Towing - Adjustable Ball mount?

[na80]

Hey guys,

I have an 09 LTZ, HD towing package, with a stock suspension. I will start doing a little towing this summer (friends boat), and wanted to get some advice on a hitch. I was looking the adjustable one bellow, but wanted to see if anyone thought that it may scrape the ground when going up a hill (if it is at it's lowest setting).

It is not really a matter of cost, it is more that I do not want to have to buy a different mount every time I tow something different.

http://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Diversi-Tech/DTALBM6600.html

 

[domin8]

What your want to look out for is your departure angle. If the angle of the road surface you are driving is greater than the angle measured from your rear tires to the hitch in contrast to the road surface then you will scrape. This applies to all vehicles and not just hitches.

 

[na80]

Yes exactly!, that is mainly what I am worried about. I am trying to figure out if that will hang to low or not. (I only plan to have it attached when it is in use).

 

[TowGMC]

Hey guys,

I have an 09 LTZ, HD towing package, with a stock suspension. I will start doing a little towing this summer (friends boat), and wanted to get some advice on a hitch. I was looking the adjustable one bellow, but wanted to see if anyone thought that it may scrape the ground when going up a hill (if it is at it's lowest setting).

It is not really a matter of cost, it is more that I do not want to have to buy a different mount every time I tow something different.

http://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Diversi-Tech/DTALBM6600.html

I'm not a big fan of those. Aside from the obvious that the unused piece hangs too low, they also rattle. And for that price you can buy 2 or 3 traditional ball mounts with different drops.

Having towed probably 100K miles over the past 25 years, I've learned having the correct ball mount to make sure the trailer is level when connected and loaded is the way to go. I have a 1", 2" and 4" ball mount in my garage for when I tow dead weight.

Easiest thing to do is level your friend's trailer, then measure the height to the bottom of the coupler. Now measure to the bottom of the 2" square part of your hitch. The difference is roughly the drop you need. It's not exact because you don't know how much the back of the Tahoe will drop with tongue weight unless you have air suspension.

For example, the height to the ball mount on my race car trailer is 19.5", and the hitch on my Denali is 23" so I use a 4" drop when I'm not using my weight distributing platform.

http://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Hidden-Hitch/80228.html

 

[HOE-N-IT]

I'm not a fan of those either but if you do decide to go with one I don't think you will have a problem. I use a draw bar with a 5" drop to tow my boat level. I had a 02 Yukon and only needed a 2" drop to tow the same boat. The NNBS Tahoe hitch is pretty tall and since you have a LTZ you have the Autoride which has the compressor and will raise the back level to compensate for the tongue weight.

 

[StevenFromTexas]

The adjustable ball mount just doesn't look right on a Tahoe . . . perhaps more appropriate for a commercial vehicle. I'm with the other posters who favor the right ball mount for the right trailer.

Here's a recent topic in this forum: http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32873&highlight=hitch

 

[na80]

Thanks for the feedback.

It sounds like while it may not be the best for someone who hauls alot, it would be ok for how often that I use one. Also while the clearance will not be an issue in the Tahoe, i think it would be a problem in my jeep. I think that I may be better off to purchase a 2" and 4" drop (the boat is in dry storage 4 hours a way).

Any opinions on using the interchangeable balls?
http://www.etrailer.com/Balls/Convert-A-Ball/900B.html

 

[StevenFromTexas]

Any opinions on using the interchangeable balls?
http://www.etrailer.com/Balls/Convert-A-Ball/900B.html

I have no experience with that gizmo, but just looking at the diagram of it, it looks like an accident waiting to happen. Me? I'd run from it.


It'll be interesting to see if anyone makes a post saying they have used or seen one in action.

 

[TowGMC]

Thanks for the feedback.

It sounds like while it may not be the best for someone who hauls alot, it would be ok for how often that I use one. Also while the clearance will not be an issue in the Tahoe, i think it would be a problem in my jeep. I think that I may be better off to purchase a 2" and 4" drop (the boat is in dry storage 4 hours a way).

Any opinions on using the interchangeable balls?
http://www.etrailer.com/Balls/Convert-A-Ball/900B.html

Those multi-piece balls are OK for temporary use. But a solid one piece ball will be far stronger. Again, like the ball mount, the old tried and true is the best solution. All the stresses of towing, stopping and swaying are taken by the ball, not a place to experiment. Remember that even if the boat and trailer only weight 5,000 lbs static, under certain conditions the forces on the ball can be far greater than that.

 

[wlsellers]

Convert-a-ball

Just throwing out my experience with the convert-a-ball. I've been using the 2" and 1 7/8" balls for about seven years with no problems. The 2" ball is used for a 20' ski boat. The 1 7/8" ball is used for pulling a utility trailer, so it is a lot less loaded. I personally can't "feel" any difference when towing versus a traditional set-up.