Drilling Frame for new receiver hitch

[stickk]

Are you sure your truck wasn't a victim of a parking lot hit?
That looks much more like the outcome of a small accident to me.
Especially the second picture looks like your hitch tilted upwards which is possible to do with great force, but downward is almost impossible without massive structural damage accompanied.

That picture is after I leveled the receiver/bumper.

 

[stickk]

My 2014 3500 did this also. I was on holidays sitting in camp and looked over at the hitch and bumper. Bumper corners were touching the box like the OP and the equalizer hitch was angled down a bit. The truck was new then. I had to jack up under the the equalizer hitch, and tighten the bolts. Shockingly they were VERY easy to turn with just a regular combination wrench, definitely not properly torqued at the factory!!!
I’ve run the Curt commercial HD hitch on that truck and the 2018 3500 after that. I liked them and attempted to put one on my 2023, but Ram changed the frame just a little and it wouldn’t fit nor did they have one that would fit. So I’m running with the OEM hitch on the 2023 for my 15K RV. The 2023’s rated at 23,000lbs/2,300lbs tounge though, an increase.

Were you running the Curt #15803?

 

[Ozymandias]

If a Curt hitch isn't torqued correctly it will fold too.

I don't get it to put another hitch on when there are 12 Million Trucks out there running trailers just fine with the factory hitch. Correct torqued down which should happen at the factory of course.

But maybe that's just me.

 

[NIsaacs]

I’m wondering if the bell mount is a contributing factor?

View attachment 137895

The bottom one in the picture. There is only 1 1/2 off shank behind the pin. Installed there is 3” off receiver tube left at the back. Which is why you see the other bell mount in the picture that I picked up on my trip last weekend towing 8k on the equipment trail. Also the trip I noticed the issue with the bumper hitting the bed.

Have you considered a equalizer hitch? I think it would help the rotational twist to the receiver. I agree with your comparison of the rotational twist between the two hitches. The only thing holding the oem is bolt clamp load. The longer the ball mount is and the more drop there is, the more twist it will develop.

As far as drilling a hole or two, what did we do before oem installed hitches? What do all the upfitters do with new trucks and 100's of different body's?

If you want that DT hitch, install it and don't look back. Can you imagine the twist applied with a 4' hitch extension? Like this guy.

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[stickk]

I’m probably overthinking it. I tend to do that. Tighten the bolts down and watch it. And get a tongue weight scale to check my trailers

 

[sag2]

I recall it mentioned that a significant drop hitch was being used. If that is the case, not only will the tongue weight be a factor, but any stopping forces would tent to want to twist the hitch from its mounting position. It doesn't take much of a lever to significantly increase forces being applied.
Hitch torque is 140 ft. lbs.

 

[mpaulson]

Were you running the Curt #15803?

15801

 

[mpaulson]

If a Curt hitch isn't torqued correctly it will fold too.

I don't get it to put another hitch on when there are 12 Million Trucks out there running trailers just fine with the factory hitch. Correct torqued down which should happen at the factory of course.

But maybe that's just me.

In my case, my current 34’ Toyhauler RV had 2,400 lbs of tounge weight without filling the 150 gal water tank that was just forward of the axles, before I modified it with a third axle etc. 2014/18 trucks were only rated at 1,800lbs tongue weight, that’s why I added a hitch with a 2,700lb rating.
In its current configuration it’s range is between 1,400 and 1,800lbs depending on atv’s, water etc.
On the 2014 the OEM receiver was twisting/flexing enough to imprint the back side of the receiver tube into a mud flap tube that was 1/4” away from it. That was enough for me to weigh the hitch weight and upgrade the hitch.
On my 2023 I’m running with the OEM receiver since it’s rated at 2,300lbs.

 

[stickk]

15801

Looks like that is the short bed version. No issues with the Curt? How long
I don’t want to mess with WD hitches. If I load the trailer properly and check the hitch weight with a sale, the hitch weight will fall under what RAM’s specs are. RAM essentially has the same design hitch for the last 20 yrs and has changed its rating from a 3 to a 5. 3 bolts in a 5” spread just isn’t enough IMO.

 

[stickk]

My ‘06 was the save design

06, 17 and 23

not much has changed as far as mounting design

 

[Ozymandias]

My ‘06 was the save design

06, 17 and 23

not much has changed as far as mounting design

View attachment 137908 View attachment 137909 View attachment 137910

Maybe because it is a proven good design?
I like that much better, continuity, instead of something brand new every two years like Ford does.

 

[AH64ID]

Of the 3 OEM hitches I’ve had I only had an issue with the 05, it wallered out horribly and I had to replace it.

 

[stickk]

Of the 3 OEM hitches I’ve had I only had an issue with the 05, it wallered out horribly and I had to replace it.

My ‘06 I replaced with a better hitch due to the bumper pull toy hauler I had.
Great input from all. Thank you.

 

[kthaxton]

I’m wondering if the bell mount is a contributing factor?

View attachment 137895

The bottom one in the picture. There is only 1 1/2 off shank behind the pin. Installed there is 3” off receiver tube left at the back. Which is why you see the other bell mount in the picture that I picked up on my trip last weekend towing 8k on the equipment trail. Also the trip I noticed the issue with the bumper hitting the bed.

Is your ball mount bent? It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like it took a hit and the underside where the gusset is welded looks deformed.

 

[stickk]

Is your ball mount bent? It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like it took a hit and the underside where the gusset is welded looks deformed.

it’s not. Funny, you’re the second person to see that from that picture. I think the rust makes it look messed up

 

[crispyboy]

A friend of mine has a 2019 Ram 2500. He traded his 2010 Chevrolet 2500 in on this truck. Of course the Ram sat much higher than the Chevrolet truck and was faced with changing out his hitch equipment for his travel trailer. He and I figured out that a B&W receiver hitch could be easily bolted to the truck with no modifications. He didn't even have to remove the OEM hitch. It was a perfect match in height for his old hitch equipment so nothing else had to be changed. I don't think it looks goofy. It was a good functional answer.
https://www.bwtrailerhitches.com/product/heavy-duty-receiver-hitch

 

[AH64ID]

A friend of mine has a 2019 Ram 2500. He traded his 2010 Chevrolet 2500 in on this truck. Of course the Ram sat much higher than the Chevrolet truck and was faced with changing out his hitch equipment for his travel trailer. He and I figured out that a B&W receiver hitch could be easily bolted to the truck with no modifications. He didn't even have to remove the OEM hitch. It was a perfect match in height for his old hitch equipment so nothing else had to be changed. I don't think it looks goofy. It was a good functional answer.
https://www.bwtrailerhitches.com/product/heavy-duty-receiver-hitch

It’s rated lower than the OEM hitch, so I’m not sure that’s a great option. I’d have changed out my shanks vs a 2nd, weaker, receiver.

 

[stickk]

B&W makes good equipment. I like how they designed the hitch to tuck up close to the factory hitch.

 

[AH64ID]

B&W makes good equipment. I like how they designed the hitch to tuck up close to the factory hitch.

They make great equipment and I own several of their items, but I’m not excited about that hitch design over the stock one.