Should Trailer Be Disconnected When Measuring Ball Mount Height

Updated 02/22/2012 | Published 02/17/2012

Question:

Hi, when choosing a ball mount for proper do you measure without the trailer in place? What I mean is if I measure the hitch height when the truck is unloaded it will be higher then if the truck has the trailer on it, it s.

asked by: Vit K

Expert Reply:

You are correct, you will want to measure for the ball mount without the trailer in place because you will want to measure for the ball mount while the truck is at the natural suspension height. The tongue weight from the trailer and any load behind the rear axle in the vehicle may create sag. If this is the case you may want to look into a weight distribution system.

If you determine you do need a weight distribution system for your truck and trailer just let me know your trailer tongue weight and gross trailer weight so we can recommend the best product for you.

If you have a truck, trailer and ball mount available you could measure the amount of sag by measuring the hitch height before you hitch the trailer and after you hitch the trailer and purchase a ball mount with the closest rise or drop to compensate for the difference. This would allow you to tow the trailer level if a distribution system is not needed. An adjustable ball mount would work great if you plan on towing trailers with different coupler heights. I attached an article on measuring for the correct ball mount that you may find helpful.

expert reply by: John H