HITCH HEIGHTH ?

[Oasisbob]

I am installing my old class 3 adjustable heighth hitch on my new to me Ford Explorer with factory receiver. On the lowest setting my ball is still 2-3 inch's taller than my trailer hitch is when trailer is level. This is unhooked. Do you think my Explorer with factory tow package will sink down a few inch's and work? I do use load leveling bars. Option B is to purchase a different hitch that will lower the ball another two inch's. What say you? I know for sure you guys know more than I do. Thanks in advance.

[CharlesinGA]

agesilaus wrote:
Hook it up and check it. You have a WDH and that doesn't have it's own receiver?

OP has a receiver on the vehicle, he is asking about the shank of the hitch. Most WD hitches have a head that bolts to the vertical holes of the shank with two 3/4 bolts, which allow you to adjust the height of the head. There is no way to know until the OP hangs the trailer on the ball and sees what happens. If necessary the head can be moved up or down the shank, or the shank can be rotated so the offset of the vertical part is reversed. New shanks can be purchased with more drop or rise, but probably not necessary.

Charles

[kellem]

Oasisbob wrote:
wITH MY RIG ON LEVEL GROUND MY tv SITS TWO INCH'S HIGH FROM BEING LEVEL. sO i AM BUYING A DROP UNIT. hOPE THIS MAKES ALL WELL.

tHAt tYpING iS hOrREndOuS, SoRrY

[Oasisbob]

wITH MY RIG ON LEVEL GROUND MY tv SITS TWO INCH'S HIGH FROM BEING LEVEL. sO i AM BUYING A DROP UNIT. hOPE THIS MAKES ALL WELL.

[Boomerweps]

My hitch setup also starts with setting the hitch ball 1” higher than the trailer coupler.
If you need to adjust height outside the current WDH, you can get a replacement longer drop/rise drawbar or shank, sometimes called a stinger.

As recommended earlier, you need to test fit it on the new tow vehicle. I was lucky. Swapping from a 2008 Explorer to an F150 resulting in my TT going from level to 1/2” high front, acceptable to me.

After flipping the TT axle, I had to literally flip the WDH on the shank. No problem except having to find/borrow the large wrenches & sockets, a 5” rise.

[Grit_dog]

^ Now lets see a pic of the new Explorer! Eco boost?

[Oasisbob]

Thanks all. Some good observations. Seems I just need to hook up and see. Thursday looks dry . I will let ya all know. Thanks again

[Geo_Boy]

Bob, get a B&W Tow N Stow and adjust accordingly.

[kellem]

If your using a WDH you'll want to take 2 measurements of the front end of tow vehicle, ground to wheel well.
Take a measurement unloaded and another with trailer hooked up with tounge weight.
Set the hitch up to where the 2 measurements have been split. This indicates weight transfer.

That said, with my HD trucks, I've always started with my hitch ball 1" higher than trailer coupler when setting up WDH and always got weight transfer and a level trailer.

Not knowing your trailer or tow vehicles capacity, none of what I said may happen.

[ronharmless]

Yes it's going to squat some, but you won't know how much until you try it. An inch or two one way or the other is not the end of the world.

[Grit_dog]

Congrats on the new rig Bob!
Sounds like it’s close to working.
Couple things?
Is the Explorer auto level air ride? If it is, that doesn’t help, but it may not be prohibitive.
Is your trailer tandem leaf springs? If so it will handle a little nose up better than torsion axles which will place more load on one axle or the other if not close to level.
Lastly, throw the trailer on, put some weight in the vehicle and camper to simulate how it will be loaded on the rear axle of the vehicle. See how it looks and drives restoring some weight to the front as needed.
If it’s good, it’s good. If not, then you may need to get a lower hitch.
Imo, I’d confirm that first. If no auto level I bet it will be very close or work.

[bigorange]

I don’t think any of us know your setup like you do...and the best way to find out is to hook it up and give it a try.

[Lwiddis]

You want your Explorer to squat 2 or 3 inches so you don’t need a new hitch?

[agesilaus]

Hook it up and check it. You have a WDH and that doesn't have it's own receiver?