Thoughts on Hitch Extender? (1 Viewer)

[Tanglefoot]

2017 LC… bp51…..Slee rear bumper….Slee swing out spare tire carrier…

So, I am about ready to hook up Double axle 7x12 cargo trailer…. Overall trailer weight estimated at 3000 lbs … and sure enough, the spare tire interferes with the trailer jack and it looks like I would have to be very careful with anything close to jackknifing when backing up and what not.

No WDH…..

Anybody use a hitch extender to gain clearance?

Thinking a 14 inch extender.

Will call Slee Monday, but looking forward info now….

thanks,

Tanglefoot

 

[RET2]

Put the spare in the trailer?

 

[radman]

I use an 18” extender for my hitch basket. It gives me enough clearance to open swingouts, but it jacks up with my tongue weight (cantilevering effect).

https://a.co/d/hjdQw59

 

[bloc]

Cruisers have a relatively short wheelbase, but a pretty standard distance from the rear contact patch to the hitch. This means any additional distance between the hitch ball and the axle has an even greater negative effect than normal.

Think of it like taking your tongue weight and multiplying it by a factor.. not quite sure what it is, but it’s there.

 

[Sandroad]

Put the spare in the trailer?

This. The forces involved In towing are too great to risk adding an extension.

 

[sleepycruiser]

I’d be hesitant towing with an extension. You are moving the down force further out from the hitch and putting more pressure on the extension which equals more potential for failure.

We tow a 3,000lb camper and I’d never feel comfortable enough to use an extension. In my eyes extensions are for exactly the photo posted above although I’m sure someone has done it.

A WDH might help your cause, but I’d personally still avoid the extension.

 

[TeCKis300]

I would be cautious about extensions. This is a critical geometry when towing as it gives the trailer more leverage. Putting it into perspective, wheelbase is often cited for towing stability. That's the simplified version. It's really about the ratio of the wheelbase to rear overhang. Where rear overhang is the distance from the rear axle to the ball. The 200-series has a ratio about 2:1.

It's like the two sides of a teeter tauter pivoting on the rear axle. Wheelbase is the lever for the front axle to control the rig. Rear overhang, the lever for trailer forces. Every 1" that that rear overhang increases by (hitch extender), has the perceived effect of reducing wheelbase by 2". A 14" extender can be like losing 28" of wheelbase in stability.

There's two major kinds of forces: 1) up/down 2) side to side
1) Giving the trailer more leverage will move more weight off the tow vehicle (TV) front axle. This will transfer more weight to the rear axle. Effecting suspension sag and suspension control, with more pogoing/porpoising over bumps and undulations
2) With less front axle weight, tire traction at the front axle is reduced. This can result in less directional stability and more likelihood for sway.

TL;DR FUD; Potential solutions​

1) A 3k utility trailer isn't in the grand scheme of things that large and heavy for the 200. Try to use as minimal extension as possible. Make sure that you have loaded the trailer right in that there enough tongue weight (don't avoid tongue weight! It's still critical for stability). I've seen HD trucks sway because weight shifted with too little load ahead of the trailer axle.
2) Change the tongue jack on the trailer. There's folding types that mount to the frame rails and will pivot up. Avoiding clearance issues.

 

[Tanglefoot]

2017 LC… bp51…..Slee rear bumper….Slee swing out spare tire carrier…

So, I am about ready to hook up Double axle 7x12 cargo trailer…. Overall trailer weight estimated at 3000 lbs … and sure enough, the spare tire interferes with the trailer jack and it looks like I would have to be very careful with anything close to jackknifing when backing up and what not.

No WDH…..

Anybody use a hitch extender to gain clearance?

Thinking a 14 inch extender.

Will call Slee Monday, but looking forward info now….

thanks,

Tanglefoot

2017 LC… bp51…..Slee rear bumper….Slee swing out spare tire carrier…

So, I am about ready to hook up Double axle 7x12 cargo trailer…. Overall trailer weight estimated at 3000 lbs … and sure enough, the spare tire interferes with the trailer jack and it looks like I would have to be very careful with anything close to jackknifing when backing up and what not.

No WDH…..

Anybody use a hitch extender to gain clearance?

Thinking a 14 inch extender.

Will call Slee Monday, but looking forward info now….

thanks,

Tanglefoot

I would be cautious about extensions. This is a critical geometry when towing as it gives the trailer more leverage. Putting it into perspective, wheelbase is often cited for towing stability. That's the simplified version. It's really about the ratio of the wheelbase to rear overhang. Where rear overhang is the distance from the rear axle to the ball. The 200-series has a ratio about 2:1.

It's like the two sides of a teeter tauter pivoting on the rear axle. Wheelbase is the lever for the front axle to control the rig. Rear overhang, the lever for trailer forces. Every 1" that that rear overhang increases by (hitch extender), has the perceived effect of reducing wheelbase by 2". A 14" extender can be like losing 28" of wheelbase in stability.

There's two major kinds of forces: 1) up/down 2) side to side
1) Giving the trailer more leverage will move more weight off the tow vehicle (TV) front axle. This will transfer more weight to the rear axle. Effecting suspension sag and suspension control, with more pogoing/porpoising over bumps and undulations
2) With less front axle weight, tire traction at the front axle is reduced. This can result in less directional stability and more likelihood for sway.

