2021 Factory Receiver Hitch - Not Impressed!

[BigPapa]

whenever I'm towing the car trailer, I move the load forward till i see enough tongue weight on truck.

Exactly how I did it, too. I carried a shovel in the bed of my truck and I wrapped a piece of tape around the handle that was even with the top of the tailgate when I had 250 pounds on the hitch on level ground. Lean the shovel against the tailgate and pull what your loading forward until it lined up.

 

[AH64ID]

Worn pin hole is an indication of light tongue weight, hitch rattling in the receiver going down the road. If you can lift the tailer tongue by hand, your too light.

Most of the hitch wear on my ‘18 came from trailers with 1200-1400 lbs of tongue weight.

I wonder if something like this would help with really light trailers?

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[Turbo Terry]

Interesting topic Pulled trailers all my life . Big stuff we used pintle hooks and eyes but that’s not what we are talking about. But what we are talking about is the 10 per cent rule of the load on the hitch we had know way to know and just eyeballed the load weight on the hitch. We never really seem to have any problems with this. As long as you could steer well you were good to go. So more weight on the hitch was a good thing kept it from floating down the road. But as the topic is thought to be the adapter sleeve but mine fits pretty tight in there. Really no wiggle room . I use straight pins ( locking ) so some one can’t steal my hitch or trailer etc. have used a fair amount of curved pins also. Without more info how the adapter sleeve was used we may never know the answer

 

[BarryG]

B&W has something just like those pads. I had one on my 17. At least theirs on my truck 1 pad did not really do much and two pads was a very very tight fit. Now this was using the OEM adapter so it may be different if not using the adapter. The adapter really needs something wrapped around it to keep it from rattling around which I tried as well. Just some electrical tape and it helped but tape was not the right answer as it just didn't last or hold very well or worse you get it in but then you cant get it out which did happen to me was quite the chore getting it back out when I had put too much tape on it. For me the right answer was get a new bar in 2.5 inch size as I had transferred the 2 inch one from my 01 to the new truck. At least that eliminated the additional slop from having two pieces rattling around. I ended up buying the B&W Tow and Stow while somewhat expensive it has been great. Adjustable height and easily switch between the 2 or 2 5/16 ball sizes I need to use for different trailers and you can fold it up underneath the truck so that it is not sticking out the back. Cant tell you how many times I have busted my knee on them when they are sticking out. You would think I would learn after the first few times but apparently not. I have now transferred that tow and stow to my 22.

 

[AH64ID]

Using the sleeve should be the exception, not the rule.

I’ve upgraded all my main hitches to 2.5” to reduce rattle.

 

[Ozymandias]

Still no feedback from the TO to this case.

 

[Cummins12V98]

No rattle and I do use the sleeve on my 15 DRW with a B&W adjustable unit. Reason it's not a 2 1/2" is I also use it on my 01 RAM.

 

[jwskrintney]

Thank you for all of the replies. As many of you expected, I did use the 2" X 2.5" adapter that came with the truck to avoid the cost of buying a new weight distributing stinger. I have already replaced my B&W stinger because it rattled with no load on it. Guess that should have been my clue. Hopefully I won't have to replace the receiver once I get the new 2.5" stinger.

 

[Ozymandias]

An anti-rattle device can help too.

Put "anti rattle hitch tightener 2.5 inch" into Amazon search engine and see what it turns back.

 

[kthaxton]

Thanks for the follow up.

Just to reiterate though, and I hope this makes sense, the real issue isn't necessarily the extra play, it is the fact that the hitch pin is no longer in a proper "sheer" scenario. If you think about it, the adapter isn't mounted to the hitch nor the stinger/ballmount, it is just floating there in between the two. From the pin's perspective, the adapter might as well not even be there. The forces applied to the pin from the stinger, are about 1/4 inch away, on each side, from where the pin is supported by the hitch.

With a 2.5" stinger in a 2.5" hitch, there is no appreciable distance between the stinger and hitch, placing the pin in a proper sheer scenario, but when using an adapter with a 2" stinger, that 1/4" gap (x2) allows more leverage to be placed on the pin so it can flex and bend. This is what causes the wallowing of the pin hole. You'd likely find your hitch pin is no longer straight and will be slightly bent.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Ok I was out playing with my rear hitch on my 2022 ram 3500. It has the adapter sleeve to go from 2.5 to 2.0. It’s all loosey goosey what I did notice is the adapter sleeve hole is very much ovaled up and down as the sleeve sets in the receiver box. It came that way. It’s not wore in nor is it round. I’m looking for a different hitch extension to go from 2.5 to 2.0 so I don’t have to use the factory sleeve and can go right in the 2.5 inch receiver box. It’s a Brophy Hitch reducer extension HR 26. About $80 and shipping to Alaska. Ouch but I’m afraid it will still be loose. Won’t really change a thing

 

[lpennock]

How long extension do you need. I've used the Reese 48/41 (45018) cut to 41 and the 34/24 (45292) cut to 24 with good luck.

 

[Robbie Antonosn]

Some welding shops may have the 2.5 OD thick wall tube for making tow hitches. It has the 2.5 out side dimensions, and inside is 2"
I made a stinger from this for towing a smaller trailer with my camper. Tube cost me $60 for 30 Inches, welded on some eyes. for the safety chains. Also have a length of 5/16 chain that goes from the Hitch eyes to the stinger eyes to maintain that safety aspect, and had the welding shop cut me about 1/2 inch of 3 inch tube that was 2.5 inside to make an end piece. Drilled the holes.
One could do that for reasonable cost to make any length adapter. I just could not stomach the high cost of the stingers on the market.
This shop also had 3 inch thick wall tube for the Ford trucks. Which has an inside dimension of 2.5, Which will be my next purchase to make up a new stinger for my 2.5 aluminum flip ball . The adapter I made was for the 2 inch receivers I have and need to get rid of. I did not like the thin walled adapter I found on the shelves as all the usually places selling trailer hitch parts.
Anyhow, Currently no wollowing on my 2015 3500. Towed a bunch the last 14-15 months with this truck in the move I made earlier this year.
Been using a curved pin, will need to look at the warning on the curved pin. Thanks for head up on that

So with the same though process, one could get a foot of 2.5 tube, make a stinger for 12 inches(with out safety chain hooks, extend the chains to hook to the stock location), put your WD hitch in new holes(you drill) out side the stock Location.

Some minor Cons. reduce the load capacity(lever arm now) a little on the rear stock hitch. Extend the length of the trailer hook up 6 inches more away(maybe good maybe bad). There might be more cons, just do not see them.

It occurs like you are not really towing that heavy and will not notice the adapter that was made to handle you 2 inch WD hitch.
Throw away the adapter that fits inside the stock hitch tube, it sound like it is creating your issues. JMHO, and take it with a bit of salt.

Just thinking.