24 Inch Hitch Extender Under The TC

[sonuvabug]

Another issue I am trying to figure out with my new TC. Now that I've added the TC, the hitch receiver is "buried" under the TC's steps. There is now 24" from the face of the truck's hitch receiver to the outside edge of the TC's steps.

How does everybody go about towing with this situation. I have a hard time envisioning you simply extend the hitch receiver by 24" with an extension ... even if such a beast exists.

[ajriding]

sonuvabug wrote:






.

How has the bumper held up? This is a lot of stress pulling on the bumper. Does the bar from the bumper pull when not loaded, or is just there for bumps?
thanks

[MORSNOW]

I want to change my extension safety chains to a triangular configuration like dadwolf2 did, I just need to figure out how to attach them at the corners of my factory hitch frame. I don't see a convenient place to attach the threaded links to the hitch ends (any closeup pictures would be appreciated). I tow a fairly light 16' open aluminum trailer with ATV's, so I'm not concerned with the weight, I would just like the side to side support.

[monkey44]

We need 2" x 24" Extension too, and bought one from U-Haul. We tow about 1100 lbs trailer with about 1200-1500 hundred lbs of motorcycles and gear -- about 2500 lbs or so in a 6x10 cargo trailer.

Never have any problem with it -- Hauled it all over the Rockies too ... Was kinda interesting too, that trailer didn't drop the rear end hardly at all when we popped it on, and didn't change the MPG much either, which surprised me.

[billsnp5]

805gregg wrote:
I got a Curt 2.5" 20,000 lb hitch from Hitchanything for less than $300, it attaches under my factory 2" hitch. Then got a 34" 2.5 Curt hitch extension again from Hitch anything, for $134. I used a piece of 2" square tubing to extend the 2" receiver and some 1/4" flat bar stock bolted to both to tie the 2 together. The 2.5" Curt extension is rated at 6000lbs at 34" so mine is even stronger that that, basically a better superhitch for under $450

/Users/Bill/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2010/Mar 4, 2010/IMG00042-20100304-1624.jpg

That pretty much what I did, I have a factory class IV and a Curt class V with both bolted to frame and together and have less than $400 in it.

[mooring_product]

I also use the 24"-36" 2 1/2 extension. I only haul a 15' Whaler.

Untitled by MooringProduct, on Flickr

[Jgwoods]

I use this one from etrailer, works fine, seems to be high quality, certainly heavy http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/Draw-Tite/RP45292.html

[Bedlam]

You need to have proper tool to do the job - There is no reason to spend that much for your application unless you have plans to go bigger at a later time. If you look at the side plates on the SuperHitch, you will understand why it has such a high rating with a long extension. I would not be surprised if just one side plate does not weigh as much as an entire OEM receiver.

[sonuvabug]

Bedlam wrote:
... snipped ... I think that setup will work fine for the amount of hitch weight you are applying ... My hitch weight is 2-3x more than yours and I have not seen a better extension system than TorkLift's for those of us that pull heavy trailers.

I absolutely agree with you and if we had the need, your set-up is the "go to" one. I realize we are limited to our 3,500 lbs. rated cargo trailer and our 2,000 lbs. rated utility trailer due to the 350lbs. tongue weight maximum. However, that is all we ever envision pulling behind our truck and TC as we are not boaters etc.

If I remember correctly, the SuperTruss extension required the TorkLift hitch receiver set-up to be installed on our truck in order for it to work. The two units would have run us over CDN$2,000 ... not worth it to us for our application.

[Bedlam]

I think that setup will work fine for the amount of hitch weight you are applying. I am surprised any of the OEM bumpers today have a tow rating for the exact reason you observed. My hitch weight is 2-3x more than yours and I have not seen a better extension system than TorkLift's for those of us that pull heavy trailers. My new truck is using the 20K lb SuperHitch Magnum with the original SuperTruss I used in my previous 17K SuperHitch.

[sonuvabug]

Hello All, I promised to post pics of our extended hitch receiver/head set-up. I looked at the entire SuperTruss set-up (hitch receiver and head) and decided to go with the custom fabricated route ... partly because of cost and partly because we trust our fabricator's knowledge and skill. This welder specializes in hitch receivers and heads (his term BTW).

