Recommended Hitch Extender to Gain 12 Inches Clearance Between Tow Vehicle and Trailer

Question:

I am considering buying the MaxxTow Trailer Hitch Receiver Adapter - 2inch to 1-1/4inch Hitch - 11inch Long but your site mentions not to use it for towing, as I need to attach a trailer what do you suggest. Thanks.

asked by: Guy W

Expert Reply:

I'm a bit confused by your question, I guess I don't quite understand why you'd need to use an adapter to tow a trailer.

If you need the 13 or 14 inches of extra clearance, use the Curt # C45795 hitch extender. It would install into your 2-inch receiver, and you'd install your 2-inch ball mount in the other end. This set up CAN be used to tow a trailer, but because you're extending the length between the load and the receiver on the vehicle, the tongue weight capacity of your hitch will be REDUCED by half. If your hitch currently has a 350 lb tongue weight capacity, using the extender would cut that to 175 lbs.

Another possibility to gain extra clearance would be a longer ball mount, like part # BM20.

expert reply by: Mike L