Switch easily between trailers with this adjustable, aluminum ball mount. Go from an 8" drop to a 9" rise. Tow up to 8,000 lbs with the 2" ball and up to 10,000 lbs with the 2-5/16" ball. Solid-Tow system prevents rattling.
Features:
Specs:
This Fastway Solid Tow adjustable ball mount provides solid, rattle-free towing performance. A stainless steel pin, operated by the included hex tool, extends out from the shank and tightens the ball mount in your receiver.
To further eliminate any movement, a bolt in the side of the ball platform tightens the connection between the platform and the adjustment shank. As a result, you'll enjoy a quiet, rattle-free towing experience.
The ball platform is connected to the adjustment shank by the hex bolt located in the front of the platform. To change the ball height, simply loosen both the bolt in the front and the bolt in the side of the platform with the included tool. This will release the ball platform and allow you to slide it up and down. Or, you can slide the platform off and reverse it to change the ball size.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Randy: Hey guys, it's Randy here at etrailer.com. Now, we get questions from customers all the time about getting a hitch that will drop down low enough or raise up high enough so they can connect their trailer and keep everything nice and level, and that answer to that is an adjustable ball mount. They're available in all kinds of different varieties. The biggest problem I find with most adjustable ball mounts, even like the B&W Tow & Stow, is that there's a lot of noise associated with those. Generally, the tolerances that are built into them to help us adjust them cause issue. They're going to cause rattling.
Sometimes they can cause squeaking.The thing I like about this one. This is from Fastway. This is their Solid-Tow. Once we have this installed, there's zero movement and zero play. We've got a set bolt here, which goes into one of the alignment holes on our shank, that keeps this from moving around, as well as a safety screw here on the side that locks that out for us.
If we look right here on the top, it's actually a pin that's going to push up against the receiver tube, and again, keeps everything nice and solid. As you can see, any rattle or any wiggling or any play that we might've had out of any other type of ball mount has been completely eliminated. I think this is going to add a lot when it comes to just towing in general or if you don't want to remove your ball mount each time. You're traveling down the road, you've got passengers with you and it's just that little aggravation that you hear behind you.Now here you guys can really see the advantage of that adjustable ball mount. I really thought it was going to be a pretty straight situation.
Really, we're about 3, 4" worth a drop on this to get it down where we need it. Having a nice level trailer like that with that adjustment allows us to keep equal pressure on both axles of our trailer where it keeps it from pitching down or pitching up in the front. And overall having that like that and after telling with it for, I don't know, eight or nine miles now, it seems like it's a really nice solid way to level everything out and keep it running properly.Now, another thing I appreciate about this is that it already has the 2" and the 2-5/16 ball installed. Basically, you'll just flip that one way or the other, that's going to give you the ball that you need. Now the 2" ball that we've got facing up here...
And keep in mind these are stainless steel balls so the rusting and things like that really not going to have to worry about, but this one's going to be rated for 8,000 pounds and 1,000 pounds of tongue weight. The 2-5/16 is going to be rated for 1,000 pounds of tongue weight, and that doesn't matter whether you've got the 2" or the 2-1/2" version. Those numbers are going to stay the same.The one thing that is a little bit different with the system and the way it works, you want to be sure you get the right size for your application. If you use this with one of the adapter sleeves that comes with the 2-1/2" hitch, well, it's going to be locked on really tight to that adapter sleeve but that adapter sleeve still has play, so it's not going to do a whole lot for you. So, if you have a 2" hitch, get the 2" version, 2-1/2", we'll get the 2-1/2.Now, these are available in several drop and rise configurations. Basically, to measure that, we want to measure our trailer when it's sitting level, and we're going to measure right to the bottom of the coupler. If that matches the top of our receiver tube opening, then we need a zero drop or a no-drop set. If that's 2" lower or 2" higher though, we're going to need 2" of drop or 2" of rise. So figure that out. Just get that measurement from there to the ground, the bottom of your coupler to the ground, and whatever the difference is there that's the size drop or rise that you're going to need.Now, as far as the construction goes, we're going to have stainless steel ball set, and we're going to have really highly polished aluminum for our ball mount base and our shank. I think this is one of the better looking ball mounts out there, has a nice bright finish. It would be easy to clean, easy to maintain, especially that stainless steel. Not really worrying about that rust and corrosion is a big benefit for me.Now, when you're going to switch from the 2" to the 2-5/16, you want to grab your wrench. We're going to loosen that safety lock first, and then we can switch around to the ball mount platform bolt. Once that begins to slide, we'll rotate it over, and again we're going to choose whichever one that we line up with there, closest to where our coupler height is. Those little tabs I think are really nice. It helps to ensure that we get in the proper slot, that little mark there. Once we're in, we've got our safety set bolt on this side and we can get tightened down. It's really all there is to it getting it switched over to that 