Solutions for Clearing Slide-In Truck Camper with Ball Mount for Towing Boat Trailer

Question:

I have an 02 SRW F350 and recently bought a slide in camper that extends 49” past the 2” factory installed does receiver hitch opening. I’d like to pull my 3000 lb boat. I see that Reese offers a 24-34” extension that is for a 2.5”. Is there a similar product offered for a 2” receiver to extend that far or would I need to change my hitch? Looking for cost effective solutions if you have any ideas. I put an 18” extension on and it is too tight to turn. Thanks,

asked by: Chris K

Expert Reply:

The longest standard hitch extender we have available for a 2 inch receiver is an 18 inch long adapter like the Brophy # ST18 which you have already tried. Please also note that using this and most other extenders will reduce the overall capacity of your trailer hitch. This particular unit will reduce it by one-third (most others reduce it by a half). You will just need make sure that the weight of your loaded trailer does not exceed the reduced capacity on your hitch.

I'm not sure how long your existing ball mount is, but a possible solution with your current setup (using the 18 inch extension) is to replace it with a long model like the Brophy # BM20. This ball mount will give you an additional 13-1/4 inches of length that might be enough to allow for turning clearance with your trailer attached. It has a 10,000 pound towing capacity and 1,000 pound tongue weight capacity.

Otherwise the only other option is to simply replace your existing trailer hitch with a 2-1/2 inch receiver. The lowest cost solution will be to replace it with the 2-1/2 inch Draw-Tite # DT45508, which is confirmed to fit your 2002 Ford F-350. This will then open the door to much longer extensions like the Curt # C45048 which will provide up to a 34 inch extension. Just note that the receiver end of this extender is 2 inches, so you can still use your same ball mount.

It has a 4,500 pound towing weight capacity and 450 pound tongue weight limit when at its 34 inch length or a 6,000 pound towing capacity and 600 pound tongue weight limit if cut down to a 24 inch length.

I have attached a short video demonstration on this product that you can also check out.