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Hitch extension

Doggggboy

Doggggboy

Ultra Member
The back hatch on my Yukon will hit the power jack on my travel trailer if they are not both perfectly level.
I turned the power jack head 120 degrees which helped some and then shaved the corner of the head cover a bit which also helped but it still is too close for comfort.
I went to Princess auto and bought a 14 inch hitch extender but realized when I got home that it would reduce the towing capacity by 50%.
I don't have that kind of wiggle room. The loaded trailer is around 5300 lbs and the Yukon towing capacity is 8500 lbs.
I have 2" solid bar and 2" receiver tube at home.
If it was extended even an inch it would be fine for easier hatch access.
Should I just make my own or would that be a liability waiting to happen?
 
Should have mentioned this is a Curt weight distribution hitch
1748696042896.png
 
This is the theory.
At the very least it is an effective way of distributing my money to the dealer.:oops:

A weight distribution hitch works by using spring bars and tension to evenly distribute the trailer's tongue weight between the tow vehicle and the trailer itself. This helps prevent the tow vehicle from squatting and the front from rising, improving handling and braking stability.

Here's a more detailed explanation:
  • Load Distribution:
    When a trailer is connected to a tow vehicle, the weight of the trailer's tongue (the part that rests on the hitch ball) is transferred to the tow vehicle's rear axle. This can cause the front end of the tow vehicle to lift and the rear to squat, especially with heavier trailers.

    • Weight Distribution Hitch Solution:
      A weight distribution hitch uses adjustable spring bars and tension to distribute the tongue weight across the axles of both the tow vehicle and the trailer. The spring bars act like levers, applying pressure to the hitch head and the trailer's A-frame.
    • How it Works:
      The hitch head is connected to the tow vehicle's receiver, and the spring bars are attached to the trailer's A-frame. As the trailer is towed, the spring bars transfer a portion of the tongue weight to the trailer's axles and the tow vehicle's rear axle.
    • Benefits:
      By distributing the weight more evenly, a weight distribution hitch improves handling, stability, and braking control. It also helps to reduce sway and prevent the tow vehicle from squatting or the front from lifting excessively.
    • Adjustments:
      The weight distribution hitch can be adjusted to distribute the tongue weight appropriately based on the trailer's load and the tow vehicle's capabilities.
 
You can nearly lift the back wheels of the tow vehicle off the ground with that set up. Which could cause a few problems.
Addmitidly, you would need some good axles and suspension on the trailer.
 
Bandit said:
You can nearly lift the back wheels of the tow vehicle off the ground with that set up. Which could cause a few problems.
Addmitidly, you would need some good axles and suspension on the trailer.
Click to expand...
We've only towed a few hundred km so far but it sure does fix the squat.
Air bags would too but this is pretty low tech and not prone to failure.
 
I use a weight distributing hitch with my HD truck and travel trailer. It is a big trailer. Without it, I'd look like the Beverly Hills Clamppetts (Sp?) on the highway. They work great. I agree with previous posts - the hitch transfers some of the, hitch weight to the front axle of the truck using leverage the goal is a level truck and trailer.

I do NOT agree with making your own hitch bar a few inches longer. Even 1 inch will derate your hitch by a very significant amount. Do the math - it isn't pretty. That's why I stay miles away from those welding shops that do custom hitches.

Instead, I would replace the trailer jack with a shorter one. If you have the room and the right jack, you can even space the current one down a few inches with a spacer between the trailer frame and the jack flange. You might need to remove the electric drive (if so equipped) to do it. And you can always keep a block of 4x4 to put under the jack foot to make up for the height loss.
 
Doggggboy said:
I don't have that kind of wiggle room. The loaded trailer is around 5300 lbs and the Yukon towing capacity is 8500 lbs.
Click to expand...
forgive me but I am going to be very blunt here for a reason...In my 20 yr trucking career I have seen my share of hiway mishaps, in the winter month's road conditions are mainly the cause BUT in the summer months the most wrecks I have seen are short wheelbase light tow vehicles pulling an RV...truck & trailer twisted up in a ditch with the trailer tore apart and shit spread for 200 yrds down the ditch...every one I have seen I wonder if a family was inside that vehicle and how they fared.
My point--- people wanting to market those tow vehicles magnify the towing capacity to what the vehicle will pull, and with enough horse power they will do that...but the real towing capacity of a vehicle is how it will stop that trailer or control it in a panic situation...and short wheel base outfits like a Yukon for example dont have the weight ratio to control a trailer that weighs 6000 lbs .
There are two glaring scenarios to be concerned about ...stopping in an emergency panic situation...that trailer is going to boss your truck around like it owns you...the second is a situation you would probably never think of ...your minding your own business at a safe speed down the highway when a big ol' semi comes up behind you and passes at 15 or 20 mph faster than your going and that big truck is pushing a wind wake that hits that big square back of your RV unit like a tornado...again that trailer becomes boss of your tow vehicle and sorry, you and your traveling family are powerless to do anything about it.
Sorry man I just dont think your biggest concern is your trailer jack
 