He has 40 years experience in fabricating hitches and this is the third one (2 of which were custom designs) that he's done for us. He built it such that it will safely carry 350 lbs. tongue weight (we have about 300 lbs. on it when fully loaded .... we weighed it at our RV dealer). He builds them to easily surpass any MTO/DOT scrutiny. I came up with the top brace idea and he thought it was a good one.

You can't tell from the pic but the main 2" beam going back from the truck's hitch receiver to the ball is extra thick square tubing (I think he said the walls were 3/8" thick vs. the standard 1/4" thickness. This was done to control the torsional twisting in the main support beam. The three support arms help too!!! lol

There are also two 3/4" tension bolts that need to be tightened once the unit is fastened to the truck. You can see one of them on top of the main support beam near the ball. The other is installed at the point where the main beam slips into the truck's hitch receiver (you can't see this one). When both are tightened, they eliminate any slack/play in the set-up. It is rock solid once fully installed.

It cost about CDN$600 (~ USD$540) in materials and his time to make this unit. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the set-up although watching the small amount of vertical flex (up & down movement) it has through our TC under cab window through to the back door window when driving is a little disconcerting. We did put it through a 2500 mi. maiden test run through the Ozarks with no issues.

The fabricator said this small amount of flexing (up & down) is normal and part of it is due to the extra top support arm that sits on the rear bumper. Some of the movement could also have been due to the suspension action of the truck while moving and not the unit itself. The top brace arm adds a lot of stability. However, I didn't realize the bumpers would flex as much as they do (I can see it when I stand on the extended hitch when it is attached without the TC over it.





~ Bugjr ~

P.S. - This is the first time I've uploaded pictures as I am not too technically inclined. To upload these pics, I did use the process outlined in the Forum Technical Support section and it worked really well for me.

[Bedlam]

A splitter cable works fine. I have the male end into to truck with a female right next to it for the camper. Another female connector is on a bracket at the of the extension. The splitter is attached to the extension since it is only needed when I use the TC and tow at the same time.

[sonuvabug]

dadwolf2 wrote:


The chains I am referring to are not the trailer safety chains. Like you said, that needs to go to the truck. The chains I mentioned are just to strengthen the extended hitch point in turns and any side to side play/movement.

I bought 2" stock / receiver and then cut & welded the parts to the size I needed from the local trailer hitch supply store.

Great pic ... thanks. Similar approach to what my welder is taking except instead of the chain and turnbuckle set-up, he's going to weld braces on ... that will bolt/unbolt to the OEM hitch edges.

I also want him to weld a piece on top of the extension that runs parallel to it. I envision a coupler hooking into a bumper ball at one end and a hinge at the receiver end. Your turnbuckle system could work too as I initially was thinking of using a load binder.

I have a question for anyone ... with the new axle I just installed on my cargo trailer, it now has electric brakes. I use to use a 4 pin wiring harness with it but as I think this through, seems to me I now need to use a 7 pin wiring harness to the trailer (it is equipped with one and previosly I used a 7 to 4 adapter).

That would mean I need a splitter harness that runs to both the TC and trailer. Right? ~ Bugjr ~

[fuelhauler]

dadwolf2 wrote:


The chains I am referring to are not the trailer safety chains. Like you said, that needs to go to the truck. The chains I mentioned are just to strengthen the extended hitch point in turns and any side to side play/movement.

I bought 2" stock / receiver and then cut & welded the parts to the size I needed from the local trailer hitch supply store.

That's the same thing I just did with 30" extension.

[Reality_Check]

mkirsch wrote:
The thing about extending the receiver is there are bolt-on solutions out there.

Not so when extending the trailer tongue. You need custom fabrication.

Reality Check has piqued my curiosity on the tongue extensions. Do you have any pictures you could share?

Finished this one in a hurry last winter; still need to get it to my shop for a quick sandblast and paint. Function before beauty for sure.

I think the actual extension is 20". Tongue weight on this rig is more than I want (about 1700) and I'm moving/adjusting some items.





Couple of pieces of channel to make the 'box' tube, plate for gussets on the end of the original 'A' frame.

This one is going to get weight distribution. I'm not a fan of it..PITA and tongue weight doesn't affect my truck. But it does affect the extension, and this one needs to get lower and spread out, soooooo... WD is getting put on.