cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

The Safe Zone

Big_Blue
Explorer
Explorer
Is plus/minus three inches? I'm high at 2-3/4 inches.

Acceptable or should I get a two inch drop hitch - for peace of mind?
Bob & Patty Smith
both USAF Retired
12 REPLIES 12

et2
Explorer
Explorer
You're within acceptable heights. If it were me, I'd take into consideration the slop in the hitch a riser would add. We have a 4" riser and it was terrible. I added 2 hitch immobilizers to snug it all together. I wish we didn't have the riser.

IMHO if I were within the limits I'd leave mine alone. The more you add to the hookup your just adding more things to go wrong.

down_home
Explorer II
Explorer II
Nearly right, nearly perfect? Get the drop hitch or whatever to make it right on.
Don't want a little diving or little jacking up or........

UsualSuspect
Explorer
Explorer
Mine was 2" high, but they will tell you the closer to level the better, so I bought a 2" drop hitch and flipped it. No issues in 10K worth of towing it.
2007 Fleetwood Excursion 40E Cat C7 350 HP
2007 Chev 2500HD D/A Long bed CC (Yes, it is my TOAD :B)
2011 Toyota Tundra
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (Backup towed)
Gone but not forgotten, 2008 Jayco 299 RLS

willald
Explorer II
Explorer II
..Tons of factors enter into this. So much so, that there really is no one specific cover-all answer to this question of tow bar height difference that is 'safe'.

Some tow bars are more tolerant of being unlevel than others. The specifics of the MH and toad involved plays a role, too. If you're using a braking system like ReadyBrake, the tolerance there is a little less, as it works best when things are level.

Also, you also need to think about ramifications of using too much 'drop'. The bigger of a 'drop' bar you use, the more likely your rig is to scrape and drag back there when going over bumps, inclines, etc. This can damage or weaken your hitch reciever, tow bar, or both. This is especially true with Motorhomes that have a long overhang past the rear axle.

I'd much rather have a tow bar that is 2" out of level, than one that is perfectly level but scrapes and drags so bad that you risk weakening the hitch to the point that it can break and let the toad loose going down the highway!

Thats why you shouldn't buy completely into the 'get the tow bar as close to level as you possibly can no matter what' mentality. There are other factors to consider.
Will and Cheryl
2021 Newmar Baystar 3014 on F53 (7.3 V8) Chassis ("Brook")
2018 Jeep Wrangler JK ("Wilbur")

j-d
Explorer II
Explorer II
I have the instructions for Roadmaster Falcon, and Safe Zone is +/- 3"
If God's Your Co-Pilot Move Over, jd
2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100 218" WB

Gjac
Explorer III
Explorer III
It depends on which tow bar you have. Demco, Blue Ox and others post the tolerances on their web sites.

Big_Blue
Explorer
Explorer
Don, yes on the signature upgrade.

2008 Winnebago Destination
39 foot Class A
Diesel Pusher
2015 Subaru Forestor.
Bob & Patty Smith
both USAF Retired

DSDP_Don
Explorer
Explorer
It would be nice to know what type of coach you have. If it's a Class C or Class A gasser with a long overhang, you might want to be as level as possible.

Fill in your signature so when you ask questions, people know what you're asking about.

I hate the extensions and drop downs.....just more to deal with, so on my last coach, I had a another receiver (6" long) welded to the underside of the current receiver. It gave me two positions and brought my tow bar level.
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 - All Electric
2019 Ford Raptor Crew Cab

klutchdust
Explorer II
Explorer II
If the safe zone is plus or minus 3 inches, 2/34 is in that category for me. The deal breaker for me was the braking system. I use the ready brake, I lowered my hitch attachment points on my Jeep. I fasten directly to the aftermarket bumper, the bolts go through the bumper into the JK's frame, so some mods were in order.

Roadpilot
Explorer
Explorer
I'm with Mowermech. I've always wanted things as level as possible.
Tiffin Wayfarer 25TW
15 Mini Cooper S

rr2254545
Explorer
Explorer
I think that the norm should be no more than 4 inches
2012 Winnebago Journey 36M Cummins 360
2014 Jeep Cherokee
492 Campgrounds,107K miles driven in our Winnebago motor homes and 2360 nights camping since we retired in July 2009, 41 National Parks

mowermech
Explorer
Explorer
Personally, I would want the tow bar as near level as I could get it, so I would get the drop hitch.
But that is just the way I am.
If you are happy with it as it is, that is probably good enough.
The "safe zone" is not an iron-bound law.
CM1, USN (RET)
2017 Jayco TT
Daily Driver: '14 Subaru Outback
1998 Dodge QC LWB, Cummins, 5 speed, 4X2
2 Kawasaki Brute Force 750 ATVs.
Pride Raptor 3 wheeled off-road capable mobility scooter
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"