Recommended Towing Setup for 2005 Ford F-350 Transporting a Truck Camper and 30ft Boat Trailer

Question:

I have a 2005 f350 cc 4wd srw with factory hitch. I tow a 30foot boat 8000-9000 lbs. I want to buy a 811 truck camper. The opinion is I need to replace my hitch with a class v and add weight distribution ball mount. I had hoped I could just add through class v hitch and a extra long ball mount maybe 12-14

asked by: Brian K

Expert Reply:

You might not need a hitch extender or weight distribution. It is possible that a long ball mount will have the length needed to provide clearance for towing the trailer. Ball mount # 40331 measures 9-1/4 inches from the center of the pin hole to the center of the ball hole. It is rated for 16,000 pounds gross trailer weight and it has a 3 inch rise or 4 inch drop. Another ball mount to consider is the Buyers Products # 3371802225. This ball mount will provide you 16 inches from center of hitch pin hole to the center of the ball. You will want to measure where the ball will end up because you will need to have enough clearance to hitch up your boat below the camper if it doesn't clear.

It is also important to note that your vehicle and hitch need to have the capacity for this because you will be limited to the lowest rated item in your setup. If your hitch cannot carry the weight but the ball mount length will work for you then you will want to use a reducer sleeve like # C45405 with a Class V hitch that can support this weight.

What concerns me is that you may experience a lot of sag in your rear axle when doing this. For that you would need to consider suspension enhancement like the no hassle Timbren system # TFR250SDF or the adjustable Firestone kit # F2400.

So if the ball mount above isn't going to work for you then you could use an extension. The length of extension hitch is up to you. You would want one that is long enough to be about flush with whatever sticks out the most at the back of the truck; the tailgate or the camper itself. It's important to note that an extender will reduce the capacity of your hitch.

If you upgrade to a 2-1/2 inch hitch like the Draw-Tite # DT45508, then you can use a shorter extender such as # HR26 at 6 inches provided the ball mount you use has enough length to get you the rest of the way, but you will need weight distribution to carry the type of weight that your boat is. There is no extension that can be used without weight distribution at the 8-9,000lbs capacity.

I have linked all of the above mentioned products to this page for your convenience.