Trailer Hitch Height

RV Clinic Experts Ken Freund and Jeff Johnston

Q: I have a 2010 Keystone 26B towed by a bone-stock Silverado 2500-HD pickup. I guess because the truck is a heavy-duty model and has such strong springs, the trailer hitch weight barely squats it down at all when hitched. This is with the adjustable hitch in the lowest position. This causes the trailer to slope from front to back when hooked up due to not enough weight being on the hitch. Have you seen this before?
Chad, Via email

A: You didn’t say if you’re using a weight distributing (WD) or a dead weight hitch, Chad, but in either case you can buy ball mounts that provide a significant degree of drop. You also didn’t say which brand or model of adjustable hitch you were using, but if it’s one of those with the adjustable head locked in place with a straight gear tooth rack, you’ll probably have to replace it with a conventional head or WD ball mount with more drop.

While it doesn’t hurt to have your trailer tipped up at the front end, other than for lowering the aft end and exposing hardware back there to dragging damage, having it sit level would be a better idea. Adjusting it so it rides closer to level or is just slightly tipped down in front may also improve your towing stability, or at least, that’s been my experience.
— Jeff Johnston



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