New hitch

[fallsrider]

Hi, all. We have been towing our '95 Sunnybrook 26DB with our '05 Suburban 1500, and it has been a fun time with that combination. The weight distribution hitch that came with the trailer has worked great. I can't remember the brand, but it is the old traditional style with spring bars and your engage the bars with a pipe.

Last weekend, though, we picked up a 2015 Suburban 1500, and the receiver on it is much higher off the ground. I had one more set of bolt holes to lower the head, and that gained me 1-1/4" or so inches lower to the ground just eyeballing it. But it is not quite enough to keep the trailer level. It rides tongue high. The trailer frame rides pretty low compared to newer trailers I see.

What are some hitch recommendations that might get the ball height lower? I did a test tow this evening and am very happy with the performance of the 'burb, and I parked it in a flat paved parking lot to get out and get a good side view. I wish I had thought to measure the tongue height off the ground then.

[fallsrider]

I made a big score today. I got to wondering if I could find a shank with enough drop to get my trailer level. After 4 prior stops, I swung by a RV dealer. They had a used shank I thought might work, and it has a 14,000/1,400 lb. rating, plenty beefy.

It works great. The original shank...

 New shank. It dropped the ball 3-1/2".

 Just about perfect.

 

[valhalla360]

Yeah,  it depends on the design. 

[valhalla360]

Some hitch heads can be flipped over to extend lower.  Obviously the ball needs to be flipped also so it points up.

Otherwise if you are at the lowest set of holes, you either need to replace the hitch with one that extends lower or raise the trailer. 

If the trailer sits low, I would lean towards that if the price isn't much more.  A simple axle flip isn't too involved and will raise the trailer about 4inches. This will also help avoid tail dragging on uneven ground. 

[fallsrider]

That's an interesting idea. I had not thought about flipping the head. I am not at home right now, but in thinking about how the head is designed, I'm not sure the cups where the spring bars mount to the head would work right. But I will certainly look at that when I get home.

Will also consider the axle flip. Thanks.