logic and need for the longer tongue. The couple hundred dollars doesnt bother me, its that I need the trailer sooner.

Does anyone have any experience with hitch extensions? I realize they add additional stress to the hitch. My trailer fully loaded would be about 3500lbs. I was thinking of taking a 36" tongue trailer and running a 12" extension.

The trailer will be towed mostly by my truck and seldom by my RV.

Good? Bad? Ugly?

[ferndaleflyer]

Tongue length is a good question. I would have to measure it but I imagine whatever standard is. I got the trailer at a show and unless I go out there in the rain right now and measure it I am not sure. Sure does tow good with 3 axels.

[MrWizard]

Nice set up
32 ft, 3 axles
It takes some doing to make that Jack knife, and hit the back of the RV
I don't think the hitch weight is much, but there is a lot of rolling weight
How much tonuge length is there ?

[ferndaleflyer]

MY DP is 40ft and my enclosed, 1ft extra high, trailer is 32ft. Don't know the tongue weight but I imagine the trailer loaded is over 10,000lbs and has 3 axels. Also I use no weight distribution bars, just hook it up. I have towed this all over the East for close to 18, guessed at the 20 above, years and have never had a problem. When the car is in the trailer the front wheel is centered over the center axel on the trailer and the Scooter, generator, tools etc are in front of it. lots of room in front of the car. Went to Gainsville FL the day after Christmas, 1000mi round trip uneventful.

[MrWizard]

ferndale
i'm going to assume this is not a short flat bed for motorcycles

how long, how many axles, how much tongue weight ?

please supply ALL the DATA to make your post applicable

[sdbounderdiesel]

X4 on extended trailer tongue. I purchased an enclosed car trailer with one several years ago. In tight maneuvering situations you can pretty much make a 90 degree turn without pinching the front corner edge of the trailer against the rear corner edge of the motorhome. That would not be the case with a shorter tongue. I agree with TNGW1500SE and others that it is definitely worth the wait. Good luck!

[ferndaleflyer]

I have used a 12" extension for over 20 years towing over 10,000 lbs behind my DP without any problem.....But mine is solid stock that I fabricated in my shop....I have never hit the trailer or even the ladder for that matter. Probably not correct in some opinions but the proof is in the use, and I use it often.

[discovery4us]

I took a look at mine last night. Apex 8 1/4" extender stamped 500 lbs. TW and 5000 lbs. trailer.

[centerline]

a hitch extension is not the answer to the problem... if the trailer tongue is less than 50 inches, the front corner of the trailer could contact the coach when turning around.

a hitch extension is good to use if on your coach, you have a bumper mounted spare tire above the hitch... the hitch extension moves the hitch ball back out from under the tire so its easier to hook the trailer up... but it DOES NOT do the same as a longer trailer tongue.

behind a pickup, a shorter trailer tongue can be ok, but a motor coach has so much rear overhang, is very easy to jack knife the trailer when turning around...

[bjbear]

Nothing wrong with a hitch extension, but you do need to derate the reciever based on the length of the extension. This is a common thread on the truck camper forum with lots of experienced people who use extensions on a regular basis

The folliwing link shows a chart that you can use to help you understand what your reciever can handle.
http://www.visualsc.com/hitch_12.jpg

[fred42]

Yes, you are correct, assuming a standard 7 1/2 inch length drawbar was used, the first one would move the ball 12" rearward, the second one only 8 1/4".

There is something the ratings people don't like about extenders. A better example would be the 8" extender:

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Adapters/Curt/C45791.html

It and the second one above would move the ball 8" and 8 1/4" rearward, but they still want you to reduce your hitch's overall capacity by 50 percent for this 8" extender.

[discovery4us]

First is a 12" extension and the second is just a longer draw bar which will only be 3 - 5" longer than a standard draw bar. Don't gain much length but at the same time don't lose weight ability.

[fred42]

I was just looking at hitch extensions as I need little more clearance from the motorhome to load/mount a spare tire. I have not bought anything yet, but was amazed at how differently a hitch receiver extension is rated as opposed to a fixed ball mount extension. It is not because one is hollow, they are both hollow.

Here is a hitch extension that gives you an extra 12":

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Adapters/MaxxTow/MT70024.html

Maximum weight capacity: 3,500 lbs
Maximum tongue weight: 350 lbs
Note: Using this extension will reduce your hitch's weight capacity by 50 percent.
(So I would only have a 2500/250lb hitch?)

Here is a similar extension in the form of a fixed ball mount:

https://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Hidden-Hitch/80232.html

Gross towing weight: 6,000 lbs
Tongue weight: 600 lbs
(Of course, I cannot exceed my 5000/500lb hitch rating)

What makes this important for me is that I am not just flat towing, but sometimes towing a boat. So as I am now picking out a towbar, I find myself limited to the vehicle mount variety with a ball coupler. This rules out some of the popular braking systems towbars like the ReadyBrute which only come in receiver hitch form.

[mowermech]

Is this the ONLY trailer in the area that will meet your needs? Is this the ONLY trailer dealer in the area?
I would shop around, look at other flatbed trailers at other dealers, and see if there is one that is built with a longer tongue, at a comparable price.

[TNGW1500SE]

Just get a trailer with a longer tongue. An extension is not as safe. Why risk it? Wait the extra month and do it right. You know what you should do or you wouldn't have asked.