When to step up to a 2 5/16 ball

Caleb · Mar 19, 2004

Hickey said:
28 foot goose neck. you want one. Admit it. You can get one for about 3 grand new.

I would love to do that setup, but like Kirk doubt the wife would go for it, and I would have no where to store a 28ft trailer

...parents are ready to kill me with my 16ft at their house...once I get back to work the wife wants to start looking seriously at motorhomes...

Hickey · Mar 19, 2004

supergper said:
the wife wants to start looking seriously at motorhomes...

That woman is a keeper!

Maverick · Mar 19, 2004

Caleb said:
the wife wants to start looking seriously at motorhomes...

Hickey said:
That woman is a keeper!

My wife said something like that once, when we were at a camper show, "this would be really fun for the family...would it pull your jeep?" 'course now she denies it...

I like the gooseneck/camper thing...except I don't like actually fitting the family in a camper.

Over 5000lbs with a 2" ball requires eq bars. Or, 2 5/16". My 7000lb 16' trailer came with a 2" coupler, so I use eq bars. My 26' travel trailer is also in the 5000-6000lb range and has a 2" coupler. I thought of cutting the coupler off and putting on a 2 5/16 one, but decided to pass. I've got 3 different stingers so changing balls is no big deal, and I don't use the eq bars when I'm just towing light stuff on the trailer.

Burb doesn't really need the eq bars, but it takes the edge off, I guess. I don't have the chain/hook thingies on the travel trailer, so I don't use the eq bars with it.

Brett

Caleb · Mar 19, 2004

Maverick said:
My wife said something like that once, when we were at a camper show, "this would be really fun for the family...would it pull your jeep?" 'course now she denies it...

I like the gooseneck/camper thing...except I don't like actually fitting the family in a camper.

Over 5000lbs with a 2" ball requires eq bars. Or, 2 5/16". My 7000lb 16' trailer came with a 2" coupler, so I use eq bars. My 26' travel trailer is also in the 5000-6000lb range and has a 2" coupler. I thought of cutting the coupler off and putting on a 2 5/16 one, but decided to pass. I've got 3 different stingers so changing balls is no big deal, and I don't use the eq bars when I'm just towing light stuff on the trailer.

Burb doesn't really need the eq bars, but it takes the edge off, I guess. I don't have the chain/hook thingies on the travel trailer, so I don't use the eq bars with it.

Brett

thats where the conversation started (at the RV show) but now she realizes how nice it would be to have one...my wife is a pansy too though, roughing it to her is like staying in a Motel 6 instead of the Hilton...she had NEVER camped in her life till she met me...I have taken her a few times but its so much work to do by myself when in a tent, so this year with a camper we should be going a lot more often

...

I have always wanted to try eq. bars but cant justify the cost right now (figured my F350 should be able to tow my buggy just fine)...what exactly do they do? Dont they spread the load a little more evenly somehow?

Maverick · Mar 21, 2004

supergper said:
thats where the conversation started (at the RV show) but now she realizes how nice it would be to have one...my wife is a pansy too though, roughing it to her is like staying in a Motel 6 instead of the Hilton...she had NEVER camped in her life till she met me...I have taken her a few times but its so much work to do by myself when in a tent, so this year with a camper we should be going a lot more often...?

ditto that. Got the tt to put on the property 'til we get a cabin. She's waitin' to see how much of a pita it is with the little one before she decides how happy she is about it.

supergper said:
I have always wanted to try eq. bars but cant justify the cost right now (figured my F350 should be able to tow my buggy just fine)...what exactly do they do? Dont they spread the load a little more evenly somehow?

Yup, they put more of the load on the front tires and the trailer tires...I do it more because of the 2" ball than anything else, the burb hardly needs it. I got the setup with another truck I had a few years ago.

Brett

Maverick · Mar 21, 2004

Hickey said:
Once you hit 10K, you go to a pintle hook.

Source?

Hickey said:
Myself, If I were pulling that much, I would go to a goose neck or 5th wheel before I pulled with a pintle.

ditto, but hard to do with a burb...(new burbs rated up to 12,000lbs)

Hickey said:
At work, we use 120K rated Pintle hooks, but they have an air ram to keep the pintle slop away.

where do you work?

(boy, curious tonight)

muleskinner · Mar 21, 2004

Maverick said:
Over 5000lbs with a 2" ball requires eq bars. Or, 2 5/16".

