Need some help, ball size & towing

[Arline Lovell]

Hey all...I need to know what size ball to use for towing a 13' Scamp
Thanks in advance!
Arline

[Donna D.]

Right from the Scamp website:

First, you need to securely hitch your Scamp to the towing vehicle. You should have a 2 inch ball hitch for towing your Scamp. Prior to 2005, most 13 foot trailers used a 1 and 7/8 inch ball. The ball hitch height on the tow vehicle should be about 18 inches high for the 13 foot trailer and 21 inches high for the 16 foot trailer.

[Arline Lovell]

Right from the Scamp website:

Thanks Donna, YOU ROCK!

[Arline Lovell]

My friend is buying my scamp, 2003. She says she has a *bumper hitch*, apparent two weight of her vehicle is 5000lbs: 2001 Chevy s10 V6 . Does she need a frame hitch, or will she be ok with what she has?
Again, ty in advance!
Arline

[Alf S.]

My friend is buying my scamp, 2003. She says she has a *bumper hitch*, apparent two weight of her vehicle is 5000lbs: 2001 Chevy s10 V6 . Does she need a frame hitch, or will she be ok with what she has?
Again, ty in advance!
Arline

Hi: The important thing here is hitch height!!! Usually a step bumper with a ball attached is too high for the coupler on the trailer. If that is so then a frame hitch will be required with the appropriate step up/down stinger to reach the height of the trailer tongue/coupler.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Arline Lovell]

Hi: The important thing here is hitch height!!! Usually a step bumper with a ball attached is too high for the coupler on the trailer. If that is so then a frame hitch will be required with the appropriate step up/down stinger to reach the height of the trailer tongue/coupler.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Thanks Alf...will check height of her hitch!

Arline

[Arline Lovell]

Ok Alf...The top of the ball on her truch hitch is 19"...So this sounds do-able? With the step bumper?
Again, ty so much!
Arline

[Alf S.]

Ok Alf...The top of the ball on her truch hitch is 19"...So this sounds do-able? With the step bumper?
Again, ty so much!
Arline

Hi: Arline... The perfect tow will be level truck/trailer to slightly tongue low trailer. You can adjust some of the height differance by loading the truck bed with stuff to sit lower and or load the trailer more to the front to have more tongue weight on the hitch. If Scamp says 18" it should be very close to level but also check the step bumper's weight restrictions.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Pete Dumbleton]

You can also get one of these step bumper receiver hitches -- Box receiver attaches to step bumper and then a drop ball mount can be used to drop the ball further. Note that the tongue weight for this hitch component is less than that of a conventional bolt-on receiver hitch. Also, this receiver is NOT suitable for WDH.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/294192/V...Bumper_Receiver

Sometimes on the shelf at Wally.

BTW, there are three dimensions and one rating to a hitch ball. The size of the ball diameter, the thickness of the shank and the length of the shank. The ball will also have a capacity stamped into it. Many 1 7/8" balls have only a 2,000 lb capacity; UHaul has one in catalog with 5,000 lb capacity.

[Herb Sutton]

A lot of step bumpers are more cosmetic than structural. I would prefer a strong frame mounted hitch. A hitch that fails can ruin your whole day.

[Pete Dumbleton]

A lot of step bumpers are more cosmetic than structural. I would prefer a strong frame mounted hitch. A hitch that fails can ruin your whole day.

Depends on the vehicle. If the step bumper doesn't have a load capacity rating marked on it then I wouldn't tow with it.

I have had two step bumpers which had Class II ratings; one of which is the factory step bumper on my 98 Ranger. Both are bolted to the frame just like a receiver hitch and made of steel with sturdy dimensions.

Sounds like the Chevy bumper is rated for 5,000 lbs, so it is not one of the sheet metal step bumpers.