How do I know what kind of hitch to get?

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Ok, Camping World installed the brake controller and 7 pin plug today. No all's I gotta do is figure out how to tow the darn thing. I know I need a 1 7/8 ball, but I don't know if I need a drop tow bar or how much of a drop I need. :conf

I can't measure anything cause the trailer is still in Tennesee. How do I figure out what to use? Seems like my vehicle hitch is pretty low, I don't want the trailer leaning too far forward or the hitch bottoming out!:huh

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JR -- I'd suggest getting your 1-7/8 ball, and also buying a couple of towbars. If you buy a 1"rise/0" drop bar, and a 2"rise/1" drop bar, (I'm not sure right off the top of my head if these are the correct designation, but I'm referring to the two most common styles), you'll almost certainly have the right one for your needs and can just put the right one together when you are backed up to the trailer. Just return the unused bar to the store. Take an appropriate wrench along to mount the ball to the bar on site.

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Consult the manf as to how high the top of the ball should be (the assumption here is that the trailer will travel level), and then get the appropriate ball mount to fit your hitch (the ball mounts come in various "drops", which are also "rises" of a different size when turned upside down).

Pete in the RatHaus in Silverton, CO

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JR,

If the top of your towbar is about 12" from the ground on a level surface, I think that you will be pretty near of what you need. The ball is an extra 2 1/2" so 14 1/2" from ground to top of ball sould be Ok. My trailer is level at theses figures. I am almost sure that 1/2" more or less would not make that much difference.

The first time I pull my trailer, the towbar was 3 inches lower than this one and it was still towable. The look was not so nice however. Later, the store exchange the towbar with the one needed, no problem.

Alain

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Hey J.R.
You could look into buying an adjustable tongue for your hitch. Thats what I use because I haul a few different trailers(utility..etc.) and all the height's are different. It has 4 or 5 holes for adjustment so you can always find the right height.:wave

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Just the info I needed. I love this site!

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I mounted my reciever hitch to my truck and slid a piece of unistrut into it and lifted the trailer on the truck to see how much it would come down with the weight of the trailer (1" on a Chevy 1/2 ton). I added a little to account for additional weight that I would have in the truck bed. Then I removed the trailer from the truck and leveled it to how I wanted it pulling down the road and did a little math to figure out what I needed to buy. I bought a 1 inch drop and it still rides a little high but I havent hauled anything in the truck other than 2 bikes and an armload of firewood.

HTH
Rich

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JR?? are you reall sure you need a 1 7/8"?
that's the size they told me, that I brought with me, and I needed a 2" thanks goodness the guy had one to trade with me. so I ended up with a used 2" and I could of had a new one if the guy had known what he was talking about.

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But the seller assures me they are using 1 7/8. I think I'll get both and see what happens on site... 6 more days to eggdom. Six more days to eggdom!:ola

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JR,

The ball needed for my trillium is 1 7/8". You will probabely not need the 2" one for this trip, unless some mod. has been done to your trailer frame.

Having the 2" ball is still a good idea. You will need it anyway if you want to rent an utility trailer.

A while ago, I posted a link to a copy of my owner manual. Here it is again, in case you like to have a look at it. The english version is at the end. This is the manual for the Trillium 4500, 1977. Nothing inside about the ball size.

http://www.geocities.com/alaboux/Manuel_Trillium.html

Good luck with your trailer!:thumb

Alain

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Very useful having a fellow '77 4500 owner (or two) around the site.

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Thank Michael, He started this site for us all;)