Do Extended Length Ball Mounts Reduce Tongue Weight Capacity

Question:

I need to increase the distance between my tow vehicle and trailer jack. I understand a hitch extender decreases tow vehicle hitch tongue weight capacity by 50. Does the use of a longer ball mount decease effective tow vehicle tongue weight capacity. I think the answer is no from what I read about longer ball mounts, but that doesnt make sense to me. I would think both hitch extender and longer ball mount would decrease TV tongue weight capacity since both would transfer the load further away from the hitch which would result in more leverage on the hitch. Is this the same issue for hitch extender versus longer ball mount? If not, please elaborate on why. Thanks.

asked by: Lorri D

Expert Reply:

A longer ball mount such as # D-26 will not lower your tongue weight capacity, because it's a single piece. Adding an extender introduces an additional component between the hitch and the load, which allows extra bounce and movement. Those forces, when combined with the additional distance are what can potentially damage the hitch, and explains why using extenders reduce the hitch tongue weight capacity by half.

The # D-26 still retains a 7500 lb capacity.

I hope that helps!

expert reply by: Mike L