Hello all,

Need to purchase receiver hitch bar for an '03 3500 4x4. It's looking like it will need either a 4" or 6" drop for my horse and utility trailer. Both have the top of the coupler at 17-18" when riding level. (They are dual axle, and excessive angle puts way more load on one axle)

I'm curious if anyone else has found gone down this path and found out what works.

It's a bit trickier than it seems because the 3500 settles quite a bit with bed or tongue weight until the extra springs engage, somewhere around 2-3 inches.

Thanks,
Alan

2003 3500 CTD 4x4 48RE

 

Mine is a 2002 3500, and I have the 6 ". Don't know if that helps or not.

 

It is trickier than it seems; because all truck/trailer combos are different. I've got a 4" drop for my little util trailer that really needs a 5"; and a 1" drop (almost a staight bar mounted on the low side) for pulling the boat. The straight 3-way was too high for my 3 axle trailer. My 2500 sinks alot lower than did my old F350 dooley with the boat hooked up.

Get the old tape measure out, and figure out what drop would work best for your application. Then go visit your neighborhood trailer shop and try it out, if it works keep it, if not, pick another ballmount with more/less drop. They'll usually work with you when it comes to playing with ball mounts. Mine does anyway.

If I didn't have so many ball mounts lying around anymore, I'd buy one of those 3-ball, multi-adjustable ball mounts for my truck - but they are pricey.

 

for my trailer i have a 8 inch drop. your best to measure the hitch height of your trailer and go from there. if you are useing weight distributing hitch measure trailer height and measure truck hitch height and go from there. if not useing weight hitch figure drop of truck height when trailer hitched and go to leveland figure drop from there.

 

One more thing. Don't take the advertised drop measurment literally.

I have never understood how they measure them, but my 6" drop ball mount only drops the ball 4 1/2". I measure it from the inside bottom of the receiver tube to the actual height of the ball mount platform. Seemed logical to me. :-

 

Okay....maybe this is more complicated than I'm thinking, but I don't think so. Why could you not just set the trailer tongue up on the step bumper and let the weight down to see how much the truck drops...measure to the bottom of the receiver...and then determine how much drop you'd need to get the trailer to ride level??

 

[quote author=thecatsfan link=board=11;threadid=19663;start=0#msg184686 date=1063594131]
One more thing. Don't take the advertised drop measurment literally.

I have never understood how they measure them, but my 6" drop ball mount only drops the ball 4 1/2". I measure it from the inside bottom of the receiver tube to the actual height of the ball mount platform. Seemed logical to me. :-
[/quote]

I believe the drop is measured from the inside of the TOP of the receiver....but I could be wrong. :-

 

Check this out.

http://www.hitchsolutions.com/rapidhitch.html

Added one to my collection a few months ago.

 

Hoss,

I wondered about that, but measuring that way, my 6" drop ball mount provides a 6 1/2" drop - still a lot closer than 4 1/2" though. Also, my straight ball mount, which is listed as a 0" drop, is level with the bottom of the receiver tube, not the top. Oh well, I just measure em and buy what agrees with my tape measure.

And as far as measuring the way you suggested? That's pretty much what I do, except I just use my straight ball mount and then measure from there. Works very well.

 

[quote author=thecatsfan link=board=11;threadid=19663;start=0#msg184903 date=1063649981]And as far as measuring the way you suggested? That's pretty much what I do, except I just use my straight ball mount and then measure from there. Works very well.
[/quote]

I was going to suggest that but didn't think the gentleman would want to buy a straight ball mount just for the purpose of measuring...so I suggested just sitting it on the step bumper.

 

Yeah. . . I can see that.

 

[quote author=thecatsfan link=board=11;threadid=19663;start=0#msg184903 date=1063649981]
... my straight ball mount, which is listed as a 0" drop, is level with the bottom of the receiver tube, not the top. ...
[/quote]

Is it installed upside down?

100 Proof

 

Probally one of the best investments you can make, is in a good quallity draw bar that is adjustable. It's a one time investment, and well worth the money. You have the option of quickly changing the height, and peace of mind in knowing you will get a good, streight pull. Most bumper pull (tag) trailers are set-up to have the ball set at 19" top of ball, this is pretty standard.

 

[quote author=thecatsfan link=board=11;threadid=19663;start=0#msg184686 date=1063594131]
One more thing. Don't take the advertised drop measurment literally.

I have never understood how they measure them, but my 6" drop ball mount only drops the ball 4 1/2". I measure it from the inside bottom of the receiver tube to the actual height of the ball mount platform. Seemed logical to me. :-
[/quote]

Just did a little research on this. The amount of drop or rise is measured from the TOP of the inside of the receiver....or the top of the drawbar itself....just so everyone knows. So, a drawbar with a 2" drop would have a mounting surface even with the bottom of the inside of the receiver.

 

Good to know Hoss.

My 0" must be upside down, but if I flip it over, the ball mounts on the other side of the plate, making it a 1" rise. There's no way to insert it and mount the ball so it is even with the top of the tube. Go figure. I guess I shouldn't assume that these guys all agree on how they're supposed to be measured before they build em. ;D

Adjustable draw bars scare me. I have seen them come apart. I know it's possible for a welded bar to come apart too, but it's much less likely. There's no fasteners that can get loose and start to vibrate and wear until something breaks.

A few years ago, a woman and child were killed a few miles away on I25 by a runaway boat and trailer after the draw bar bolts broke.

At $25 a piece, I can afford to buy the different size draw bars I need.