A lack of lubrication is one of the most common causes of hitch stuck on a ball. If you don't already, have a can of spray lube readily available when towing a trailer.
A too-high hitch is very dangerous. When the hitch height is higher than the trailer, the trailer will tip backwards, unbalanced and wobbly. This poor weight distribution will result in a hazardous driving situation for you and others on the road.
Expert Reply: Curt recommends the use of 250 ft/lbs of torque when tightening the nuts of their hitch balls with a 1 inch diameter shank like the part # C40034 that you referenced. The general rule is for a 3/4" shank tighten to 150 ft/lbs For a 1" shank tighten to 250 ft/lbs, and for a 1-1/4 inch shank 450 ft/lbs.
Your tow ball height should be such that the trailer sits level when fitted to the tow vehicle. As a guide the centre of the tow ball should be between 400mm and 450mm from the road surface when measured on level ground with the trailer on the vehicle.
If you don't have enough weight on the trailer tongue, the trailer may be prone to swaying from side to side, making it difficult to control. Conversely, if you have too much weight exerted on the hitch ball, the force could overload the rear tires of the tow vehicle and push the rear end of the vehicle around.
We normally recommend at least 11” of clearance from the bottom of your LOADED trailer hitch ball mount to the ground, no less. That 11” of clearance gives you some leeway for bumps, dips, and slanted driveways so that you do not scrape the bottom of your hitch.
So, can you flip your tow hitch? If the tow bar and tow tongue manufacturer approve, along with the vehicle manufacturer, you are good to go. Make sure its not going to hit anything, and that it doesn't upset your tow ball weight, and you'll be just fine.
(It is okay for a hitch ball to be up to 1-inch higher than the coupler to account for vehicle rear-end squat.)
You do not need to grease your trailer hitch ball. That is entirely up to you. However, greasing it is recommended. Greasing will help ensure that the trailer hitch ball keeps its structural integrity, and it will help prevent it from squeaking.
Hitch pin locks provide extra security and protection from thieves, whether you're towing a trailer or pulling your camper for a family road trip. When you're not using your trailer or camper, you can use your hitch lock to protect a hitch-mounted cargo carrier when you need extra cargo.
The nut on a hitch ball with a 1-1/4 inch shank takes a wrench with a 1-7/8 inch socket. A hitch ball with a 1 inch shank will take a wrench with a 1-1/2 inch socket. You will need to torque all hitch balls with a 1-1/4 inch shank, like 2-51/6 inch hitch ball # A-6, down to 450 ft/lbs.
Kincrome 50mm Tow Ball Spanner.
Whenever a vehicle towing a trailer travels along the road with the back down and front up, a problem of weight transfer exists. This means that there is less weight on the front wheels but more on the rear. For maximum safety, stability and vehicle control, both the caravan and towing vehicle should be level.
There will be a small amount of play between the shank of the ball mount and the receiver hitch when the ball mount is installed. If you would like to eliminate this play you can use an anti-rattle device like an Anti-Rattle Device for 2 inch Hitches # SR25219.
There has to be a little wiggle room in your hitch receiver in order to get a tow bar or ball mount to slide into and out of it.
If you adjust the ball angle farther away from the towing vehicle, you will angle the weight distribution spring bars down toward the ground and that will distribute more weight. Angling the ball forward towards the towing vehicle puts less angle on the spring bars and therefore less weight is distributed.
The 1 7/8-inch ball is used on smaller trailers and has a maximum weight capacity of 2,000 pounds. The 2-inch ball is for medium trailers and has a capacity of up to 8,000 pounds, while the 2 5/16- and 3-inch balls have a weight capacity of up to 30,000 pounds.
A longer tongue is nice for extending axle separation (distance from the tow vehicle rear axle to the trailer front axle) for both stability and bounce.
The most common causes for trailer sway are improper weight distribution, tight turns, steep roads, high-speed driving, a tall truck passing, crosswinds, over-steering, and under-inflated tires.
So in short, level is best. If level is not possible, then try to go slightly nose down. Slightly nose up can be fine, but keep an eye out for trailer sway. You can view some additional information on towing a trailer at the links provided.
So, hitch weight IS included in the dry weight (and Gross Vehicle Weight, see below), and most experts agree that an acceptable hitch/tongue weight for any trailer is somewhere between 10 and 15 percent of the trailer weight.
The mass of the 'van will not change… but the ball weight certainly will. Moving the spare wheel(s) from the A-frame to the rear of the 'van will significantly reduce the ball weight.