2-5/16, and as you can see, just as solid as it was before.Now for the installation side, we're going to start with the shank assembly first. We're going to place that in, going to line up that hitch pin hole and slide through our pin. Now you will notice there's a slight bevel there. It just helps to guide your pin in. I would strongly recommend using a locking hitch pin. This is a pretty big investment. It's not something that you want to disappear. It certainly stands out as something unique, so I would opt for a locking hitch pin. We've got a nice one from BOLT, which will match to your truck's ignition key. So you just pick for. in this case, pick the one for a GMC or any number of other locking hitch pins that we've got. A real nice one from etrailer.com uses a twist-in key stainless steel. Just moral of the story, just make sure you protect it.Now we'll just slide that in and get our hitch pin aligned. Clip that into place. Now we're ready to take our tool. We're going to tighten down this upper bolt. You can see all that movement and all that play that's in there. Once we've got that secured, you see really all of that's gone. Now, the ball mount set's going to come up and on, and you can use the little indentions here to determine that you're in the right spot. Once we've got that there, we're going to turn our bolt in. Now that's going to go into one of the holes that we have. It gives us the security there, and then finally our set both here on the side, tighten that one down as our safety lock screw. Now, at that point, everything's real nice and solid. That's where that name Solid-Tow comes from. We're not going to have any rattling. We're not going to have any squeaking. We're not going to have any movement out of this, make it nice and solid.As you can see from going out and doing some just basic testing even with an empty trailer, there's a big difference between the Solid-Tow it just as standard ball mount secured with a pin and a clip. I'll tell you, it's nice, it's secure, it's strong, but in working with customers, they really appreciate this as well. It's always hear, "Why didn't I get this sooner It's so much more quiet. It's so much more solid. I don't feel it moving around back there. I don't hear it moving around back there."And something that I wouldn't have really thought of, but with an aluminum ball mount like this, without that tensioner in there, it's going to bounce around quite a bit. So every time it hits that bottom edge down there, it's going to wear it just a little bit. It's going to wear it this a little bit more. So if you leave it in all the time, could run into the one of those situations to where it gets looser and looser over time. In this situation, it's just not going to happen. So, for my money, getting something that's going to look good, be nice and quiet, this is definitely one that I would pick.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (235 Customer Reviews)
Switch easily between trailers with this adjustable, aluminum ball mount. Go from an 8" drop to a 9" rise. Tow up to 8,000 lbs with the 2" ball and up to 10,000 lbs with the 2-5/16" ball. Solid-Tow system prevents rattling.Very solid hitch. I like all the adjustments and safety bolts. I can't believe they only included one of the special hex wrenches. If you install this thing and loose that hex wrench, then it is not coming off until you get another one. I went to their website looking to buy it from them, but they don't sell it. I finally found the right size on [online]. $XX bucks for one 5/16" tamper resistant hex wrench. It was p/n Eklind 90220 if you want to get one.
Very well designed, well made and nice looking. However, the allen wrench provided only works with the ball height adjustment on the front of the ball mount. It does not fit the locking mechanism on the side, nor does it fit the "Solid Tow" mechanism on the top which limits the movement of the hitch inside the receiver. So I have to keep handy a separate allen wrench for those two adjustments. Also, the "Solid Tow" feature only locks the hitch from moving within the receiver top to bottom. It still leaves the hitch free to move in the receiver side to side. So the hitch is not completely immobilized and silent inside the receiver.
the hitch does not slide up and down but talked to customer service they are sending replacement
Katrina D - 09/20/2023Product is beautiful- I'm a design engineer and we manufacture/distribute industrial parts. I can hardly believe that I can buy a hitch of this quality for this price!!
Love the antiraddle system
Locks in nicely to receiver with zero play and no rattles. Good product but as I tow with a heavy tongue weight I ultimately replaced this product with a Shocker Hitch, which has a higher tongue rating and provides an excellent, air cushioned ride.
Ordering process, shipping, and delivery was flawless...like others have reported the locking pin didn’t go completely into the receiver & the stainless steel sleeve has considerably more clearance than the steel one that came with my truck...having said that the hitch does not rattle and is very quite compared to any other I have used.
Still going strong!
If this hitch works half as good as it looks then I'll be very happy. Etrailer did a great job with timely shipping and delivery.
Very versatile,looks great!
Great hitch. Solid as a rock.
Quality product and worth every penny!
I am very impressed with the overall fit and finish of the ball mount. After tightening everything down per the instructions, the mount doesn’t move at all in the receiver and it maintains a true 90 degree vertical orientation in relation to the ground. I have towed both a boat and fully loaded utility trailer with it and have sensed no movement at all of the ball mount in the receiver and it’s as solid after towing as it was beforehand. My only recommendation would be to have the option of inserting a lockable hitch pin through the 2 ball mount instead of just the custom allen-type screw.