Doggggboy said:
The back hatch on my Yukon will hit the power jack on my travel trailer if they are not both perfectly level.
I turned the power jack head 120 degrees which helped some and then shaved the corner of the head cover a bit which also helped but it still is too close for comfort.
I went to Princess auto and bought a 14 inch hitch extender but realized when I got home that it would reduce the towing capacity by 50%.
I don't have that kind of wiggle room. The loaded trailer is around 5300 lbs and the Yukon towing capacity is 8500 lbs.
I have 2" solid bar and 2" receiver tube at home.
If it was extended even an inch it would be fine for easier hatch access.
Should I just make my own or would that be a liability waiting to happen?
Click to expand...
Picture?
 
historicalarms said:
forgive me but I am going to be very blunt here for a reason...In my 20 yr trucking career I have seen my share of hiway mishaps, in the winter month's road conditions are mainly the cause BUT in the summer months the most wrecks I have seen are short wheelbase light tow vehicles pulling an RV...truck & trailer twisted up in a ditch with the trailer tore apart and shit spread for 200 yrds down the ditch...every one I have seen I wonder if a family was inside that vehicle and how they fared.
My point--- people wanting to market those tow vehicles magnify the towing capacity to what the vehicle will pull, and with enough horse power they will do that...but the real towing capacity of a vehicle is how it will stop that trailer or control it in a panic situation...and short wheel base outfits like a Yukon for example dont have the weight ratio to control a trailer that weighs 6000 lbs .
There are two glaring scenarios to be concerned about ...stopping in an emergency panic situation...that trailer is going to boss your truck around like it owns you...the second is a situation you would probably never think of ...your minding your own business at a safe speed down the highway when a big ol' semi comes up behind you and passes at 15 or 20 mph faster than your going and that big truck is pushing a wind wake that hits that big square back of your RV unit like a tornado...again that trailer becomes boss of your tow vehicle and sorry, you and your traveling family are powerless to do anything about it.
Sorry man I just dont think your biggest concern is your trailer jack
Click to expand...
No forgiveness needed for giving cautionary warnings. Thanks.
The loaded Yukon will weigh around 7500lbs and has a towing capacity of 8500lbs. The trailer is 3800lbs empty and 5400lbs loaded, and it won't be loaded when travelling, so probably 4600lbs max.
I've decided I'm not going to go with any sort of hitch extension. It looks like I would lose at least 25% of my capacity with even a short extension and there just isn't the margin for that. My next attempt tor hatch clearance is switching to a manual jack. It is significantly shorter than the power hitch so I think it will work.
 
I think the bigger problem towing travel trailers with lighter trucks Is the sail area, the wind gets pushing that trailer sideways and eventually can take the tow vehicle with it, the faster you go the worse it gets, so keep it at or under the speed limit.

That said, highway 2 is littered with semis pulling box trailers on their sides during the summer months. No one is immune to heavy cross winds
 
historicalarms said:
My point--- people wanting to market those tow vehicles magnify the towing capacity to what the vehicle will pull, and with enough horse power they will do that...
Click to expand...

There is great truth in what you say. But there are regulations that were developed to try and address that. Most manufacturers don't rate the towing capacity based on HP at all. Much as the marketing types would love to do that, the ratings are in fact mostly based on the brake performance and overall stability of the combined package. The engineering groups try their best to stop the kind of BS you describe, but we can't follow the marketing, dealership sales folks, or the after market around.

Even if we could, there are still two problems with that.

1. The RV trailer folks don't design trailers for a particular tow vehicle and they don't do it properly for the average tow vehicle either.

2. The customer ignores all that stuff and does whatever they think they can get away with.

The truth is that there usually isn't a lot of weight capacity left for cargo after the water and holding tanks are filled. But people ALWAYS put a ton of other crap in there too.

I've also seen combinations with the hitch laying down a spark trail - obviously WAY over the hitch capacity. No attention was paid to hitch weight at all.

The results are exactly as you outlined.
 
The brutal truth is that vehicles have inadequate rear suspensions. Because the suspension can't handle lateral weight transfer, you tow vehicles ends up pointing in the wrong direction. Rather unnerving . I even had that issue with my 1ton LWB p/u . Historicallarms describes well the results.
 
The worst I've seen was a lifted Duramax crew long bed pulling a tandem axle bumper pull car trailer. It had to have been at least 12" or more of drop receiver. Had an OBS F350 crew 4x4 dually with a plow on the trailer.
 
Dan Dubeau said:
Switch to a manual jack, but weld a nut on the same as your leveling jacks. Then use a battery impact for all. Power jacks all around.
Click to expand...
Almost did that. My new theory with this camping setup is to keep it as simple as possible, even if that means more work.
The handle of the jack is bolted on. This means it can't get lost or have a dead battery when you need it. I've got the cordless drill ready but plan on using the speed wrench on the stabilizers since they don't hold much weight and are easy to spin manually.
The whole idea of getting away from it all kinda loses some impact if you take it all with you.
 
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