Need Help with hitch hieght on 2005 Ram 2500

[MRegalia]

I traded my 2000 F-250 Super Duty 4X4 PSd in last October on a 2005 Ram 2500 Club Cab 4X4 with the Cummins. My prblem is the hitch was set in the lowest holes on my Ford for my Travel Trailer. The Dodge sits 2-3 inches taller in the rear and does not sqwat with the trailer hooked up. I have a 30ft SunnyBrook Travel Trailer. What are my options? Can I get a shank with more drop? My current shank measures 5. 5 inches if I measure from the bottom of the verticle piece with the holes to the bottom edge of the horizontal piece that goes into the receiver. How much drop is safe before you are putting to much leverage on the receiver and frame of the truck?



Matt

 

[TGibbs]

I would go with an aluminum drop reciever that is adjustable. Expensive yes but the work perfect and I have never had a problem with mine and we haul anything from bumper pull horse trailers to the 400 lb. float for my roping arena. Alumasport is the brand on it.



Tristan

 

[The Adjuster]

Not sure if your axles are over or under your springs, but they are over you may gain a couple of inches by mounting the axles under the springs ... and I was told you do not want to go more than a 7 inch drop with anything over 8K lbs, so you may be able to get some of that couple of inches back with a 7" drop.



Fact of life ... we are always a couple of inches short of being perfect ... :-laf



Kevin

 

[wcjp]

With my 06' I also went to an aluminum adjustable. It was a great solution that could handle the weight I tow and the height of the Dodge. Bought it on sale for $160.

 

[Prairie Dog]

There are shanks with more drop that will directly replace your current piece. I bought one on line from a trailer supply place for $100.



Scotty

 

[MikeBeggy]

I agree about the height and increased leverage if you use one of many brands of drop shanks. I changed my factory receiver to a cat 5 unit which is considerably beefier than stock. I also fabbed a bracket which connects to the bottom of the bumper ball mount to increase the tollerance of having an 7 or 8 inch drop and increased leverage. I had seen somewhere a chart that shows how much capacity is lost when you drop your trailer ball height and it's quite shocking. Makes sense when one looks at the physics of pulling at a lower point. BTW, the cat 5 receiver was about $125.

 

[MRegalia]

WCJP,



Where did you get your aluminum adjustable? I have not been able to find them on the net.



My SunnyBrook weighs 4890 pounds dry. So I am guessing about 6500 when we are loaded for camping.



Basically when I hook the trailer up to the Dodge with my current hitch and no trunnion bars hooked up the trailer sits a little nose high. The hitch is about 1. 5-2 inches high (eyeballing it not measuring). Where should I take measurements to see exactly what drop shank or new hitch I need. If the weather permits this weekend i will try and post a picture.