Trailer Hitch Set-up Option

[Buckaroo_Billy]

Hello, i'm new here and have a question.
I purchased a 20ft trailer, hooked it up and brought it home.
I hooked it up just like the person I purchased it from to my Nissan Frontier. I have towed many trailers in different configurations over the years so I understand most of towing.
Now, my question is do you think it would be ok to remove the head from my hitch and turn the hitch upside down with the "L" sticking up vs. down. Currently it wants to drag and is to low however, if inverted, no more drag and trailer would still set about right.

Thanks
Buckaroo Billy

[BenK]

Looked at your picture again and you might try this before spending $$$ on new whatevers

Depending on what the spring bars are rated for and how your TV is in reference to its ratings...


Try LOWERING your hitch head one drawbar/shank/stinger hole and increase the tension on the bars


That will transfer more tongue weight from the TV rear axle over to the TV front axle. Some of that tongue weight goes back onto the trailer tongue, which will raise the TVs rear bumper.


This can also be accomplished by tilting the hitch head backwards toward the trailer. The increase the tension bars reach, therefore more links can be hooked up...but from the looks of your picture, the hitch head is already tilted back. Maybe there is more to go?


This is why knowing your weights & where they are is important to dialing a setup in


A hand held hacksaw and several new blades can cut through that shank/drawbar/stinger...jut lots of elbow grease & time

[Buckaroo_Billy]

Funny all these years I never heard of it called a "Stinger"
10-4 on the tailgate.
I'll have to monkey with it and see if I want to turn it over or just cut some of the bottom off. Don't have a metal band saw or a torch. So we will see....

[opnspaces]

Yep the stinger is the L shaped part that you are talking about flipping over.

If you do flip the bar over be careful and make sure you can open the tailgate without damaging it.

[Boomerweps]

Buckaroo Billy wrote:
Stinger? What do you mean?

Nickname for the drawbar of a multi position drop/rise hitch. The part that slides into the hitch receiver.
In basic terms, a hitch has a trailer ball mounted on it. So, a truck from the factory does not have a hitch installed. It has a hitch receiver or bumper mount.

[Sjm9911]

I dont have that type of hitch. And I dont know the slope of your driveway. But if thats the only place your bottoming out, take the hitch bars off before backing in?

[BenK]

Think flipping your drawbar/shank will have the WD hitch head too high

Does your drawbar/shank have a couple more holes above where you top hitch head bolt pokes through ?

If yes, then move the hitch head up one or two more holes.

If no more holes higher up, then look for another drawbar/shank. Something like this, where there are holes higher up


This one is for a 2” receiver (the part that bolted to the TV)
https://www.etrailer.com/Drop-Hitch/Fastway/FA49-00-5900.html

https://www.etrailer.com/Drop-Hitch/Fastway/FA49-00-5900.html



This one is for a 2.5” receiver (the part boltes to the TV)
https://www.etrailer.com/Drop-Hitch/Fastway/FA49-00-5925.html

https://www.etrailer.com/Drop-Hitch/Fastway/FA49-00-5925.html


No matter which one you use (yours, or the ones I posted links to), you will have to cut off the bottom

How much is up to you and think it should be long enough to protect your WD spring bars

I have a 2007 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab, but don’t tow much with it. The Suburban is my main TV

As only some have advised, follow your TV’s manual/label ratings information

Decide if you believe in the ratings system or not

If not, then do whatever you wish to do

If yes, then weight everything, axle by axle. Both empty and fully loaded

Orientation of the whole setup is to have the TV drop as per the manual. Most will say return the front axle to either unweighted height or some poundage

The trailer should be level at it’s highest pointing and personally have mine pointing slightly down. Trailers follow better when they are level or slightly pointing down

Good luck and tell us how it goes

[Buckaroo_Billy]

Stinger? What do you mean?

[Grit_dog]

3000lb trailer with all that stuff to hook up? Personally I’d try to return all that stuff and get some bags or helpers if you need to take out a little sag.
Regarding your hitch shank. If it’s at the right height now (it looks good from the pic but can’t really tell), flipping the shank over will raise the hitch head a lot and it will be too high.

If you’re keeping that hitch setup and vehicle, just cut the bottom off of the drop portion Not many other options unless you can get an even shorter drop hitch shank.

[Boomerweps]

Look at where you want your ball to be. The holes in the drawbar will determine if you have to flip the drawbar (some say stinger).

[Buckaroo_Billy]

Thanks for the photo Link!

Here is the set-up as I backed into my drive way.
The bottom of the hitch dragged the driveway.

I just don't really see an issue if I turned that hitch "up" vs. "down"

That's a class III hitch and the receiver is rated at 4000lbs. trailer weighs about 3000lbs.

Thoughts?

[Lwiddis]

Hitches are advertised as “flipable” consistently such as “four inch rise/six inch drop.”

[wanderingaimles]

If it is a WD hitch, is your Frontier level when the hitch is set up?
If so you should not have a problem, if it is still sagging you need to increase the lift from the WD bars.
As to photo posting, new members can not initially because of spammer abuse, but here is the link for photo posting.
Photo posting

[Buckaroo_Billy]

It is a weight distribution hitch, and a little sag.
I'd post a picture but can't seem to get it to work.

[bgum]

Will cause no problems.

[wanderingaimles]

Would agree with Kent with the caveat, do you know the tongue weight, or does your vehicle sag much when the tongue weight is added?
You may want to add a weight distribution hitch IF your tow vehicle will allow it.