Brett

I always heard eq bars were used for short wheelbase vehicles to spread the load a little better. What would the diameter of the ball matter, whether its 2 or 2 5/16? My 2'' ball is rated at 10,000 lbs and I have never used an eq on any of my trucks. (I towed a Bobcat on my trailer last weekend and that thing was heavy

)

Hickey · Mar 21, 2004

Maverick said:
where do you work?

(boy, curious tonight)

The happy place. Do you like Doritos?

I Lean · Mar 21, 2004

Hickey said:
Do you like Doritos?

I do, I do!

Hickey · Mar 21, 2004

I Lean said:
I do, I do!

Trade ya a case for a beadlock ring

Maverick · Mar 21, 2004

muleskinner said:
I always heard eq bars were used for short wheelbase vehicles to spread the load a little better. What would the diameter of the ball matter, whether its 2 or 2 5/16? My 2'' ball is rated at 10,000 lbs and I have never used an eq on any of my trucks. (I towed a Bobcat on my trailer last weekend and that thing was heavy )

More of a benefit for softer sprung rigs, short wheelbase too I guess. I'm just goin' by what my reciever on my burb says...gonna check it again.

Bottom line, it puts more weight on the front tires. Even on a rig like a burb, 1000 lbs on the rear takes about 400-500 off the front.

You have a 2" ball that says it's rated for 10,000lbs? Right on the ball? Where did you buy it?

Usually they are 5000 or 6000, stamped on the ball.

Brett (gotta go flip the steaks)

MR.CJ-7 · Mar 22, 2004

I too would like to find the 10K 2" ball. The highest I can find is a 6K 2" ball.

I asked the RV shop to install the heaviest rated 2" ball when they put on my Titan 2.5" receiver and draw bar so I could tow behind my camper. They said 6K was the max. My carhualer is rated at 7K and it came with a 2" coupler. So when I pull the Jeep on the trailer with the camper on the truck I run an weight distributing hitch .

muleskinner · Mar 22, 2004

I don't remember them being hard to find. I've had mine for 8-10 years. (I think I have 2 of them)

Hickey · Mar 22, 2004

Well duh, Taiwan 10,000 lbs is like 4,000 lbs in USA

muleskinner · Mar 22, 2004

Hickey said:
Well duh, Taiwan 10,000 lbs is like 4,000 lbs in USA

Yea, Maybe it's a missprint... 10,000 Grams or something.

Coreshot · Mar 22, 2004

MR.CJ-7 said:
I too would like to find the 10K 2" ball. The highest I can find is a 6K 2" ball.

I got my 2" 10000lb. ball from Henderson's on 300 west

Maverick · Mar 22, 2004

Coreshot said:
I got my 2" 10000lb. ball from Henderson's on 300 west

...heading to Henderson's on 300 west...

Wonder what the difference is? Do your balls

have a 1" or 1-1/4" shank?

http://www.reese-hitches.com/trailer_hitch_balls.htm#Class III

Clear as mud, note the 2" is now only rated for 6000 lbs, as is the 2 5/16 with the 1" shank. The quickchange though is rated for 10000lbs, even though it only has a 1" shank.

http://www.putnamhitch.com/HitchBalls/reghb.htm

gonna get me this one (since I have a 1 1/4" hole):

99030 2" 1-1/4" 2-1/4" 12 8000# 3.10

or this SS one:

92007 2" 1" 2-1/4" 14 7500# 2.58

Here's a bad-ass 2-5/16":

94004 Raw 2-5/16" 1-1/4" - 2-1/4" 12 30000# 4.14

Here's another site with 2" 10000#:
http://www.auto-extra.com/hitch_ball.htm

Greg · Mar 23, 2004

So, uhhh... has anyone ever had their ball fail on them? (No sick jokes please

)

Coreshot · Mar 23, 2004

Maverick said:
Wonder what the difference is? Do your balls have a 1" or 1-1/4" shank?

1 1/4. I had to buy a 10000 lb. hitch just so the ball would fit it.

RockMonkey · Mar 23, 2004

Greg said:
So, uhhh... has anyone ever had their ball fail on them? (No sick jokes please )

I'd like to know that too. I've never heard of it happening.

When to step up to a 2 5/16 ball

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