Factory tow hitch setup?

[DesertBen44]

Does anyone know what the factory tow hitch setup is? or what class it is? Or were there a few different ones?

Im trying to find out if my tow hitch is class III or class IV

All it says on it is Drawtite, and it is beefy as hell. any help would be appreciated, gonna be towing a 2k carhauler with a 6k dodge w250 with a heavy giant flatbed through the rockies and want to be safe as possible.

Thanks in advance for any help

If a picture would help I could go out and take one also, let me know! I havent seen enough hitches to be able to ID them like this.

 

[TWeatherford]

If you post a few pictures I'm sure some of us could guess. Or try to find it on drawtite's website. May also have the specs stamped into it somewhere, nocking the rust off with a wire wheel might tell you what you want to know. I can throw some pictures up tonight of a class V I've got.

I'm generally one to be pretty conservative on this (which is why I bought a class V at the parts yard to replace my unknown rated uhaul hitch that came on the truck) but if it looks stout you're probably good. I've seen some badly bent hitches on the road, not that I would to that but they seem to let you know before they just turn loose.

 

[DesertBen44]

Here are some pics, its got 6 monster bolts attaching it to the frame that I could see.

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[zebrabeefj40]

Looks like a Class III to me... The drawbar looks a little light for what you are proposing to do too. I assume you have a different one for the car hauler?

Nick

 

[DesertBen44]

**edit** sorry misread that

The bar is what i tow smaller uhaul trailers with, I have not towed a 18 foot car hauler before, so I still need to buy the 10,000 pound rated bar. Will probably pick one up at tractor supply this week.

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

Does it not have any numbers on it? I think the previous poster was referring to the actual hitch and ball as being light duty. I agree, but the receiver is at least a three and could be a IV.

 

[oregon96psd]

Just look's like a replacement for the factory hitch, it'll bend the cheese **** frame long before it break's. You'll be fine.

 

[idipwr]

Looks like a class 3 man a 4. The heavier hitches have a longer spread along the frame. Also no ford truck 97 and older came from the factory with a hitch.

 

[DesertBen44]

So do you guys think this is good to go to tow a 18 foot carhauler with that big tjurd of a dodge on the back? Or am i screwed.

I have towed lots of car haulers before, but usually a 12 footer with a smaller car on it, biggest car I have towed was probably a comanche lifted on 37s

Im pretty much towing it from durango to Grand Junction one way, about 4 hrs. I have not made the drive yet, but if its like everywhere else in colorado, i will be crawling up some steep grades doing 30 mph with a 40 foot long cloud of soot behind me.

From what I read the class 3 hitch is only good for 5000 pounds? I have definitely unknowingly exceeded that before, not sure about exact numbers though.

Nothing is stamped on the receiver, just the faded tags all that can be read is draw-tite.

Also i apologize I was apparently using the wrong terminology, calling the receiver the hitch.

Thanks again and thanks for all responses so far.

 

[DesertBen44]

Was planning on buying this for the car hauler

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/reese-towpowerreg;-triple-ball-mount-all-3-sizes?cm_vc=-10005

Would prefer this for the cool factor of the hook/recovery purposes

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/sto...ip-tri-ball-trailer-hitch-mount-with-tow-hook

but its only rated for 7500 instead of 10000 *shrug*

Last thing I need is something going wrong its already going to be a white knuckle ride due to my nonturbo idi being at 7000 feet

 

[DesertBen44]

BTW the whole reason im asking so many questions about this is...

This week at work I was BSin with a friend who has a 2000 something dodge 3500 dually, and noticed in BIG impossible to ignore print on his FACTORY tow hitch it says DO NOT EXCEED 5000lbs. Seemed pretty light duty for a cummins powered dually with a factory tow package, got me thinking.

Maybe its just a dodge thing... made in mexico *cough*

 

[towcat]

from what I've seen, a class four hitch has four mounting holes on each rail. not all manufacturers are the same though. irregardless, the rating difference is 8k vs 10k in gross trailer weight. the key thing is how everything is loaded and balanced. you can go a little heavy on the trailer if it is loaded right. a bad loading even way under gross trailer weight or gross tongue weight makes for a dangerous ride. those who have driven the Nostromo with a 10k loaded trailer, have consistently remarked that they didn't even know the truck was pulling a load.

 

[w4dsb]

class 3 maybe
certainly not a class 5

i don't have a class 4 here to look at for comparison

 

[DesertBen44]

So from what I have read, trailer should weigh about 2000, truck should weigh 5900-6000. It has a 10 foot steel flatbed on it though so that should increase the weight.

I loaded the enclosed trailer pretty well when I moved, but the 16 foot wheel base of the truck on the 18 foot trailer probably wont give me a whole lot of room, well see.

 

[riotwarrior]

I'd say you have a class III

Go n get a Class V and be done with it. NO worries then.

Then I'd say you'ld be set

JM2CW

Al