Trailer Hitch Ball Mount

[SierraWhiskey]

I'm looking for some guidance and am hoping someone could answer a question. I took delivery today of a new 2016 Yamaha 242 Limited-S. My tow vehicle is a 2015 GMC Yukon with HD tow package. The vehicle has no issue towing the weight. I also purchased a trailer hitch ball mount with 2 inch ball and 2 inch drop because it had a 6000 pound capacity. At the dealer, we hooked up the boat with no problem, however when I arrived home with the boat the front jack wheel fully extended barely reached over the top of the ball. I had to really crank on it to get it to raise high enough to get it off. The vehicle and trailer were level and I'm thinking it must not have been at the dealer because there was no issue there. Anyway, I have another ball mount that has a 3 1/4" drop that would work better, however the towing capacity is only 5000. From what I can find, it appears only the 2" drop ball mounts have a 6000 lb capacity and I'm not sure if the 5000 is enough. I know the boat full of fuel will be over the 5000 lbs, but not sure what the safety factor is. Advice? By the way, my Yukon has an auto leveling feature that I cannot turn off, which probably jacked up my truck when we hooked up the trailer the first time.

 

[swatski]

I say keep it leveled above all other considerations and cost!
I have the same problem, I think the trailer jack is just not tall enough. I tend to use plywood to build up under the jack wheel so that when I have to hook it up and unhook it I have some more leverage

 

[swatski]

And thank you for bringing this up @SierraWhiskey

 

[SierraWhiskey]

swatski, that is a great idea to put a board under the wheel to raise it up another inch or two. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that to begin with.

 

[swatski]

Right, but it is just a total half measure. I want to solve this, but I am not sure if Fulton 2 is actually taller

 

[scot71]

That's what I do also. I have a wooden block that I put under the wheel to get more height. Like @swatski said, your biggest concern is just making sure the trailer is level when you're hooked up.

 

[bronze_10]

Set your truck and trailer up to make sure it is level... your truck may have air bags built in. I had after market ones put on.. when I unhook I have to make sure the air bags are drained or else I have the same issue. I'm not sure if u can drain yours or not. The added upward pressure of the air bags makes the back of my truck raise while I am trying to crank the jack to unhook the boat.

 

[Ronnie]

Consider getting a Fulton F2 trailer Jack because it is adjustable. That is the mount to the trailer slides inside of a track recessed into the back of the body/shaft holder. If anyone needs pics and / or measurements just let me know.

By the way, I normally would not recommend this trailer Jack as they are relatively expensive and I've had a few fail on me but it does look nice/match the f2 winches and has a few unique features/options like a locking bar in the handle, soft grip, a choice of a pad, one wide wheel or two slims ones and of course the mounting height is adjustable.

 

[SierraWhiskey]

The 3 inch drop hitches I have found have a 5000# capacity and I'm certain there is a safety factor. Does anyone with a 24ft boat use his. I don't want to roll the dice with my 1 day old boat lol.

 

[Mainah]

Welcome @SierraWhiskey. We have the exact same boat. Our boats fully loaded with gear, coolers, and a full tank of gas are around 5600 lbs. There is a lot of testing that goes into ball hitch ratings and while a 5k rated one would likley never fail me the question I had to ask myself was do I want to chance it with my family in the car?


There are a lot of options out there for you.
Class 3 is upto 5k lbs so you may want to search for class 4 rated draw bars and hitch balls online or head to your local trailer store. Yes the hitch ball has a rating as well as the draw bar. If you have to go with an adjustable class 4 it is more money but if that is all that fits and can carry the weight then it is worth it IMO.

They may be others interested in what you land on so please do report back.

Good Luck

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

They make Class V 2" ball mounts with much higher weight ratings. Here is a link to view them:

http://www.draw-tite.com/products/ball-mounts/class-v-2-ball-mounts/0hJRW0!CHZf!29voX1GnjWkP47T6ybsP

 

[Bruce]

I believe your problem is the jack and not the ball height. You want the trailer to be level and placing equal load on both trailer axles when on level ground.

The Fulton F2 Jack is an excellent replacement Jack.

If you do need a lower ball, but I doubt that is likely unless you have lifted you tow vehicle, I am using the 2" version of this 4" mount http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200612685_200612685 with a Convert-a-ball set https://jetboaters.net/threads/convert-a-ball-easily-change-the-size-of-your-trailer-hitch-ball.7968/ which gives my hitch a 10,000 pound rating which matches the trucks 9,800 rating pretty well.