When did you last check your balls?

[JRTJH]

I know, a catchy title to the thread, but a vital issue that more than a few people simply ignore....

Most RV's use a 2 5/16" trailer ball and coupler.

That size ball comes with a variety of "maximum trailer weight ratings"...

HF sells a Tow Master ball with a maximum trailer weight of 5000 pounds.

Amazon sells that size ball with ratings of 5K, 6K, 7.5K 10K and 20K.

etrailer.com has them ranging from 7.5K to 20K.

Most RV dealerships "install what they sell" and many RV buyers "take for granted that the dealership will install the correct equipment"....

I'd ask, with all the GP24 batteries that dealers install in large toyhaulers with residential refrigerators, should we really believe they'll install the correct trailer ball if they ignore the correct battery size ?????

Now may be a great time to check the condition of your trailer hitch ball and to check the rating (we've got all winter to get a new ball and find a place to torque the nut if we can't do it at home). It should be stamped on the top of the ball. I'd suspect that we'll find more than a few 7000 GVW trailers being towed by 5K and 6K balls, some with loose nuts or missing spacers (which is a dead give-away that the ball is under rated for an RV)....

[flybouy]

Hell, they don't look or concern themselves with the load capacity of the truck that ball's attached to. So yes, good point and another thing that "should be OK" from the dealer but needs to be confirmed when purchasing a trailer.

[quaddriver]

Ill be damned, he is right...its all based on the shank size anyways, but 1" shank balls do go down to 6Klbs...I guess so you could get fitment in an older mount...


there even used to be metal collars to allow a 1": in a 1.25" mount....


(there once was a larger size than 2-5/16th but that was DOT regged to pintle hook applications decades ago...if you find one of those, convert to anchor)

[curtiscapk]

perfect timing for this post! I actually put a wrench on mine on Saturday and it turned almost 180*! I know it isn't much but more than I liked! I need to put that on my quarterly checklist.

[sourdough]

Good topic. There are several considerations when putting a ball on the hitch to carry a trailer. I would be very leery of trusting a dealer to install the right ball AND install it properly. I had one installed that was the right ball they just forgot to screw the nut down...

Here's a link to an etrailer info page. Note the different weights a ball can support. I think where they show shank size the block that says 2 5/16" is a mistake and probably should be a 2 5/16" ball and a 1 1/4" shank. Also note the 450ft. lb. of torque it wants...

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-hitch-ball.aspx

[travelin texans]

Speaking of hitch ball torque, I do not know anyone that's ever had a wrench capable of 450 ft lbs. I've always turned the hitch with the ball pointing to the right then with a wrench of the proper size & a torque extension (cheater pipe) about 6' long with my 270lbs hulk at the end should be at or near 450lbs.

[chuckster57]

I will say when I worked at a dealership I personally check the ratings before installing a hitch,ball, W/D. But I’m probably the exception not the rule.

[GaryUT]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Speaking of hitch ball torque, I do not know anyone that's ever had a wrench capable of 450 ft lbs. I've always turned the hitch with the ball pointing to the right then with a wrench of the proper size & a torque extension (cheater pipe) about 6' long with my 270lbs hulk at the end should be at or near 450lbs.

I do the same thing, use a pipe to get it as tight as I can. Then I tack the nut to the shank in 2 spots with the welder.


Gary

[Millertyme76]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Speaking of hitch ball torque, I do not know anyone that's ever had a wrench capable of 450 ft lbs. I've always turned the hitch with the ball pointing to the right then with a wrench of the proper size & a torque extension (cheater pipe) about 6' long with my 270lbs hulk at the end should be at or near 450lbs.

I work at a large engine assembly plant in the quality department. We certify our own torque wrenches. I used one of ours to install my WDH. The wrench is about 6' long.

[xrated]

When I still had my tow behind trailer (13,000 lb GVWR), I bought a 20,000 lb rated ball for the hitch. When it comes to towing equipment, I definitely like to be on the "overkill" side of things. With my 20,000 lb GVWR 5th wheel, I chose a B&W 25K Companion hitch.......again, I like to be on the "overkill" side of things.

[German Shepherd Guy]

ARRRGHHH! When am I going to learn to not ASSUME!!

Thank you John, as soon as it gets light I will go out and check mine.
Always something new on this list
Oak

[quaddriver]

and still no one has the most obvious answer to the OP title: ".... just this morning, why do you ask?"




hahaha

[notanlines]

Sorry, Quad. I last checked in 1983 after my….oh, sorry, not ‘those.’

[flybouy]

John got attention with the title and having a giggle is all good BUT ... it is an often overlooked issue with Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/testic...-symptoms.html

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by flybouy

John got attention with the title and having a giggle is all good BUT ... it is an often overlooked issue with Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/testic...-symptoms.html

During my career I identified (as a guess) somewhere around 100 or so men to refer to urology after an exam and a preliminary ultrasound. Most were under 35 or so and many were found on sports physicals for high school sports. It's not a "delightful exam" for the patient or the provider, but a necessary one.

Then, to "add insult to injury" (for lack of a better term) along comes the "single finger exam" starting around age 50. That exam and an annual PSA blood test can be literally a "lifesaver".

At my age, one of my first criteria when selecting a new primary care provider is an introductory handshake. Most people would consider that to be a friendly gesture... To me, it's a quick exam to determine the size of fingers before scheduling an appointment for my annual exam......

But, getting back to the topic, none of those have "ratings stamped on the face of the ball" or "threads on the bottom"... I'll leave the rest of the descriptors for your imagination.....

[flybouy]

"But, getting back to the topic, none of those have "ratings stamped on the face of the ball" or "threads on the bottom"... I'll leave the rest of the descriptors for your imagination....."

At least not from birth Now days? I don't even want my imagination to go there!

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by flybouy

"But, getting back to the topic, none of those have "ratings stamped on the face of the ball" or "threads on the bottom"... I'll leave the rest of the descriptors for your imagination....."

At least not from birth Now days? I don't even want my imagination to go there!

Yep. I've had to remove "countless intimate jewelry ornaments" after the patient was on the surgery table and asleep. Seems they don't consider that "jewelry" when asked by the nursing staff in pre-op.... Just one "grounded ring" on a Bovie pad and, well, let's don't go there.......

I've seen some "rather interesting tattoos" as well. Some funny, some not so funny and some, at least to me, let's just say, WOW !!!!! I'm sure all have some personal meaning to the owner. Whether it's speculative of the location their last child started or a "wish I could forget" drunken night in Tijuana.....

[flybouy]

My DW was a L&D nurse before becoming a lactation consultant and working in the NICU. She would come home and when I would ask how her shift went she would often say "you won't beleive this but ..."

[chuckster57]

Tattoo’s. I have some seen some real doozies.

[dutchmensport]

I don't have a travel trailer any more. My fifth wheel hitch is good to go though.