Best Ball Mount with 8 to 10 Inch Rise for Front Mount Trailer Hitch on a 2014 Ram 1500

Question:

I would like to purchase and install front mounted hitch 65062 on my 2014 Ram 1500 Big Horn for use in moving a boat trailer into a garage up a very slight incline. The boat and trailer weigh approximately 5000 pounds. I need a ball mount with a 1inch shank opening and a large rise.....8 to 10 inches. I am concerned that the ball mounts available with that rise will not clear my front bumper because the video for the hitch indicates that the distance from the pin hole in the hitch to the front bumper is approximately 5inch and the ball mounts in the rise position may be too short to clear. I am also aware of hitch extenders, however with a 50 reduction in capacity, I am not sure if it would be safe to use. I would appreciate any suggestions you would have. Not sure if the picture got attached, but if so, it shows the boat and trailer on the slight incline and the tow vehicle. Thanks.

asked by: Steven S

Helpful Expert Reply:

The ball mounts that we carry that have enough rise do not have enough clearance to clear the front bumper on your 2014 Ram 1500. But I do have a possible solution for you. You could use Curt ball mount # D-28 which will provide 4 inches of rise. Then use Curt high rise ball # C40034 which will provide another 2 inches of rise for a total of 6 inches.

This is a 2 inch ball. For the purposes of slow maneuvers in the driveway a 2 inch ball can be used with a 2-5/16 inch coupler. You would of course never tow with mismatched couplers/balls. Please note that the vertical load limit of front mount hitch # 65062 is 500 pounds meaning the tongue weight of the trailer cannot be more than 500 pounds.

The other option is to use a tow dolly, # RA20, provided the tongue weight of the trailer is under 500 pounds. However it might be difficult to use a trailer dolly with some trailers and on an incline.

expert reply by: Michael H