Trailer Hitch for Towing and Carrying a Bike Rack

Question:

We are towing a Coachman Clipper 106ST. We would like to have a dual hitch to install our Yamakia 4 bike rack. Our problem has been that we have about a 2 inch rise for the ball mount. There is about 8 1/2 inch between the center of the pin hole and center of the ball. Would this hitch work? I think we might need a new ball mount with a 4 inch rise?

asked by: Debbie

Expert Reply:

First, in order to choose the correct ball mount, there are a couple measurements you'll need to take. First, make sure both your vehicle and trailer are parked on level ground; you'll then want to measure from the ground to the top of the inside of your hitch receiver. Next, measure from the ground to the bottom of your trailer's coupler and find the difference between the two measurements.

If the height of your hitch is greater, you will need a ball mount with that amount of drop. If the height of the coupler is greater, you'll need a ball mount with that amount of rise. I've attached a link to a help article on ball mounts for you to take a look at which helps explain this.

As for the ball mount itself, the one you referenced, Roadmaster Dual Hitch Receiver Adapter # RM-077-8, is not designed to be used for towing a trailer and is for flat towing only so it would not be a solution.

Having said that there are no ball mounts or dual-hitch adapters that will offer you a rise and the best option to tow a trailer and use a bike rack is the Multipurpose Ball Mount # D210, which is a ball mount that has a 2-1/4" drop and a 2" receiver. The ball mount has a 7,500 lb towing capacity and 750 lb tongue weight capacity though using a bike rack with this mount is going to reduce your hitch's tongue weight capacity by half.

expert reply by: Kyle S