TL;DR FUD; Potential solutions​

1) A 3k utility trailer isn't in the grand scheme of things that large and heavy for the 200. Try to use as minimal extension as possible. Make sure that you have loaded the trailer right in that there enough tongue weight (don't avoid tongue weight! It's still critical for stability). I've seen HD trucks sway because weight shifted with too little load ahead of the trailer axle.
2) Change the tongue jack on the trailer. There's folding types that mount to the frame rails and will pivot up. Avoiding clearance issues.
View attachment 3148204

I’d be hesitant towing with an extension. You are moving the down force further out from the hitch and putting more pressure on the extension which equals more potential for failure.

We tow a 3,000lb camper and I’d never feel comfortable enough to use an extension. In my eyes extensions are for exactly the photo posted above although I’m sure someone has done it.

A WDH might help your cause, but I’d personally still avoid the extension.

Thanks for all the replies. This is not as simple as I thought it might be.

Also, I neglected to mention that I have an extra tank in back. 35 gallons or so.

I will call Slee and see if they have comment.

I also visit with Maxey….. might be be better to extend/reinforce the trailer tongue…. See if they can also make room for a propane tank.

Tanglefoot

 

[RET2]

Thanks for all the replies. This is not as simple as I thought it might be.

Also, I neglected to mention that I have an extra tank in back. 35 gallons or so.

I will call Slee and see if they have comment.

I also visit with Maxey….. might be be better to extend/reinforce the trailer tongue…. See if they can also make room for a propane tank.

Tanglefoot

There comes a time in just about everyones travel prep when the question arrises, do we really need all this? The answer is blowing in the wind.

 

[Tanglefoot]

There comes a time in just about everyones travel prep when the question arrises, do we really need all this? The answer is blowing in the wind.

Oh boy, you are so right!

But then, often it is not a matter of need……(enthusiastic hobbyist?)

 

[CharlieS]

I would be cautious about extensions. This is a critical geometry when towing as it gives the trailer more leverage. Putting it into perspective, wheelbase is often cited for towing stability. That's the simplified version. It's really about the ratio of the wheelbase to rear overhang. Where rear overhang is the distance from the rear axle to the ball. The 200-series has a ratio about 2:1.

It's like the two sides of a teeter tauter pivoting on the rear axle. Wheelbase is the lever for the front axle to control the rig. Rear overhang, the lever for trailer forces. Every 1" that that rear overhang increases by (hitch extender), has the perceived effect of reducing wheelbase by 2". A 14" extender can be like losing 28" of wheelbase in stability.

There's two major kinds of forces: 1) up/down 2) side to side
1) Giving the trailer more leverage will move more weight off the tow vehicle (TV) front axle. This will transfer more weight to the rear axle. Effecting suspension sag and suspension control, with more pogoing/porpoising over bumps and undulations
2) With less front axle weight, tire traction at the front axle is reduced. This can result in less directional stability and more likelihood for sway.

TL;DR FUD; Potential solutions​

1) A 3k utility trailer isn't in the grand scheme of things that large and heavy for the 200. Try to use as minimal extension as possible. Make sure that you have loaded the trailer right in that there enough tongue weight (don't avoid tongue weight! It's still critical for stability). I've seen HD trucks sway because weight shifted with too little load ahead of the trailer axle.
2) Change the tongue jack on the trailer. There's folding types that mount to the frame rails and will pivot up. Avoiding clearance issues.
View attachment 3148204

@TeCKis300 This is what I did with my small camper. The power jack that came on it from the factory was just in the way with my dissent rear bumper tire swingout, so I installed a manual crank jack that folds for travel.

 

[2021 LC200]

A WDH might help your cause, but I’d personally still avoid the extension.

An extension together with WDH is even more scary. Please educate yourselves what a WDH does. With a WDH the downward force is the same. In addition, a WDH through torque tries to keep the tow vehicle level. This will add to the bending load on the hitch extender, assuming the WDH is mounted to the end of the extender.



There are actually travel trailer frame failures, which are pretty much caused by the use of a WDH and dynamic loads of the same as you negotiate uneven roads or humps and bumps.

Per TeCKis300, do not venture into hitch extenders when towing anything serious.

 

[2021 LC200]

Deleted as I was trying to add info to the above.

 

[GordJ]

Can you move your trailer jack? I doubt that you will have an issue with jackknifing when reversing because trailers are built to be backed up. Tandem axle cargo trailers, boat trailers and horse trailers, in the majority, don’t have/need WD hitches, just make sure that your ball is the right height for the trailer.

 

[Weedhopper]

Tractor supply sells a Jack that is removable. Twist a level and pull it out of the base, toss it in the trailer. Picture when I get outside.

I have it so no one will open the Tundra tailgate and smash it against the top of the jack.

An extension would solve the problem but as stated above they are risky.

 

[a200]

You can buy a longer shank. I use a longer shank on my hitch so I can get the tailgate open while hooked up.

 

[linuxgod]

@Tanglefoot any pics of your setup?

My trailer is 6000# and I have a weight distribution hitch. I used a longer shank, which generally helped me clear though if I jackknifed when backing up my spare would contact the propane cylinder so I ended up moving the propane tray back 2-3"

Hitch extenders typically aren't recommended for trailers as among other things they are rated to cut your tongue weight capacity in half, though your trailer is light enough it might be ok.

 

[Umbrarian]

I have one, works fine.

But you have to reduce your tongue weight. I think there is a calculator for it in app land.

 

[grinchy]

How is a longer shank different from a hitch extender?

 

[Artie]

Modification mission creep… I completely relate to your conundrum.

As mentioned above, avoid the extension. Look at a longer shank and get it while you solve the issue on the trailer side. To fix my issue I had to find someone willing to do a custom fab job to build me a new tongue, it was short to begin with. The longer you move the pivot point from your hitch the heavier your tongue weight, the opposite will happen on the trailer side so keep all that in mind and good luck.