Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[WinterDeere]

My dear neighbor, old man Bob, hauled his 10k dump trailer for YEARS using a 2" ball. I didn't discover it until my other neighbor buddy borrowed it one day and I saw up close what he was doing. Neither of them noticed any issue at all, thought it was fine. I bought them both 10k rated 2-5/16" hitch insert balls the next day.

Not as bad, but I realized after several years that the drop hitch I was using between my truck and 7000 lb. trailer was rated only 6000 lb (or was it 5000 lb.?). I had bought that hitch years earlier for a much lighter trailer, and re-purposed it for the new trailer, never taking the time to read the little "max load" numbers stamped on it. It was all 2" receiver stuff, but I've since replaced it to correct that oversight.

 

[cmyoung2]

I use a tri ball, solid shank that has 1 7/8"(never used) 2" and 2 5/16".. I have 2 trailers that use the 2", a bigger 16' that uses 2 5/16" and all the trailers at the farm use the larger size. I painted the 2" side with orange paint, 2 5/16" with green paint so I can tell at a glance or in my backup camera if I have the correct ball size. Before the paint, I have been know to forget to rotate the balls---I do love safety chains.

 

[WinterDeere]

I use a tri ball, solid shank that has 1 7/8"(never used) 2" and 2 5/16"...

Those things look wonderfully convenient for the rare person who's truck and trailer are near the same height. I've never been that lucky, and run drops of 4" to 6" between my current truck and various trailers.

 

[square1]

Those things look wonderfully convenient for the rare person who's truck and trailer are near the same height. I've never been that lucky, and run drops of 4" to 6" between my current truck and various trailers.

Between 2 tow vehicles & 3 trailers it takes 3 stingers to keep everything level. The 2 15/16" ball in the 3" drop is swapped 180 degrees at times depending on which vehicle is hooked to the cargo trailer. I really should buy a 2nd set up for that trailer. Far to often I find myself trying to hook up a trailer - vehicle combo with the needed stinger in the "other vehicle" or no wrench to swap the ball to the other side

 

[Oaktree]

My log splitter has a 1 7/8",

Mine too. Only place I ever use it is on my own property so I just put a 1 7/8 ball on the ATV. Don't use the ATV to tow anything else so it all works out.

 

[steve tym]

Recently at the office, we changed everything over to either 2 5/16 or pintle. I had my guys set all their hitches to the same height so the trailers would always be dropped at the same height and we weren't adjusting trailers all the time to hook up.

 

[deezler]

As long as there is good tongue weight, a smooth road and a bit of luck they can get away with hooking that 2 5/16" coupler to a 2" ball. When you lose any of those then things get messy.

Yep. He primarily hauled in horse manure from the stables up the road, to amend his garden soil. So not that heavy a load, flat asphalt to get there and back. The trailer itself is still 3k lbs though.

Funny addition to the story, he first hauled his 10k dump trailer with a ford ranger, until he bent the frame and had to step up to a v6 F150 (that surely isn't rated much beyond ~7k lbs towing).

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Those things look wonderfully convenient for the rare person who's truck and trailer are near the same height. I've never been that lucky, and run drops of 4" to 6" between my current truck and various trailers.

There are adjustable versions and I have a few, I just don't like using them.

Instead, making the trailer match the height of the receiver minimizes the torsional stresses on the receiver.

 

[lilranch2001]

I’ve only got a 7K car hauler, but I’ve been considering going to pintlehook and ring, just to alleviate the pain in the arse of hitting the ball on socket just perfect, I’m by myself and it takes four or five shots at getting at it just right since I don’t have a back up camera.

For those of you that use the pintle hook, does it help that much in hooking up?

 

[Too many Kubotas]

For those of you that use the pintle hook, does it help that much in hooking up?

I'd say it absolutely does. You still need to be close, but nowhere near as precise.

It's especially helpful when grabbing a trailer with the tractor, just back up to the trailer and hook it. I often do not latch the pintle hook since the tongue weight keeps it in place while moving the trailer.