Hey all,

I have a stock 2010 F250 4X4, FX4, factory/OEM 12.5K Tow Hitch and 10,000 GVWR Package, OEM 20's with original Goodyear LT275/65R20 tires.

I have never towed anything but I want to buy a ball mount for the factory hitch just in case I need to pull something with a tow strap or bail out someone whose truck/tailor are stuck. Plus I may have to rent a trailer to take a small Kubota farm tractor to the dealer in the near future.

As such, I was going to buy a Reese ball mount 2" square such as:

Reese Towpower 3.25 in. Interlock Starter Kit-21543 - The Home Depot

My question is if 3.25" drop is generally low enough to tow the average trailer or boat while keeping everything level? I realize trailers vary a lot but what do you guys use on your trucks?

I am not looking to sink a whole lot of money into this but want to be prepared just in case.

Thanks...


Neil

 

What you posted is a basic 2" ball combo, it'll work for small things up to 5000#. Most trailers that light are dinky single axles or angle iron 16 footers. Larger trailers will use a 2-5/16" ball, but some in the 5000-7000# range will still use a 2" ball.

I wouldn't buy anything less than a ball with 1-1/4" shank, rated to 1000# carrying/10,000# trailer weight. That way you only buy the drop and ball once, instead of realizing that 5000# of trailer weight is almost nothing and needing to upgrade the first time you use actually it.

Ball Mount 2-3/4" Rise or 4" Drop - 10K Draw-Tite Ball Mounts 40202
Hitch Ball with 2" Diameter and Medium Shank, 10,000 lbs GTW - Chrome Curt ***** A-90

But really, if this is just a "be prepared" purchase and you don't want to put money into quality parts that max out your hypotetical tow ratings, you're better off not buying anything until you know the specs you really need. Sometimes it's better to not have something, instead of mis-using something that can endanger other people. Spend more time learning about towing components and decide based on facts, and don't pick up the cheapest thing that looks like it might work.

Do NOT use a chrome ball as a place to hook a strap or chain to. All you do is create a small cannon ball to launch at whatever you're tied to. An average chrome 2" ball is rated for 500# carrying 5000# trailer weight, and you will exceed the ratings several times over using them incorrectly to pull out something stuck. Learn the correct way to pull people out, because the penalty for shooting a hitch ball at someone can be that person's life.

 

Curt Three Ball Hitch Mount - Best Price on CURT Hitch 3 Ball Trailer Receiver Mounts

I keep one of these in the truck I've never had a problem of it being too tall. Mine is an 05' f250 I'm not sure if the hitch heights are different or not. Also not sure if this one is solid or hollow but mine is solid. This way I always have the right size and rating for any trailer I have access to.

 

Depends on your trailer height. I use a pintle hitch. no drop/raise to pull a 6 yd dump trailer. Drop and raise on the ball is relative to what you are pulling. As far as pulling some one out, use the eye's on the frame at min..you should have "tow" hooks installed on your frame rails if you want to really pull some one out safely. ( only trained persons should recover disabled/ stuck vehicle's. )

 

If you're thinking of using the ball mount to hook a tow strap, there are also ball mounts with the 3 sizes of trailer ball as mentioned, but have a hook welded onto the 4th side.
But be careful where you buy. I have one from Harbor Freight. The weld at the hook is such that it won't slide far enough into the truck's receiver to allow the pin to be inserted. But it slides in far enough if using a different receiver that mounts to a pallet fork carriage. A bargain isn't always what it seems.

 

Trailer tongues can be different heights and have different sized couplers.
I have hitches that have different drops (flip it over to change the drop) as well as straight ones. It costs a little more but it keeps me ready for what turns up.
Most of what I tow is 2" ball and coupler but my big trailer uses a 2 5/16 ball and coupler, so I have those, too.
Just depends on how dedicated you are, in being ready for the most .

 

Thanks all for the replies. I admit I never really considered how much there is to know about towing anything before towing it. Glad I asked the question.

I guess I should look into adding some tow hooks to the rear frame vs. using a tow ball as a canon ball. Do you guys know if the rear frame has holes for standard tow hooks?

Also, is the Reese tongue I linked capable of of supporting a bigger shank ball? I suspect I am getting this setup as gift.........

Thanks...

Neil

 

Drop the coin and buy the last hitch you'll ever buy (maybe).
B&W Tow & Stow 2-Ball Mount - 2" Hitch - 5" Drop, 5-1/2" Rise - 10K - Black B and W Ball Mounts BWTS10037B

Best hitch I ever bought, of course I need a WDH for the TT but this works for 99.9999999% of towing tasks Iv'e run into.

 

I had a 2in drop Reese unit good for about 6,000lbs. Recently upgraded boat and truck and ended up with this:


Ultra-Tow Heavy-Duty Forged Steel Ball Mount — Class IV, 2in. Drop, 17,000Lb. Tow Weight, 7 1/2in. Shank | Single Ball Mount| Northern Tool + Equipment


Better to have more than needed imo.

 

Once you get it, peel the sticker off the drop and it should have some info stamped into the metal. Odds are it's a 1" shank and you can swap a 5k ball for something stronger, up to 6k or 7.5k#. The drop will have it's own ratings stamped onto it, but I'm pretty sure the installed ball is going to be the weak point on a pre-built setup like that.

For safe attachment points on the back, get a forged eye or hook. The hitch itself is good for most light pulling like trucks that are stuck because they just don't have traction. Use a regular off-the-shelf strap with sewn eyes on each end, unless you already have them chains aren't usually worth buying because the good Grade 70 stuff is more expensive for a similar length or strap, and is more of a PITA to haul around for casual use. A pull of as little as a third of the weight of the vehicle will be enough to roll a truck with inflated tires on a decent surface, so for the type of ice, wet grass, or less than an inch of mud stucks that people get into where it's reasonable to offer help, a basic strap and eye are more than enough.
Buyers Tow Eye, Receiver Mount, 12,000 GTW - Tractor Supply Co.
Reese Towpower Forged Receiver Mount Tow Hook, 10,000 lb. Capacity - Tractor Supply Co.
SmartStraps® 4 in. W x 30 ft. L Yellow Recovery Strap with Loop End, 10,000 lb. Safe Work Load - Tractor Supply Co.

Don't get into heavy pulling like trucks stuck down IN mud with a light setups, that's an entirely different game best left to winches or serious ****** straps. The forces involved multiply when you're moving weight up and out of mud that's also adding resistance. Burying the tires up to the axle hubs can bump the line weight of a pull to 200% of the vehicles weight.
Pirate4x4.Com - Extreme Four Wheel Drive