3500 Ram 2.5" Receiver - the pin that is to rise up to reduce up-down chucking is not 100% inside of the receiver. I wonder if that will be an issue over time. Why NO side to side set screws to reduce that chucking? An improvement to the design would be to offer single balls or sets instead of having lower ball get damaged. And how long before the set-screw through the ball wears and chucking happens at that stress point? When I lose the special allen wrench is there a place to get a replacement for a few $ that's open at 11pm on a Sunday night? BUT it is bright and shinny out of the box - so there is that!
Less than half the weight of similar steel products and just as strong. The anti-rattle feature is awesome, works great. The optional locking pin needed a 1/16" rubber washer to keep it from rattling. Overal VERY pleased! Highly recommended!
Needing at least an 8" drop I ordered the 10" drop to be sure I had enough leeway for adjustment in case my vehicle was heavily loaded with gear. The anti-rattle feature is what really made me choose this hitch. I'll be towing a boat 7,000 miles this summer and did not want to hear any squeaks and eliminate anything that could contribute to trailer swaying. In order to be sure the anti-rattle pin would make contact with my receiver I inquired with both the manufacturer and etrailer. Fastway customer rep said the distance was 3-1/2" and Etrailer said it was 2". Needless to say when it arrived it measured 2" which is perfect for my 2016 Suburban. You may want to double check with etrailer on the 2" measurement before ordering in case the manufacturer has modified the design.
While the anti-rattle pin does eliminate up and down motion a little left to right movement remains. I may fabricate a narrow shim to eliminate all movement but at this time I do not think it will be necessary.
Since I am using this on what is almost the lowest height setting with the 2" ball the 2-5/8" ball is just 10 1/4" above the ground. The hitch balls are not removable from the sliding mount therefore you either have to be careful not to bottom out or for more clearance Fastway said I could cut the 2-5/8" ball off the mount. This would make the ground clearance 12-1/4" off the ground.
As others have stated it is a beautiful piece of hardware and looks really sharp. I will likely leave on on permanently with a BOLT trailer hitch receiver lock. (Be sure to order the correct one!). Leaving it permanently mounted has one benefit- I think drivers from behind will be more wary of stopping too close and rear ending you and if they do rear end you at a slow speed it will absorb a bit of the impact thereby minimizing damage to your vehicle. Thank you etrailer.com for such excellent service and I highly recommend them for your hitch needs.
This is a solid well built aluminum ball mount but, on a 2015 dodge 2500 class 5 receiver the anti-rattle pin on the ball mount only catches 1/4 of the round pin in the receiver tube. The hole for the locking pin is close to the end of the tube of the receiver on the truck, so the ball mount sticks out in the receiver tube (in my opinion) too much for this to work as it was intended. Etrailer said it should work in there opinion but when you spend over 200 dollars for a ball mount it should work as intended and not "it SHOULD be fine?" Will be contacting Diversi-tech as well. etrailer is great a place to order from and quick shipment as well!
Excellent product. I installed on my 2014 Ram 1500 and the anti rattle pin was completely inside the receiver unlike what some of the other reviews show. There is absolutely no rattling. I believe the part number is diversitech, but this is in fact a fastway flash ballmount. As always, quick shipping from etrailer and the best price I've seen anywhere.
excellent product lightweight compared to steel, made from one piece no welds, and polished easy to maintain, great instructions to adjust for towing.
Excellent trailer hitch ball mount that has held up well after a year of use. No signs of rust. Anti-rattle works great. The only thing I would change is to allow for each ball mount to be removed individually because the clearance for the lower ball can be an issue at the lowest drop height.
The materials and machining are very nice, making it beautiful and precise. I like the craftmenship and detailed notches on the vertical bar. Already use both 2 and 2-5/16 balls so it was easy to chose this item for my needs. The only thing that I would change is having access to individual and separate ball installation to that the upsidedown ball doesn't scrape the ground if you choose to run it at the lowest setting.
Domingo F - 10/18/2022This drop hitch is a true champion! I have a '09 Ford F-250 with 4.5" of suspension lift on 37" tires, and this hitch is more than adequate for all types of towing applications. I just got back from towing a 7500 pound load for 10+ hours. I was on bumpy roads, interstates, and in some sketchy situations, but not once did I have to worry about the hitch. And on top of that, it was QUIET!! I locked down the tension bolt for reducing the movement, and it never moved or made a sound after that. And it looks SICK! I would highly recommend this to anyone
Do you have a question about this Trailer Hitch Ball Mount?
Info for this part was:
At etrailer.com we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.